U-S Senator Bill Cassidy is one of 15 Republican Senators to vote for a gun control bill last night that passed the U-S Senate on a 65-33 vote. Kevin Gallagher spoke with Senator Cassidy prior to the vote….
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To address the ongoing teacher shortage lawmakers passed a few bills, including a pay raise but one advocacy group says more can still be done. Brooke Thorington has more.
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Carbon monoxide poisoning is an unseen danger, particularly during hurricane season. A new law seeks to lessen the risk for families across the state.
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U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy was one of 15 Republican lawmakers to vote for a new gun control bill last night that received approval in the Senate. Cassidy says, despite what critics say, it is good legislation. The bill was introduced after the massacre at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. He says the measure includes more stringent background checks for gun buyers, and will also take steps to make schools safer…:
Cut 4 (09) “…access to mental health.”
Cassidy says if the bill had been passed before Uvalde the tragedy may have been prevented, because the bill will allow a background check to include one’s record of juvenile offenses. He says current law doesn’t do this…:
Cut 5 (12) “…those records are sealed.”
Cassidy says no one with a clean criminal record need worry this bill threatens their Second Amendment rights.
He says the bipartisan legislation will help make schools harder for intruders to infiltrate. He says the mental health portion of the bill will not only help with potentially violent kids, it will also benefit kids who may be thinking of hurting themselves. Cassidy says any reasonable thinking person would see the good in the legislation…:
Louisiana’s junior U-S Senator John Kennedy voted against the bill.
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Lawmakers passed several bills to help address the ongoing teacher shortage in the regular session this year. Barry Erwin President of the Council for a Better Louisiana says he wishes teachers had been given a larger pay raise but he’s hopeful a college scholarship program will foster students to enter the profession.
Cut 7 (07) “…some of the bills.”
And the legislature changed measures to allow retired teachers to return to the classroom and they are still able to collect retirement.
Erwin says the teacher shortage is real and there are more things that can be done, for example, remove the red tape educators have to deal with on a regular basis. He also believes we need more programs to attract high school students to enter the field.
Another issue Erwin says facing the teaching profession is the growing political mindset to vilify educators and accusations of indoctrinating children.
Cut 9 (12) “…teaching as a profession.”
Erwin says mentoring programs have also been helpful in recruiting more young people to choose teaching as a career.
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According to WalletHub Louisiana is ranked fourth in the nation as the best state for a summer road trip. WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzales says the ranking looked at the most fun, scenic, and wallet-friendly road trip destinations.
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Gonzales says when it comes to cost the Bayou State ranked second in the nation on road trips.
She says one way to save money on road trips is the use an app like GasBuddy to find the best price on gas and to also book your hotels directly through a chain’s website or app.
And WalletHub says Louisiana ranked first in the nation in their summer road trip survey when it comes to driving laws. Gonzales says when it comes to driving laws Louisiana is a bit on the strict side.
She also noted that Louisiana however did not rank well when it comes to the quality of roads and bridges
New York topped the list followed by Minnesota and Texas.
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Governor Edwards has signed House Bill 293 into law. Proposed by Metairie Representative Stephanie Hilferty, it requires carbon monoxide detectors in all one or two-family homes sold or leased. It also requires any home with a generator installed to have a detector as well. Hilferty says a carbon monoxide detector likely saved the lives of her family during Hurricane Ida.
Cut 13 (10) “…would have happened.”
Hilferty worked closely with former State Fire Marshal, and current director of the National Association of State Fire Marshals, Butch Browning in crafting the language of the legislation. Both see the bill as an important and evolutionary step for the state in making homes safer.
Four people in Louisiana died and nearly 150 made trips to the emergency room due to carbon monoxide poisoning during and after Hurricane Ida. Hilferty says that the low cost of purchasing a carbon monoxide detector for your home is far outweighed by the added layer of protection for you and your loved ones.
Cut 15 (08) “…can save lives.”
The new law goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2023.
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As predicted by many, the New Orleans Pelicans selected 6-7 guard Dyson Daniels out of Australia with the eighth pick in the NBA Draft. Daniels says he’s excited to join the Pelicans and ready to get to work.
Daniels spent last season playing for the NBA’s G-League Ignite squad, where he averaged 11 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two steals per game. He credits his experience in the G-League with getting him into the lottery and onto the Pelicans.
LSU forward Tari Eason won’t be moving too far from Baton Rouge. Eason was taken by the Houston Rockets with the 17th overall selection. Eason was known for his scoring with the Tigers, but says he takes pride in shutting people down, too.