The governor is touting the insurance reform bills he signed this week, while the insurance commissioner is blasting one of them. Andrew Greenstein reports.
Cut 1 (35) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”
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A bill requiring age verification and parental approval for minors to download apps heads to the Senate. Sean Richardson has more.
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NCAA Regional time has arrived for the LSU baseball team. Colleen Crain reports fans are excited, and so is the team.
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Governor Landry is touting the six auto insurance reform bills that he signed into law earlier this week. Landry estimates that the package of reform bills will ultimately save drivers at least ten-percent on their auto insurance premiums. Landry said the Department of Insurance made a series of requests in its report to the legislature back in 2020; and this year, the legislature acted on them.
Cut 4 (09) “…on their promises.”
Landry also touted the tort reform bills that he signed, saying it will reduce frivolous lawsuits and improve the litigation environment in Louisiana.
Cut 5 (12) “…to the citizens.”
The one bill that Landry signed that was the most contentious was the one that gives the insurance commissioner the authority to reject rate increases regardless of market conditions. It’s a bill that the current insurance commissioner, Tim Temple, opposed. He says with that bill, Louisiana will no longer be a stable, predictable rating regulatory environment.
Cut 6 (10) “…in other states.”
Temple says if insurance rates don’t come down by the ten-percent Governor Landry said they will, Landry will point the finger at him.
Cut 7 (10) “…sooner than that.”
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A bill heads to the Senate that would require age verification and parental approval for minors to download apps. Originally, Mandeville Representative Kim Carver’s bill focused on app stores like Apple’s App Store and Google Play; however, the bill was expanded to include app developers after an amendment was added during discussion in the Senate Commerce Committee…
Meta supports the original bill, arguing it helps parents manage their children’s app use and supports safe, age-appropriate digital experiences. Google, however, opposes the legislation, citing privacy concerns and claiming it would require invasive ID checks. Carver says Apple CEO Tim Cook also voiced opposition in regards to a similar Texas law.
Jason Saine (“sane”) with Netchoice, who opposes the bill, says while his company shares Carver’s goal to protect minors, the bill is deeply flawed and would likely undermine privacy, fail to effectively protect minors and violate Louisianans’ First Amendment rights…
Cut 10 (13) “…face of these rights.”
If passed, HB570 would take effect in July 2026.
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Senate Education approves a TOPS bill that creates a new excellence level scholarship for students who score a 31 or higher on their ACT. Ruston Representative Chris Turner says this will hopefully keep students in the state.
Cut 11 (07) “…been offered that.”
Turner says the bill also allows some medical and dental school students to qualify.
The excellence level increases the scholarship award amounts for Louisiana students, including a new Excellence award of 12-thousand dollars for high-achieving students.
Cut 13 (04) “…residence in Louisiana.”
The bill has been approved by the House; and it now goes to Senate Finance, because it will cost the state millions of dollars more next fiscal year.
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A disturbing discovery in Shreveport, as a deceased infant’s body was found mixed in with linens at a cleaning facility. The ALSCO Uniforms employee who discovered the body initially believed it to be a doll, and the company was able to determine that the body came from a funeral home in Dallas. Shreveport Police Corporal Christopher Bordelon says investigators are looking into how the baby’s body ended up in Shreveport.
Cut 14 (13) “…to be cremated.”
Corporal Bordelon says there’s no suspicion surrounding the baby’s death.
Cut 15 (07) “…been natural causes.”
Bordelon says the baby’s parents have never been accused of any wrongdoing.
Cut 16 (12) “…the funeral home.”
The baby’s body is now in the custody of the Caddo Parish Coroner, and the Texas Funeral Service Commission has been notified.
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It’s the weekend LSU baseball fans and the team have been waiting for since the season started in February. The Tigers open up NCAA Regional play by hosting Little Rock at 2 p-m. It will be LSU’s first game since last Saturday’s loss to Ole Miss in the SEC Tournament. Coach Jay Johnson says his guys are ready to go.
LSU went 30-and-5 at home this season. Johnson says playing at home is a real advantage.
Cut 18 (13) “…advantage of that.”
Johnson treats the regular season like a 56-game playoff, so when the playoffs actually start, his team can handle the added pressure.