A pair of Republican lawmakers file a bill taking aim at frivolous lawsuits.

Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Governor Jeff Landry has released his plan on lowering auto insurance rates. The governor says he supports legislation in the upcoming legislative session that would give the Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple the authority to reduce rates as is permitted in other southern states…

Cut 29 (08) “…not working”

Governor Jeff Landry says progress is being made in preventing constant computer crashes with the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles.

Cut 10 (07) “…handle this situation

Landry says a technical change was implemented last Thursday night to strengthen the office’s aging mainframe, and since then there have been no outages. Landry credits the work of new OMV commissioner Bryan Adams.

In March, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries identified its first case of CWD in a harvested deer in Catahoula Parish. The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission has released a plan on how to control the spread of CWD among wild deer. LDWF deer program manager Jonathan Bordelon says they are taking public comment on that plan before final adoption, expected by August…

Cut 6 (12) “….NOI process”

The new control area includes portions of Caldwell, Richland, La Salle and Catahoula Parishes where baiting and supplemental feeding of deer would be prohibited.

The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission approved a Declaration of Emergency and Notice of Intent to expand the Chronic Wasting Disease Control Area in northeast Louisiana, effective May 1st. Sean Richardson reports.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”

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A big name is added to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame class of 2025. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 2 (33) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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A pair of Republican lawmakers file a bill taking aim at frivolous lawsuits. Andrew Greenstein reports.

Cut 3 (32) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

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The Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission approved a Declaration of Emergency and Notice of Intent to expand the Chronic Wasting Disease Control Area in northeast Louisiana, effective May 1st. LDWF Deer Program Manager Jonathan Bordelon says this follows the detection of a CWD-positive wild deer in Catahoula Parish.

Cut 4 (07) “…Catahoula positive.”

The Declaration of Emergency extends the control area to include a 25-mile radius around the detection site, adding parts of Caldwell, Richland, La Salle, and expanding areas in Franklin and Concordia parishes. Bordelon says the DE prohibits baiting, supplemental feeding…

Cut 5 (08) “…spread of the disease.”

The Notice Of Intent proposes a 15-mile core area within the control zone where baiting and supplemental feeding are banned, with limited allowances beyond it. Bordelon says the NOI is subject to public comment and possible changes before final adoption, expected by August.

Cut 6 (12) “…NOI process.”

CWD is a fatal, untreatable disease affecting deer, and hunters are urged to have harvested deer tested. LDWF offers free testing services.

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Another name is added to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame class of 2025 – Nick Saban. Before he became LSU’s nemesis while coaching Alabama, Saban led the Tigers to the national championship in 2003. Saban was originally a part of the class of 2020, but that ceremony was postponed to 2021 and Saban could not attend. Chairman Doug Ireland says a schedule change with the NCAA recruiting schedule prevented Saban from taking part in any subsequent inductions until now.

Cut 7 (11) “…have our inductions.”

Ireland says the real Nick Saban is a very different person than what people who may only know him through his intense nature on the sidelines may be led to believe.

Cut 8 (12) “…the induction festivities.”

Ireland says Saban is one of the greatest college football coaches of all time, and his induction elevates the brand of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame.

Cut 9 (11)  “…Nick Saban is.”

Saban has close connections with four other members of the class of 2025 – Andrew Whitworth, Herb Vincent, Glenn Guilbeau and the late Ed Daniels. Whitworth played for Saban on the 2003 championship team, Vincent oversaw communications for the LSU athletic department while Saban coached there, and Guilbeau and Daniels covered his tenure intensely. The class of 2025 will be inducted in a ceremony in Natchitoches on June 28th.

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Governor Jeff Landry announced a key development regarding ongoing issues at the state’s Office of Motor Vehicles. A technical change was implemented last Thursday night to strengthen the office’s aging mainframe, which has prevented some residents from renewing or obtaining driver’s licenses for weeks because constant computer crashes..

Cut 10 (07) “…handle this situation.”

Landry reported that since the update on Thursday, the system has run smoothly. He praised interim OMV Commissioner Bryan Adams for identifying temporary solutions and researching new technology to modernize the outdated system.

Cut 11 (11) “…built in 1970.”

Landry also noted that the system had not been purged since 2008, potentially contributing to the widespread issues. The governor says he’s glad they have come up with a temporary fix.

Cut 12 (09) “…down the road.”

While improvements are underway, no specific timeline was provided for when the OMV’s system will be fully replaced.

