State Police have charged 61-year-old Lafayette truckdriver Ronald Britt with negligent homicide for driving too fast during the super fog event on I-55 last October that caused a massive pileup and killed seven people. Trooper Jacob Pucheu (pee-shoe) says Britt faces several charges…

Cut 7 (11) “…traffic violations”  

Legislation banning importing, ownership, and trafficking of sex dolls that resemble children passed out of committee Tuesday. Franklinton Senator Beth Mizell says Homeland Security contacted her about such trafficking after receiving a package with a label describing it as a mannequin.

Cut 8 (13) “…in Metairie.” 

A bill is heading to the Senate floor to toughen penalties against porch pirates. It will give judges the authority to sentence a thief to 60 days if they steal packages from several homes. Major Willie Stewart with the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office says it’s a big problem.

Cut 13 (11)  “…at a time”

Ochsner Health is raffling off two tickets to see Taylor Swift and raise money for their Neuroscience Institute. Assistant VP of Philanthropy Lucy King says the winner will receive two suite tickets for the October 26^th sold-out show at the Superdome. And like Taylor, the neuroscience center is one of a kind.

Cut 3 (09) “…and Atlanta.”  

The $100 raffle tickets can be purchased at oschner.org/eras. The deadline to purchase tickets is just before “Midnight” April 7th .

Jameis Winston and the Saints will be heading in different directions this season as Winston signed a one year deal with the Browns. The veteran backup came to New Orleans in 2020 to learn from Sean Payton and Drew Brees, but a season ending knee injury in 2021 and back injury in 2022 limited his potential according to the Saints Locked On Podcast Host Ross Jackson.

Cut 17 (19) “… he will be missed.”

The Saints became active in the new league year as they signed former Chiefs linebacker Willie Gay to a one-year 5 million dollar deal.

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In college basketball news, Nicholls and McNeese will play in the Southland Conference final today at 4 pm on ESPN2. McNeese defeated Lamar 76 to 57 to win their semifinal game and Nicholls defeated Texas A&M Corpus Christi 81 to 73.

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LSU baseball was able to defeat North Dakota State 6 to 1 with Catcher Brady Neal playing Right Field. The move allowed Neal to get in the lineup in an outfield offense that hasn’t produced many runs this season. Neal got on base in all four of his at bats helping the Tigers to their 6 run performance and the Tigers and Bison will play again today at 4 pm.

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In other college baseball news, ULM barely lost to Ole Miss 5 to 3 after the Rebels had a two run ninth inning and Northwestern State snapped it’s five game losing streak by beating Louisiana Tech 11 to 5 yesterday.

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And LSU Softball had a big night yesterday as the Lady Tigers defeated the Longhorns 7 to 4. The win has LSU on a 23 game win streak heading into their series against Ole Miss this weekend and LSU Head Coach Beth Torina says that the Rebels will present a challenge for the Tigers.

Cut 20 (16) “… negated.”

The Tigers will host the Rebels Friday with the first pitch at 6 pm

Major changes could be coming to the state’s constitution as Governor Landry is looking to take items out of the constitution and put them into state law. Public Affairs Research Council President Steven Procopio says legislators are unable to make many changes to the state’s tax code without voter approval…
cut 12 (12) “…they did”
A bill calling for a constitutional convention has yet to be filed.

State Police has charged a Lafayette truck driver with negligent homicide for driving too fast during the super fog event on I-55 last October. Trooper Jacob Pucheu (pee-shoe) says 61-year-old Ronald Britt’s truck was part of a massive chain reaction crash that involved 168 vehicles and seven deaths, including 60-year-old James Fleming…
Cut 6 (11) “…Mrs. Fleming”
Pucheu says Britt is facing several charges.

Insurance reform will be a major focus during this regular session. Teiko Foxx looks at a couple of proposals the new Insurance Commissioner is pushing for…
cut 2 (33) “….I’m Teiko Foxx”

What about auto insurance rates? Senate Insurance Chairman Kirk Talbot tells the USA Today Network that there is legislation filed for the regular session that can help reduce rates. The bills are in the area of tort reform. But Real Reform Louisiana says those bills strip victims rights and fatten industry profits.

