Secretary of State Nancy Landry is pushing a package of bills that would further boost the state’s election integrity policies. She says the bills would bring Louisiana closer to being ranked first in the nation for election integrity.

Cut 3 (08) “…our elections.”  

Among those bills, HB 114, which would expand voter canvass to further ensure that Louisiana’s voter rolls are accurate. Landry says House bill 114 will help verify if Louisiana residents are still eligible to vote.

Mail-in ballots for the March 23^rd presidential primary are the third highest in Louisiana. The November 2020 Presidential race and the 2022 Senate primary were first and second respectively. JMC Analytics pollster John Couvillon…

Cut 6  (08) “…out of habit.” 

Couvillon says considering this Presidential primary is “low wattage” with a few local elections thrown in and mail-in voting is higher than the twice pushed back 2020 Presidential primary due to COVID concerns

Legislation to add exceptions for rape and incest to the state’s abortion ban has been filed for the regular session, the same bill that failed to make it out of committee last year. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 2 (30)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington”

The 2024 legislative session begins at noon today. Insurance reform is a hot-button issue up for debate. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says lawmakers want to do something to lower insurance rates.
Cut 30 (12) “…lower insurance.”
Jeremy Alford of La-politics-dot-com says education will be another big topic during the three-month long legislative session. Alford says Republican lawmakers are eager to set up a program called education savings accounts. He says it would allow eligible families to use public money on a variety of education expenses…
cut 9 (10) “….private school tuition”
Former Governor John Bel Edwards vetoed several ESA bills over concerns they diverted much needed dollars away from public schools.

Two broods of periodical cicadas, one that appears every 13 years, the other every seven years, are both set to emerge this year, but Louisiana will likely miss out. LSU AgCenter Entomologist Aaron Ashbrook says the 13-year-brood, also known as the Great Southern Brood, has appeared in a few north Louisiana parishes in the past, but he says logging in thtat area disturbed their habitat. He says if you want to experience the double brood of periodical cicadas, head up north…
cut 15 (07) “….Wisconsin”

LSU and South Carolina battled each other hard yesterday and tempers flared late in the game which resulted in both benches clearing after Lady Tigers guard Flau’jae Johnson was pushed down to the ground. LSU ended up losing in the SEC Tournament title game 79 to 72, but Coach Kim Mulkey feels good about her squad…
cut 12 (11) “…this point”
Poa was taken off on stretcher on Saturday night after banging her head on the floor. Mulkey expects Poa to be ready for the NCAA Tournament which begins next week.

Today marks the beginning of the 2024 legislative session. A bill filed by one Louisiana lawmaker would require automated speed enforcement devices, to take a picture of the speeding driver not just the license plate to impose penalties. Marksville Representative Daryl Deshotel says the companies that set up and operate the devices contract with municipalities but keep the greater portion of the fines collected.

Cut 12 (11) “…they’re doing it.” 

Among the bills filed for the legislative session, which begins next Monday, would add the exceptions of rape and incest to the state’s abortion ban.  New Orleans Democrat Representative Delisha Boyd is the bill’s author. She expects pushback from the Republican-controlled legislature again, but she continues to fight to have exceptions to one of the strictest abortion bans in the country.

Cut 9 (09)  “…ridiculous.”

The proposed law also adds provisions that a police report, forensic evidence, and prosecution of the alleged offense are not required.

A bench-clearing scuffle towards the end of yesterday’s SEC Championship game left LSU with just five players in a 79-72 loss to top-ranked South Carolina. It was a very physical game and there was a lot of jawing throughout. Coach Kim Mulkey believes the referees let the game get out of hand….

Cut 18 (18)  “….one time” 

Both benches emptied after Flau’Jae Johnson intentionally fouled a South Carolina player with two minutes left. Carolina star Kamilla Cardoso shoved Johnson to the ground, which prompted Johnson’s brother to leave the stands and come on the court during a wild scene. Mulkey says Cardosa should pick on someone her own size…

LSU AgCenter Entomologist Aaron Ashbrook says it doesn’t look like the phenomenon of two broods of periodical cicadas will happen in the Bayou State this year. He says the outlook isn’t as promising this year because logging in the area disturbed their habitat.

Cut 14 (08) “…Louisiana brood.”

Legislation to add exceptions for rape and incest to the state’s abortion ban has been filed for the regular session, the same bill that failed to make it out of committee last year. Brooke Thorington has more.

