16:45 LRN Sportscast May 19th

The final SEC series of the year for the LSU Tigers gets underway tonight as the Bayou Bengals host number one ranked Florida. The Gators have the best team ERA in the Southeastern Conference at 2.92. But LSU center fielder Jake Fraley says his teammates are confident they can hit good pitching…
cut 19 (14) “…nine innings”
Tonight’s starting pitcher for Florida is Logan Shore, who is 10-0 with a 2.29 ERA and he’s only walked 17 hitters in 112 innings. First pitch is at 6:30.

The final regular season series of Southland Conference play also begins tonight. First place Southeastern is at Central Arkansas. Nicholls is at UNO, Northwestern hosts Abilene Christian and McNeese goes out of conference to play Washington State.

At the SWAC Tournament in New Orleans….Southern defeated Grambling 4-2, eliminating Grambling for the tournament. The Jaguars advance to play the loser of tonight’s game between Alcorn and Alabama State.

There’s a big baseball series in Ruston starting tonight as Louisiana Tech hosts 16th ranked Rice. The Bulldogs have won 16 of their last 20 and they are in fifth place in the Conference USA standings.

16:30 LRN Newscast May 19

More lawmakers and even the governor are still talking about the stripper age-weight requirement joke amendment. Michelle Southern reports…
voicer 2 (30) “….I’m Michelle Southern”

Meanwhile in the House Labor committee, a bill was rejected that called for men and women workers to be paid the same for equal work. Shreveport Representative Alan Seabaugh says there’s already a law on the books regarding pay discrimination…
cut 12 (04) “…this bill”
The vote was 10-5 against the legislation.

Governor John Bel Edwards signed the bill into law that allows more conditions to be added to the list of acceptable ones for medical marijuana. He says this is not a gateway to the legalization of recreational marijuana and he does not want this bill to be an ever expanding list of diseases…:
CUT 7 (08) “out there”
The state is still seeking a grower for the drug.

Attorney General Jeff Landry believes President Obama’s mandate to allow transgender individuals to use the restroom of their gender identity is unlawful. Landry says schools should know they do not have to follow through, even though the President is threatening the yanking of federal funds if not followed…
CUT 4 (08) “immediately”
Landry says the president doesn’t have the authority to force students to share restrooms with members of the opposite sex.

15:30 LRN newscast May 19th

New Orleans Senator and chairman of the Louisiana Democratic Party Karen Peterson is demanding an apology from Jackson Representative Kenny Havard, who jokingly offered up an amendment to a bill that said strippers must be young and skinny. Peterson asked for the apology whil speaking on the Senate floor…
cut 9 (12) “….consequences”
The House Labor committee rejected the governor-backed equal pay legislation, requiring businesses to pay men and women the same for equal work. Baton Rouge Representative Ted James says Louisiana has the largest gender pay gap in the nation and this bill would fix it…
cut 13 (07) “…against women”
Business groups opposed the legislation.

 

The governor signed a bill into law that allows patients with a wider variety of medical conditions to receive medical marijuana once it becomes available in Louisiana. Edwards this legislation could help hundreds of families…

cut 6 (11) “….medicinal marijuana”

The legislation also attempts to speed up the process of getting medical marijuana in the hands of the patient.

Attorney General Jeff Landry believes President Obama’s mandate to allow transgender individuals to use the restroom of their gender identity is unlawful. Landry says the President’s threat of defunding schools that don’t comply, jeopardizes student safety…
cut 3 (10) “….0.1%”
Landry says he’ll defend the schools, if the federal government takes action against them for failing to follow this order.

 

14:30 Newscast, May 19th, 2016

A Senate-approved bill seeking equal pay for men and women who perform the same job failed to make it out of the House Labor Committee. Vermillion Parish Representative Blake Miguez says this interferes with how companies conduct their business…:
cut 15 (08) “his employment”
Governor John Bel Edwards issued a statement on the vote saying women earn and average of 65 cents on the dollar compared to men and the failure of the House Labor Committee to pays the Equal Pay Act is a disservice to the women of this state.

Edwards signed the medical marijuana expansion legislation today and said it was one of the most important and easiest decisions he’s made this session..:
CUT 8 (10) “of Louisiana”

Many people are calling for Jackson Representative Kenny Havard to apologize for bringing an amendment on a human trafficking bill that was offensive to many people. Under the measure, no one under 21 could be a stripper and Havard’s change would have added age and weight limits. The story is making national headlines and sparking outrage from people across the country. New Orleans Sen. Karen Peterson…:
CUT 10 (09) “I made a mistake”
Governor John Bel Edwards said the “joke” was in poor taste.

Attorney General Jeff Landry believes President Obama’s mandate that school’s allow transgender bathrooms or risk losing funding is unlawful. He says we’re supposed to be ruled by the majority, not the minority….:
CUT 5 (10) “complete overreach”

 

13:30 Newscast, May 19th, 2016

The bill seeking equal pay for men and women who perform the same job failed to make it out of the House Labor Committee. Shreveport Representative Alan Seabaugh says there is already a law on the books that prevents pay discrimination based on gender…:
cut 12 (04) “this bill”
Louisiana has the biggest pay gap in the nation, with women earning on average about 66 cents for every dollar a man makes. New Orleans Representative Helena Moreno says this wage discrimination is hurting women in Louisiana..:
cut 14 (09) “and women”
The measure failed on a 10-5 vote.