The 2024 legislative session is underway and Governor Jeff Landry wants legislators to address constitutional reform. Public Affairs Research Council President Steven Procopio…

Cut 10 (12) “…should work.”

The 1974 state constitution has been amended more than 200 times.

Legislation that would give judges the authority to sentence porch pirates from 60 days to two years in jail for stealing packages from multiple homes is headed to the Senate floor. Sarah Whittington with the Justice and Accountability Center of Louisiana opposed the bill. She says specific punishment for porch pirates will not help the situation…

Cut 14 (09) “…the porch.”

Among issues to be discussed by lawmakers in the legislative session is the insurance crisis. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple Temple says one of the bills he’s favoring would allow insurers to adjust rates without his approval. He says the focus is to attract more insurance companies and lower rates.

Cut 9 (12)  “…is affordability.”

He says reducing regulations on property insurance companies will lead to a more competitive market which should lower rates.

The Baton Rouge Area Chamber endorses a proposed 300-million dollars arena on LSU’s campus. The new venue would host sporting events and bring larger entertainment acts to Baton Rouge. Trey Godfrey with BRAC is excited about what the proposal means to Baton Rouge…

Cut 4 (07)  “…our community.”

Among the issues Governor Landry wants lawmakers to address is constitutional reform. Brooke Thorington has more on what could entail.

Cut 3 (33) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

In college basketball action, McNeese will battle Nicholls State today in Lake Charles for the Southland Conference Tournament Championship. The Colonels advanced to play the top-seeded Cowboys by winning in overtime last night over Texas A-and-M Corpus Christi. The winning team receives a guaranteed spot in the NCAA Tournament. Tip off is at 4:00 PM.

Heading to the Senate floor is a bill that would add increased penalties for individuals stealing delivered packages from homes. The legislation would give judges the authority to sentence a thief to 60 days in jail if they steal packages from several homes. Major Willie Stewart with the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office says porch pirates are a big problem

Cut 13 (11)  “…at a time”

Sarah Whittington with the Justice and Accountability Center of Louisiana opposed the bill. She says there are already laws on the books addressing theft and specific punishment for porch pirates will not help the situation…

BRAC, the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, and Visit Baton Rouge supports a plan for the Raising Cane’s River Center to increase convention space and add a hotel complex. While the Capital City is the second largest city in the Bayou State, Trey Godfrey with BRAC says it’s the number four convention city behind Monroe…

Cut 6 (08) “…that space.”

The BRAC is among the groups endorsing a proposed new sports and entertainment arena at LSU being developed by the Tiger Athletic Foundation.

Insurance and constitutional reform are two of the major priorities for Governor Landry and Republicans in the legislative session. First-year Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple wants to remove some of the regulations on insurance companies in the hopes it will result in more insurers doing business in the state. Temple is proposing to do away with the three-year rule, which prohibits insurers from dropping a customer they’ve insured for three years…
cut 8 (09) “….whom they want”
Public Affairs Research Council President Steve Procopio says Governor Landry also wants a streamlined state constitution, because the current one has been amended more than 200 times…
cut 11 (09) “….vote on it”

Some would consider porch pirates a menace to our society. State lawmakers have started advancing a bill that would give judges the option to sentence a person convicted of stealing packages from the patios of several homes to 60 days in jail. New Iberia Senator Blake Miguez, a member of the Judiciary C Committee, believes this legislation can make a porch pirate think twice…
Cut 15 (09) “…deter crime”
This is bill is heading to the Senate floor.

The Baton Rouge Area Chamber endorses a proposed 300-million dollars arena on LSU’s campus. The new venue would host sporting events and bring larger entertainment acts to Baton Rouge. Trey Godfrey with BRAC is excited about what the proposal means to Baton Rouge…
Cut 4 (07) “…our community.”
But East Baton Rouge metro councilmember Chauna Banks opposes a new arena on the LSU campus, because it will restrict what events can be hosted at the River Center, which will hurt the downtown area.

Insurance reform will be a major focus during this regular session. Teiko Foxx looks at a couple of proposals the new Insurance Commissioner is pushing for…
cut 2 (33) “….I’m Teiko Foxx”

State Police has arrested a Lafayette truck driver for his role in last October’s deadly fog-related I-55 crash. Authorities say 61-year-old Ronald Britt of Lafayette failed to stop his truck in time before slamming into the back Cadillac, killing 60-year-old James Fleming. A total seven people died in the chain reaction crash that involved 168 vehicles.