Cut 2 (30)  “…I’m Brooke Thorington”
The body of a driver missing after a crash in Assumption Parish has been found near Bayou Lafourche. 64-year-old Gilbert Bunch Jr. and a passenger were driving down Highway 398 on March 2 when they crashed into Bayou Lafourche. The passenger was able to swim to the bank. Bunch’s body was found about six miles south of the crash location on Friday.

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Streamlining the state’s constitution will be another topic up for debate during the regular session. Louisiana’s constitution was adopted in 1974 but has been amended more than 200 times. Governor Jeff Landry has discussed with Republican lawmakers about taking some items out of the state’s constitution and putting them into state law. Pinsonat says a bill to condense the constitution has yet to be filed…

Cut 6 (12) “…overhauling Louisiana.”

You might have heard about the phenomenon of two broods of periodical cicadas, one that appears every 17 years and the other every 13 years, could coincide this year. But LSU AgCenter Entomologist Aaron Ashbrook says it doesn’t look like that will happen here in the Bayou State but elsewhere…

You might have heard about the phenomenon of two broods of periodical cicadas, one that appears every 17 years and the other every 13 years, could coincide this year. But LSU AgCenter Entomologist Aaron Ashbrook says it doesn’t look like that will happen here in the Bayou State…

Cut 13 (11)  “…specifically.”

From Cicadas to circadian ryhthms, you may be feeling a little more tired this week

after Springing forward over the weekend. Studies show that humans are most vulnterable to circadian misalignment this time of year after losing an our of sleep with the transition to Daylight Saving time. Experts say 25 percent of us may have trouble falling asleep due to the time change, but the good news is your body should re-adjust within a week.

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State lawmakers get back to business today as the regular session kicks off at noon. Insurance reform will be tops on the agenda as Homeowners in Louisiana pay about two thousand dollars a year for insurance and Louisiana ranks second only to Florida when it comes to highest car insurance rates.

Cut 5 (11) “…as automobiles.” 

A bill requiring automated enforcement devices to take a photo of the speeding driver not just the license plate of the vehicle is on the agenda this legislative session. Marksville Representative Daryl Deshotel says Deshotel says he’s not a fan of enforcement cameras, but the bill would provide a better chance to get the ticket to the right person. He believes an officer should be the ones writing tickets because cameras can’t do what they do to keep the community safe.

Cut 11 (11) “…for speeding.” 

The regular session begins at noon today and insurance reform will be a major topic. Teiko Foxx has more…

Cut 1 (28) “…I’m Teiko Foxx.”
“Oppenheimer” won big at the 2024 Oscars, last night earning awards in three major categories. The film walked away with the best picture title, Cillian Murphy won the award for best actor, and Christopher Nolan walked away with the title of best director. In all “Oppenheimer had 13 nominations at last night’s Academy Awards.
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New Orleans Democrat Representative Delisha Boyd is trying again to add exceptions for rape and incest to the state’s near-total abortion ban. Even though Boyd’s mother, who was raped in her teens and gave birth to her at age 15, she still advocates for exceptions.

Cut 7 (10) “…to term.”

House Bill 164 would allow physicians to terminate a pregnancy if it’s a result of rape or incest.

A bill requiring automated enforcement devices to take a photo of the speeding driver not just the license plate of the vehicle has been filed for the session. Marksville Representative Daryl Deshotel says the current procedure that snaps a photo of the license plate and automatically sends a ticket to the vehicle’s registered owner isn’t fair because the driver may not be the registered owner.

Cut 10 (08) “…vehicle owner.”

The 2024 legislative session begins at noon today. Insurance reform is a hot-button issue up for debate. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says lawmakers want to do something to lower insurance rates.

Cut 4 (12) “…lower insurance.”

New Orleans Democrat Representative Delisha Boyd is trying again to add exceptions for rape and incest to the state’s near-total abortion ban.

House Bill 164 would allow physicians to terminate a pregnancy if it’s a result of rape or incest.  In last year’s regular session, Boyd’s bill never made it out of committee.

Cut 8 (12) “…is born.” 

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Automated enforcement devices that measure speed and automatically send citations to vehicle owners may have to change if a bill gets through this legislative session. Colleen Crain has the details…

Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Colleen Crain”

Be extra careful as you hit the roads today especially if you feel a little less rested than usual after Springing forward over the weekend. Studies show that humans are most vulnterable to circadian misalignment this time of year after losing an our of sleep with the transition to Daylight Saving time. Experts say 25 percent of us may have trouble falling asleep due to the time change, but the good news is your body should re-adjust within a week.