The Strom Prediction Center says there’s a chance for severe weather in southwest Louisiana today. The severe weather threat shifts to southeast Louisiana tomorrow. Strong winds, hail and there’s also a possibility of isolated tornadoes.

Governor John Bel Edwards signed the bill into law that allows more conditions to be added to the list of acceptable ones for medical marijuana. He says this is not a gateway to the legalization of recreational marijuana and he doesn’t he does not want this bill to be an ever expanding list of diseases…:
CUT 7 (08) “out there”
The state is still seeking a grower for the drug.

Attorney General Jeff Landry believes President Obama’s mandate to allow transgender individuals to use the restroom of their gender identity is unlawful. He says the threat of yanking funding from schools is a financial crisis and schools should know they do not have to follow through…:
CUT 4 (08) “immediately”
Landry says the president doesn’t have the authority to force students to share restrooms with members of the opposite sex.

 

LRN PM Newscall May 19th

Attorney General Jeff Landry is telling public schools they do not have to comply with President Obama’s transgender bathroom mandate. Emelie Gunn has more…

CUT 1 (29)  “I’m Emelie Gunn”

================

More lawmakers and even the governor are still talking about the stripper age/weight requirement “joke” amendment. Michelle Southern reports…:

CUT 2 (30)  “I’m Michelle Southern”

===================

Attorney General Jeff Landry believes President Obama’s mandate to allow transgender individuals to use the restroom of their gender identity is unlawful. Landry says the President’s threat of defunding schools that don’t comply jeopardizes student safety and creates a public education crisis.

CUT 3 (10)  “o.1%”

Landry says the president doesn’t have the authority to force students to share restrooms with members of the opposite sex. He says his message to public schools is they do not have to follow through with the mandate.

CUT 4 (08)  “immediately”

Landry says he’ll defend the schools, if the federal government rakes action against them for failing to follow this order. He says we’re supposed to be ruled by the majority, not the minority.

CUT 5 (10)  “complete overreach”

===============================================

Governor John Bel Edwards has signed a bill into law that allows patients with a wider variety of medical conditions to receive medical marijuana once it becomes available in Louisiana. Edwards says this is an issue that should stay between doctors and their patients.

CUT 6 (11) “medicinal marijuana”

Sheriffs and district attorneys opposed the legislation over concerns about “creep”. But Edwards says this is not a gateway to the legalization of recreational marijuana. He also says he does not want this bill to be an ever expanding list of diseases for which medical cannabis can be prescribed.

CUT 7 (08) “out there”

People diagnosed with things like cancer, AIDS, and seizure disorders will soon be able to get medical marijuana in Louisiana. The legislation also attempts to speed up the process of getting medical cannabis in the hands of patients. The state is still seeking a grower for the drug. Edwards says signing this bill is one of this easiest decisions he’s made during this session, but also one of the most important.

CUT 8 (10) “of Louisiana”

===================================================

More lawmakers and even the governor are still talking about the stripper age/weight requirement “joke” amendment that ended up hitting the House Floor Wednesday. The change was added to a human trafficking bill stating strippers should be no younger than 21, but Jackson Representative Kenny Havard ending up withdrawing. New Orleans Sen. Karen Peterson says Havard should apologize:

CUT 9 (12) “consequences”

The story is making national headlines and sparking outrage from people across the country. Peterson says this is embarrassing and Havard should realize how many people he’s hurt and offended…:

cut 10 (09)  “I made a mistake”

The amendment suggested strippers should be young and skinny.  Governor Edwards said he knows this was intended as a joke, but it was in bad taste…:

Cut 11 (06) “unfortunate incident”

===================================================

A Senate-approved bill seeking equal pay for men and women who perform the same job failed to make it out of the House Labor Committee. Shreveport Representative Alan Seabaugh voted against it because he says there is already a law on the books that prevents pay discrimination based on gender.

cut 12 (04) “this bill”

But Baton Rouge Representative Ted James says there is still a gender pay gap. He says no one would say that women are less capable of performing these jobs, so there’s only one other reason for the wage gap.

Cut 13 (07)  “against women”

Louisiana has the biggest pay gap in the nation. New Orleans Representative Helena Moreno says this wage discrimination is hurting women in Louisiana.

cut 14 (09)  “and women”

Vermillion Parish Representative Blake Miguez voted against the legislation. He says it interferes with how companies conduct their business.

cut 15 (08) “his employment”

Governor John Bel Edwards supports this proposal, and it is a significant defeat for his legislative agenda. The measure failed on a 10-5 vote.

