Legislation that increases the penalties against minors for calling in fake bomb threats receives pushback. Jeff Palermo reports Democratic lawmakers are concerned the measure could also result in the child’s parents being fined up to five-thousand dollars.
Cut 1 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”
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Former Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Jack Montoucet (MON-tuh-set) has pleaded guilty to one felony count related to a kickback scheme involving two other people already serving time in federal prison. Andre Champagne has the story.
Cut 2 (34) “…I’m Andre Champagne.”
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It seems that restaurants in Louisiana still have room for improvement when it comes to being honest about the origins of their shrimp. Andrew Greenstein reports.
Cut 3 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”
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A bill that increases the penalties against a minor found guilty of calling in a bomb threat or threatening to commit violence at school receives pushback from Democrats on the House floor, because the proposal could also result in the child’s parents facing fines of up to five-thousand dollars for a first offense. New Orleans Representative Mandie Landry was one of the first lawmakers to object.
Cut 4 (08) “…trying very hard.”
Pineville Representative Mike Johnson’s legislation would result in a prison sentence of five to 15 years for terrorizing a school. The court shall also order a child to undergo a mental examination and-or participate in the Back on Track Youth Pilot Program. Johnson’s bill also mandates that the Department of Education provides information to the parents and students about the consequences of terrorizing or menacing a school.
Lake Charles Representative Wilford Carter’s main problem with the bill is also the thousands of dollars in fines a parent could receive.
Johnson says his legislation leaves it up to the discretion of the courts to decide if a parent should be fined. He says the overall goal is to make schools as safe as possible.
The House approved the bill on a 71-26 vote and heads to the Senate for more discussion.
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Former Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Secretary Jack Montoucet (MON-tuh-set) faces up to five years in prison for participating in a kickback scheme. Federal prosecutors say the 78-year-old Montoucet used his position as secretary to steer a state contract to a company called D-G-L-1 in exchange for one-third of the profit. FBI special agent in charge, Jonathan Tapp:
Cut 8 (06) “…this great state.”
Lafayette businessman Leonard Franques (fran-KEZ) and Dusty Guidry of Youngsville are already serving time in federal prison. Prosecutors say Guidry was the mastermind behind the scheme and it was Montoucet who made sure Franques’ business received a contract to provide online hunting and boating courses. Assistant U.S. Attorney LaDonte Murphy says they stopped the illegal scheme in its early stages.
Cut 9 (07) “…in their government.”
Montoucet is also a former state representative and retired Lafayette fire chief. Governor John Bel Edwards appointed Montoucet as LDWF secretary in January 2017 and was set to retire in 2024 when he resigned abruptly in April 2023. Murphy says Montoucet was set to receive his portion of the kickback after he retired and the money was hidden in a secret fund.
Cut 10 (10) “…of that scheme.”
Montoucet pleaded guilty to one felony public corruption count. He will be sentenced June 30th.
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A seafood advocacy group says its audit of restaurants along the U.S. 190 corridor between Krotz Springs and Kinder shows that restaurants still have a long way to go when it comes to telling the truth about the origins of their seafood. SeaD (“seed”) Consulting ordered shrimp from 24 restaurants; and of those, it discovered that nine were serving imported shrimp despite being told that the shrimp was domestically caught. Co-Founder David Williams says at each stop, they explicitly asked about the origin of the shrimp.
Cut 11 (09) “…telling the truth.”
Three other restaurants were serving imported shrimp, but they had clearly indicated so. Williams says the high number of restaurants along the 190 corridor serving imported shrimp is very disappointing.
Williams says along with supporting the local economy, there are specific reasons that diners specifically ask for domestically-caught shrimp.
Cut 13 (07) “…more healthy alternative.”
Williams also notes that since imported shrimp is a lot cheaper than domestic shrimp, those who claim that their shrimp is domestic when it’s in fact imported are financially defrauding diners.
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A new study by WalletHub shows that Louisiana is the most stressed state in the country. WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo says of the four stress dimensions it looked at, Louisiana ranked in the top ten in all of them.
Cut 14 (09) “…safety-related stress.”
Lupo says when it comes to financial stress, Louisianans tend to pay higher interest rates than those in other states. That’s because the state’s median credit score ranks close to the very bottom.
Cut 15 (11) “…up is excellent.”
Lupo says one thing that Louisiana does have going for itself is the fact that it doesn’t exactly cost an exorbitant amount of money to put a roof over one’s head.
Cut 16 (10) “…comes to money.”
WalletHub says the least stressed state in the country is South Dakota.
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Dr. Bryan Maggard, who serves as UL-Lafayette’s Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics, has been appointed to the College Football Playoff Selection Committee. He will serve on the 13-person selection committee for the next three football seasons. Maggard, who’s one of three representatives from the Group of Six schools, says he hopes to be a voice for the G6, but only if they prove worthy of being in the conversation.
Cut 17 (09) “…for the consideration.”
Maggard says serving on the college football playoff selection committee will help shine a spotlight on athletics in Lafayette.
Cut 18 (07) “…certainly our university.”
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One of Lane Kiffin’s first moves as LSU football coach was retaining defensive coordinator Blake Baker on his staff. Kiffin praised Baker’s work over the past two years and says he wants the defense to reach a new level this season.
Kiffin and his staff added nine wide receivers from the transfer portal this offseason. He says the move is aimed at providing the Tigers with quality depth, which will give the team the best chance to reach its full offensive potential this season.