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A pair of Republicans are proposing legislation that would make the plaintiff pay the defendant’s attorney fees and court costs if the lawsuit is deemed to be frivolous. Along with Pineville Representative Mike Johnson, New Iberia Senator Blake Miguez is proposing the legislation as a way to help rein in insurance rates.

Cut 13 (10)  “…to other states.”

Miguez says if his bill becomes law, perhaps that will get rogue attorneys to think twice about the cases they take up.

Cut 14 (06) “…frivolous in nature.”

Miguez says his bill is not intended to dissuade people from filing lawsuits for legitimate claims, since the bar would be set high for this provision to kick in.

Cut 15 (10) “…not take effect.”

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LSU men’s basketball coach Matt McMahon told Tiger Rag Radio he’s thrilled with his transfer class haul. Thanks to a substantial increase in NIL dollars to build a better roster, McMahon signed five players out of the portal. The coach says he loves all of the new additions but he’s really excited former UNLV point guard Dedan Thomas Junior chose the Tigers over Kentucky and Florida…

Cut 16 (16) “…him into the fold.”

Thomas is ranked as the fifth best point guard in the portal and 12th best player overall according to 247sports.com. He averaged 15 points and four assists a game last season at UNLV.

LSU currently has 11 players on its roster and five of them are six-foot-nine or bigger. McMahon says that was the goal, get bigger, which is why they signed out of the portal six-foot-nine Marquel Sutton from Omaha and former Mississippi State starting center Michael Nwoko…

Cut 17 (24) “…per minute”

LSU’s NIL budget was reportedly increased from two million dollars last season to eight million dollars, which puts the Tigers more in line with other SEC schools. McMahon says they still might add one more player.

Cut 18 (18) “…Dedan Thomas.”

LSU is reportedly interested in adding Kansas State shooting guard Brendan Hausen. He led the Wildcats in three point shooting last season at 38-percent and averaged 11 points a game in 33 starts.

Governor Landry announces his insurance reform plan that would put new regulations on both insurance companies and trial lawyers. Landry says he also wants to rein in lawyer advertising that he believes are pushing car crash victims to seek big settlements.

Cut 13 (15)  “…Louisiana families.”

Consultants hired by the City of New Orleans in the wake of the New Year’s Day terror attack have recommended that Bourbon Street be turned into a permanent pedestrian mall. Teneo also recommended that St. Charles Street also be closed to vehicular traffic. But Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick says that’s a little more problematic.

Cut 8 (16) “…to their homes.”

The seven-year-old girl injured in the house fire in Shreveport over the weekend has died. Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux confirmed that this morning in an interview with KEEL radio.

Cut 3 (14) “…to her injuries.” 

The other three victims are the girl’s five-year-old sister, her grandmother and her great-grandmother.

ULM is seeking approval to implement staff furloughs to address up to a 6-million-dollar budget shortfall. Acting President Nick Bruno says a hiring freeze began on Monday, and all employees working remotely have been recalled…

Cut 10 (12) “…to disperse that.”

Bruno says layoffs aren’t currently being considered, although campus restructuring is likely.

Governor Jeff Landry released an insurance reform plan that if approved by lawmakers in the upcoming legislative session would put new regulations on both insurance companies and trial lawyers. The governor says one of the bills he’s pushing would require attorneys to prove injuries in a claim are the result of the accident…

Cut 12 (15) “…after the accident.”

Landry says he’s poured over the data on why Louisiana’s auto insurance rates are among the highest in the country and found minor injury claims in Louisiana double the national average.

Lauren Daigle, who was born in Lake Charles and grew up in Lafayette, will perform at the Youngsville Amphitheater on Sept. 13, the city has announced. Daigle is a two-time Grammy, eight-time Billboard Music, four-time American Music, and twelve-time GMA Dove Music Award winner.

The seven-year-old girl injured in the house fire in Shreveport over the weekend has died. Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux says this is the worst outcome possible.

Cut 5 (05) “…a long time.”

The University of Louisiana at Monroe plans to request approval from the University of Louisiana System Board to implement staff furloughs to address up to a 6-million-dollar budget shortfall before the end of the fiscal year on June 30th. Acting President Nick Bruno, who returned temporarily after retiring in 2020, emphasized that the financial position of the University is fragile.

Cut 9 (09)  “…correcting that problem.”