===================================================

12:30 Newscast, May 19th, 2016

Governor John Bel Edwards has signed a bill into law that allows patients with a wider variety of medical conditions to receive medical marijuana once it becomes available in Louisiana. He says this is an issue that should stay between doctors and their patients…:
CUT 6 (11) “medicinal marijuana”

Edwards was asked about the stripper age/weight requirement amendment brought by Jackson Representative Kenny Havard on a human trafficking measure Thursday. Edwards said he knows this was intended as a joke, but it was in bad taste…:
Cut 11 (06) “unfortunate incident”
Havard withdrew the amendment and the bill saying strippers should be no younger than 21 advanced on the House Floor.

Attorney General Jeff Landry is telling public schools they do not have to comply with President Obama’s transgender bathroom mandate. Emelie Gunn has more…:
CUT 1 (29) “I’m Emelie Gunn”

The National Weather Service in Lake Charles says possible severe weather will hit southwest Louisiana today. Forecasters say the system along I-10 could bring strong winds up to 60 miles per hour, hail and isolated tornadoes.

 

11:40 LRN Sportscast May 19th

A red hot LSU baseball team takes on the number one ranked team in the country tonight. Florida comes into the Box with an overall record of 43-9, 18-8 in conference play, which is the best record in the SEC. The Gators also have the top pitching staff in the league, with a team ERA of 2.92. Coach Paul Mainieri is impressed with the collection of arms Florida has…
cut 18 (16) “….better them”
Tonight’s starting pitcher for Florida is Logan Shore, who is 10-0 with a 2.29 ERA. Alex Lange will be on the bump for the Tigers, he’s 7-3 with a 3.76 ERA.

Elsewhere, UL Lafayette hosts ULM in the start of a Sun Belt series tonight. The Cajuns still have a chance at a regular season title, while the Warhawks are fighting to get in the Sun Belt Tournament.

Louisiana Tech hosts 16th ranked Rice. The Bulldogs have won 16 of their last 20 and they are in fifth place in the Conference USA standings.

In the SWAC tournament…Grambling plays Southern in an elimination game.

Former LSU wide receiver and Barbe standout Trey Quinn announces he’s transferring to SMU. Quinn played two seasons for the Tigers, but wasn’t a big part of the offense his sophomore season.

There’s a report that four-star defensive tackle Travonte Valentine could return to LSU. He signed with the Tigers in 2014, but never played a down because he failed to clear NCAA academic hurdles. Valentine is now at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and still needs to complete 13 hours of summer work for him to have an opportunity to play for the Tigers this fall.

11:30 LRN Newscast May 19th

Governor John Bel Edwards has signed a medical marijuana bill into law. The legislation attempts to move the process along in making medical cannabis available and the number of diseases eligible to use the drug has also been expanded. Sheriffs and district attorneys expressed concern this legislation could open the door to the legaliziation of marijuana.

Attorney General Jeff Landry believes President Obama’s mandate to allow transgender individuals to use the restroom of their gender identity is unlawful. Landry says the President’s threat of funds for schools that don’t comply, jeopardizes student safety and creates a public education crisis…
cut 3 (10) “….0.1%”
Landry says he’ll defend the schools, if the federal government takes action against them for failing to follow this order.

The Cajun John Wayne, Clay Higgins, who achieved internet fame through his viral crime stoppers video, has entered Louisiana’s third district Congressional race…
voicer 5 (28) “…I’m Halen Doughty”

More lawmakers and even the governor are still talking about the stripper age/weight requirement “joke” amendment. The proposed change was added on the House floor to a human trafficking bill stating strippers should be no younger than 21, but Jackson Representative Kenny Havard ending up withdrawing. New Orleans Sen. Karen Peterson says Havard should apologize:
CUT 9 (12) “consequences”
Governor Edwards said he knows this was intended as a joke, but it was in bad taste.

10:30 LRN Newscast May 19th

At this hour, Governor John Bel Edwards is signing legislation into law that would expand the number of diseases that could be eligible for a prescription of medical marijuana, once it becomes available.

Edwards announced he would sign the bill during his monthly radio show. He was also asked how to address the problem of opiate addiction in Louisiana. He says one key thing to do is to get Narcan, a medication that treats people who overdose, into the hands of first responders and allow it to be administered without a prescription. Edwards says they are also looking into legislative action….
cut 9 (10) “…as well”
You can catch the next governor’s call-in show on June 15th.

The Strom Prediction Center says there’s a chance for severe weather in southwest Louisiana today. The severe weather threat shifts to southeast Louisiana tomorrow. Strong winds, hail and there’s also a possibility of isolated tornadoes.

Legislation is heading to the House floor that would require public school elementary students to recite a portion of the Declaration of Independence every day. The bill passed on a six-to-two vote in House Education. Gonzlaes Representative Ed Price was one of two legislators who voted against it. Price says forcing students to recite this would open the door for more lawsuits…
cut 13 (10) “….more permissive”

That pesky Emerald Ash Borer has shown up in a fourth Louisiana parish. Union Parish is the latest parish where the pest has been detected. Agriculture Commissioner and Forestery Commissioner Mike Strain says the Emerald Ash borer kills ash trees…
cut 5 (10) “…appeal”
Strain the federal government is using wasps to control the emerald ash borer population.