News

Mid-March to mid-April is the best time to plant tomato transplants in the Baton Rouge area.

Political Analyst and Pollster Elliot Stonecipher speaks on Senator Mary Landrieu's possibilities of a fourth term. He also discusses the role that the minority vote has contributed to Landrieu's race in the polls. In addition, he touches on Edwin Edwards pursuit for a seat in Congress and Bobby Jindal's legitimacy for a presidential run.

It seems like everyone has a new idea for how to restructure the East Baton Rouge parish school system this week.

Figuring out how to pay for retirement plans might not be the most scintillating topic, but it’s a growing issue for Louisiana lawmakers. Here’s why:

Just as with Social Security, active workers pay into the system while retirees take money out. The difference between the pension plan’s cash on hand and how much will be paid out over time is known as the unfunded accrued liability, or UAL. In Louisiana’s state retirement systems, the UALs have grown a lot lately.

Sen. Ben Nevers joins the show to talk with Jim about his bill for Medicaid reform.

Sen. Robert Adley talks with Jim about the Levee lawsuit bill.

Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe talks about health care reform success in Arkansas. 

Visit Baton Rouge CEO, Paul Arrigo joins the show with ground breaking news! Miss 2014 USA pageant will make its debut in Baton Rouge.

The word of the day in the Senate Education Committee Wednesday was “empowerment”, with bills giving more authority to school principals and local districts moving forward.

The “Empowered Community Schools” bill, SB 385, by Sen. Eric LaFleur (D-Ville Platte) would allow principals rated “highly effective” to basically declare themselves in charge — of hiring and firing and over school service and repair contracts.

Director, actress, dancer Debbie Allen talks with Jim about her upcoming show Pepito's Story coming to the Manship Theater March 13th - 16th, as well as what it's like to direct an episode of the television show Scandal.

Louisiana politico Gus Weill drops in on his 81st birthday to talk about presidents Roosevelt, Obama, and a possible future Jindal.

Louisiana State Rep. Ted James and AARP representative Andrew Muhl talk with Jim about Rep. James' upcoming bill which seeks to cap the Payday Lending loans. These loans, argue's Rep. James, come with outrageously high interest rates and affect thousands who end up finding themselves spiraling into more and more debt.

On the first real business day of the new session Tuesday, the House Appropriations jumped right in with heavy lifting, as they began combing through the governor’s 329-page budget proposal. Lawmakers didn’t hesitate to ask for detailed explanations about the line items.

The 2014 Louisiana legislative session is under way, with Governor Bobby Jindal delivering his “State of the State” speech to a joint meeting of the House and Senate. Compared to previous years, the governor offered an abbreviated slate of measures he wants to be able to sign into law.

“Our first and most important priority must be to make sure that we have got the best-trained, most skilled, most productive workers anywhere in the world,” Jindal says, regarding his initiatives to improve workforce development.

Jim talks with Rising Tide author John Barry about being removed from the levee board, and other state legislative decisions. He also speaks with Rep. Pat Smith about expanding Medicaid and discussed an effort to strike an anti-sodomy statute from Louisiana's books.