Governor Jeff Landry told legislators on the opening day of the legislative session that it’s time to streamline the state’s constitution, which he says has become bloated because of more than 200 amendments since it was enacted in 1974. Public Affairs Research Council President Stephen Procopio on why there is an effort to streamline the state constitution…
cut 10 (12) :,,,,should work”

LSU’s Tiger Athletic Foundation is looking to build a new arena on campus that would not only host sports events, but also concerts. But LSU does not want to compete with the Raising Cane’s River Center in downtown Baton Rouge for concerts. Trey Godfrey with the Baton Rouge Area Chamber says the E-B-R metro council will consider transforming the River Center into a bigger convention center…
cut 5 (12) “…ordinance passes”

The 2024 legislative session is underway and insurance reform is a major focus. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple says reducing regulations will lead to a more competitive market which should lower rates. Temple says one of the bills he’s favoring would allow insurers to adjust rates without his approval. But he says the department is still involved…
Cut 7 (11) “…unduly discriminatory.”

Major changes could be coming to the state’s constitution as Governor Landry is looking to take items out of the constitution and put them into state law. Public Affairs Research Council President Steven Procopio says legislators are unable to make many changes to the state’s tax code without voter approval…
cut 12 (12) “…they did”
A bill calling for a constitutional convention has yet to be filed.

Big plans for a new sports and entertainment arena on LSU’s campus along with changes to the Raising Cane’s River Center are on the agenda for the East Baton Rouge Metro Council today. Colleen Crain has more…
Cut 1 (33) “…I’m Colleen Crain.”

The Republican-controlled legislature could consider creating Education Savings Accounts to provide taxpayer dollars to families if the school they’re attending is not right for them. Council for a Better Louisiana President Barry Erwin…

cut 8 (12) “…right now”
Critics says ESAs will mean a loss of funding for public schools.

A bill is heading to the Senate floor that would toughen penalties against porch pirates. Abbeville Senator Bob Hensgens’ legislation will give judges the authority to sentence a thief to 60 days if they steal packages from several homes. Major Willie Stewart with the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office says it’s a big problem.

Cut 13 (11)  “…at a time”

Among the issues Governor Jeff Landry wants lawmakers to address is constitutional reform. Public Affairs Research Council President Steven Procopio agrees that the 1974 state constitution, which has been amended more than 200 times, needs to be streamlined.

Cut 10 (12) “…should work.”

To hold a constitutional convention to revise one of the country’s longest constitutions with more than 72,000 words, Procopio says the legislature must first approve a bill to hold one, and delegates, which could be lawmakers, would hold hearings and vote on proposed changes.

Cut 11 (09) “…vote on it.” 

As for the particulars of what would be changed to the state’s constitution remains to be seen.

Governor Jeff Landry is asking state lawmakers to create an Education Savings Accounts program, to use taxpayer dollars to help families send their child, to a different school. Council for a Better Louisiana President Barry Erwin says former Governor John Bel Edwards was an opponent because it would take money away from public education.

Cut 7 (10) “…consequences.”

He says an Education Savings Account bill has yet to be filed.

State Police has provided more information on a fatal shooting involving a Calcasieu Parish Sherriff’s deputy. Trooper Derek Senegal says during a traffic stop last Thursday on I-10 between Lake Charles and Iowa, 37-year-old Quinton Baker of Gadsden, Alabama, was killed when he attempted to drive off while a deputy was searching inside his SUV.

Cut 12 (05)  “…struck Baker.”

Advocating to move from their existing 60-year-old headquarters, New Orleans PD Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick describes the myriad of issues plaguing the current facility.

Cut 1 (31)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”

Agile Cold Storage plans to build a 46-million dollar cold storage facility in St. Tammany Parish which will create 100 jobs. St. Tammany Corporation CEO Chris Masingill says the space will have highly automated, multi-temperature and conventional warehousing and logistics support. He says the building will primarily house poultry for export every week.

Cut 10 (07) “…of New Orleans.”