The 2024 regular legislative session begins at noon today. The state legislature has already been busy, tackling redistricting and crime. Insurance reform will be a major focus in this three-month-long session.

Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says since 2020 dozens of insurers have withdrawn, canceled, or refused to renew existing homeowners’ policies in Louisiana.
Cut 5 (11) “…as automobiles.”
Streamlining the state’s constitution will be another topic up for debate. The state’s constitution was adopted in 1974 but has been amended more than 200 times. Governor Jeff Landry has discussed with Republican lawmakers about taking some items out of the state’s constitution and putting them into state law.
Cut 6 (12) “…overhauling Louisiana.”

Meanwhile, Democrats will once again try to add exceptions for rape and incest to the state’s near-total abortion ban. New Orleans Representative Delisha Boyd’s mother, who was raped in her teens and gave birth to her at age 15, advocates for exceptions.
Cut 7 (10) “…to term.”

And there are also bills dealing with traffic cameras that issue tickets for speeding or running a red light. But Marksville Representative Daryl Deshotel says only an officer should be writing tickets because cameras can’t do what they do to keep the community safe…
cut 11 (11) “…for speeding”
Deshotel’s bill would require automated enforcement devices to get a clear picture of the driver and the license plate to issue a ticket.

Soldiers from the Louisiana National Guard are among the those from more than a dozen states participating in Operation Lone Star at the Texas border. Officials say 50 soldiers will be deployed for three rotations that will last through about mid-June. LANG spokesperson, Lt. Col. Noel (No-elle)Collins says among they will likely assist with patrols and enhancing obstacle placements along the border.

Cut 5 (08) “…Texas National Guard.”
The legislature approved and Governor Landry has signed off on LANG’s request for $3 million to cover their expenses and pay allowances for Operation Lone Star.

33 new troopers graduated from the Louisiana State Police 103^rd cadet training academy yesterday. The state now has nearly 900 troopers working in patrol, criminal investigation, and public safety services. But Captain Nick Minale says they’re always looking for qualified applicants to join the ranks.
Cut 8 (06) “…process started.” 
Anyone interested can apply at www.lsp.org.
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In case you missed it, Louisiana has some new state champions in boys basketball. Avoyelles Charter won its second straight as the Vikings defeated J-S Clark 40-38. Zwolle won its second in a row as the Hawks took down Anaccoco again. Franklin won its first state title in 66 years with a 50-45 win over Lakeview. . Wossman defeated Iowa 70-65…after that game, Head Coach Rob Melanson announced his retirement. In his 30 plus year career, he took three schools to the state tournament.

The Saints have re-signed veteran and former LSU safety Tyrann Mathieu to a two year contract that will keep him in his hometown of New Orleans through 2025. Mathieu was selected by the Saints as their nominee for the 2023 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year for his  community service work. He’s also playing well…but says he’d still like to lead the Black and Gold to the playoffs

Cut  14 (12) “..opportunity”

A select of group of men and women graduated from Louisiana State Police Training Academy yesterday.  Here’s Teiko Fox.

Cut 2 (30)  “…I’m Teiko Foxx.” 

At the boys basketball state championships…Avoyelles Charter won its second straight as the Vikings defeated J-S Clark 40-38. Zwolle won its second in a row as the Hawks took down Anaccoco again this year.Wossman defeated Iowa 70-65 and Franklin won its first state title in 66 years with a 50-45 win over Lakeview.

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Early voting for the March 23rd presidential preference primary begins today. President Joe Biden has already locked up the Democratic Party’s nomination and former President Donald Trump has secured the Republican Party’s nomination. Secretary of State Nancy Landry still expects Republicans and Democrats to have their voices heard.

Cut 11 (09) “…should be.”

Meanwhile, soldiers from the Louisiana National Guard are among those from more than a dozen states participating in Operation Lone Star at the Texas border. LANG spokesperson, Lt. Col. Noel (No-elle) Collins says 50 soldiers will be deployed for three rotations beginning March 15^th.

Cut 4 (09) “…to Texas.” 

Soldiers from the 2-108^th Cavalry Squadron in Shreveport will participate in the first rotation and soldiers from the 61^st Troop Command, based in Carville will round out the two remaining rotations.