The City of New Orleans now has the recommendation from the consulting firm it hired in the wake of the New Year’s Day terror attack on Bourbon Street. Teneo says Bourbon Street should be transformed into a permanent pedestrian mall. Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick says that recommendation only addresses ramming.

Cut 7 (11) “…have prevented that.”

A fourth victim in last weekend’s Shreveport house fire has died. A seven-year-old girl initially survived the fire that killed her five-year-old sister, her grandmother and her great-grandmother, but she has succumbed to her injuries. Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux tells LRN affiliate KEEL radio that this is the worst fire he has experienced as mayor.

Cut 4 (11) “…as a mayor.”

Governor Landry unveiled his insurance reform plan today. He says if approved by lawmakers in the upcoming legislative session it will lower prices for Louisianans. Jeff Palermo has the details…

Cut 2 (29) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”

It’s not something you see every day. Four people were captured on video entering a Walmart in Baker, just north of Baton Rouge, on horseback. The people who shot the cell phone video may have been laughing, but police are not. They’re asking for the public’s help in identifying the horseback shoppers. It’s unclear why they were riding horses in the store – a quick search of that store shows that hay is not available.

Governor Jeff Landry has offered up a plan to reform the auto insurance and it would result in new regulations on insurance companies and lawyers. The legislation the governor supports would force lawyers to show an injury claimed in a crash actually happened in the crash. The governor also wants to reign in lawyer advertising and pass laws to minimize distracted driving….

Cut 14 (08) “….today”

Landry says he supports a bill that would allow law enforcement to pull drivers over that are caught texting or using social media while driving.

ULM acting president Nick Bruno is considering furloughs as the university in Monroe is facing a budget shortfall that’s been reported to be five to six million dollars. Bruno says if furloughs are implemented, it will not affect students.

Cut 11 (10) “…reduced staff anyway.”

The consulting firm New Orleans hired in the wake of the New Year’s Day terror attack on Bourbon Street is out with its recommendations. Andrew Greenstein explains.

Cut 1 (34) “…I’m Andrew Greenstein.”

Governor Jeff Landry says the Office of Motor Vehicles’ computer system has been doing better over the last several days, since a technical change was made last Thursday. OMV field offices have been plagued by frequent computer crashes because of an antiquated mainframe system. OMV says the eventual goal is to get a new computer system.

Governor Jeff Landry announced his insurance reform plan today that lawmakers will discuss during a two month long legislative session that begins next week. The governor says one of the bills he’ll push is legislation to reign in lawyer advertising as he believes that’s pushing car crash victims to seek big settlements…

Cut 13 (15) “….Louisiana families”

Consultants hired by the City of New Orleans have recommended that Bourbon Street be permanently closed to vehicular traffic. Now, the question is – will the city heed that recommendation? In a news conference this morning, Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick seemed non-committal.

Cut 6 (11) “…the community wants.”

Kirkpatrick says she appreciates the Fort Knox approach, but is it viable?

A seven-year-old girl injured in a house fire in Shreveport on Sunday morning has died. Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux confirmed the terrible news during an interview with LRN affiliate KEEL radio.

Cut 3 (14) “…to her injuries.”

The seven year-old  is one of four people that died in the blaze. A five-year-old year was also killed, along with her grandmother and great-grandmother.

ULM is facing a six-million dollar budget deficit this fiscal year and Acting President Nick Bruno says they are looking at furloughing staff. Bruno says layoffs aren’t currently being considered, though campus restructuring is likely. He says A hiring freeze began on Monday and all employees working remotely have been recalled…

Cut 10 (12) “…to disperse that.”

Bruno says the furloughs should not affect student learning.

Consultants hired by the City of New Orleans in the wake of the New Year’s Day terror attack have recommended that Bourbon Street be turned into a permanent pedestrian mall. Teneo also recommended that St. Charles Street also be closed to vehicular traffic. But Police Superintendent Anne Kirkpatrick says that’s a little more problematic.

Cut 8 (16) “…to their homes.”

The seven-year-old girl injured in the house fire in Shreveport over the weekend has died. Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux tells LRN affiliate KEEL radio that this is the worst possible outcome.

Cut 5 (05) “…a long time.”

The other three victims are the girl’s five-year-old sister, her grandmother and her great-grandmother. Investigators say all died of smoke inhalation.

Governor Landry unveiled his insurance reform plan today. He says if approved by lawmakers in the upcoming legislative session it will lower prices for Louisianans. Jeff Palermo has the details…

Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Jeff Palermo.”