Support for Louisiana.

The state we're in is provided by Entergy.

Louisiana is strengthening our power grid throughout the state.

We're reinforcing infrastructure to prepare for stronger storms, reduce outages, and respond quicker when you do need us because together we power life.

Additional support provided by the Fred B and Ruth B Ziegler Foundation and the Ziegler Art Museum.

Located in Jennings City Hall, the museum focuses on emerging Louisiana artists and is a historical and cultural center for Southwest Louisiana and the Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana public Broadcasting.

And viewers like you.

Thank you.

The 2026 legislative session is over.

We break down what passed, what failed, and what it means for Louisiana and turning everyday waste into fuel.

We'll show you a new program promoting sustainability at Nicholls State.

Plus, we'll meet Louisiana's Poetry Out Loud champion Mallory Lot in the town of Spring showcases Louisiana roots music at the Beta Springs Opry.

Let's get started.

Let's get to it.

Hi everyone.

I'm Christina Jensen and I'm Johnny Atkinson.

Much more on those top stories in a moment on this week's edition of Louisiana The State We're In.

But first, the 2026 legislative session has come to an end.

While redistricting dominated the final weeks, lawmakers weighed in on hundreds of bills affecting people across the state.

Here's a look at what passed, what failed, and what comes next.

After 12 weeks of debate, committee hearings in late night floor sessions, Louisiana's 2026 regular legislative session has come to an end.

More than 1000 bills were filed, hundreds passed, and some of the sessions most consequential decisions may ultimately be made in the courts.

To help put the session in perspective, we spoke with Stephen Procopio, president of the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana on PA.

Probably the biggest one, I think that drew the most attention would be redistricting coming from the Supreme Court decision that said our map was unconstitutional, and then from there, sort of a lightning round to move in and rewrite the districts, moving from a 4 to 2 with two minority majority districts, which was enacted under this governor, and to move back to a 5 to 1 less than four weeks after the US Supreme Court's decision in Louisiana versus Calais.

Lawmakers moved quickly to redraw the states congressional map.

The debate sparked emotional testimony from civil rights advocates, voters and elected officials who argued the changes would reduce black representation in Congress.

The question before us is not merely about lines on a map.

The question before us is whether we will honor the principle that every citizen deserves equal protection under the law.

Among those speaking out was Press Robinson, a civil rights advocate and the original plaintiff in the legal challenge that helped shape years of redistricting litigation in Louisiana.

You deny a large segment of your constituents the opportunity to participate in the political process.

That is wrong.

That is against our Constitution.

That is against everything, supposedly, that we stand for.

But racism is alive and well.

However, supporters of the map said it complied with the Supreme Court's decision and reflected the legislature's policy judgment.

Governor Jeff Landrieu was quick to sign the new districts into law.

This year's session also produced a high profile victory for hit and run victims and their families.

Lawmakers passed Jody's law, named in memory of Jodi Man, who was struck and killed while walking in Livingston Parish.

Her mother, Holly Crow, advocated heavily for the bill, which will impose stricter penalties and procedures on hit and run drivers.

She always wanted to help people.

You know, she did everything she could to help others, and I think that this would make her very happy knowing that she was making a difference for a lot of people's lives.

But one of the biggest questions left unresolved this session involved teacher pay.

Last month, voters rejected a constitutional amendment that would have helped provide funding for permanent teacher pay increases.

Lawmakers did not pass a long term funding plan through the legislative process to replace it.

As a result, many educators were left wondering how future pay raises would be funded.

But Governor Landry announced an executive order directing state agencies to identify savings that could be redirected toward teacher pay.

They are to begin the structural work needed to embed permanent pay raises inside the MFP, not as temporary add ons, but as a guaranteed part of the formula.

Not every high profile proposal advanced this year.

Several bills addressing carbon capture and sequestration, known as C.C.S.

Failed to win final passage.

The debate exposed ongoing divisions between property owners, environmental advocates and industry groups over the future of carbon storage projects in Louisiana.

Do you think we have the right to change the rules in the middle of the game and think that we are business friendly?

State if we're going to change the rules?

No.

All right.

Hold on one second here.

Hold on one second.

There were some measures that were pushing either.

You needed local control, so you'd have to get local approval, or you would have to get, you know, local or the actual owner.

So you couldn't use eminent domain.

So those things failed and they failed and previously before.

But I think just sort of one last push.

Economic development remained a major priority for state leaders.

Lawmakers advanced initiatives designed to support Louisiana's growing aerospace industry.

When we really started looking at our public policy around that, we realized we were years behind our competing southern states.

In total, approximately 400 bills have already been signed into law.

Others remain under review by the governor.

He still has the power to veto or line item veto legislation, leaving open the possibility of a veto override session later this year.

As the session comes to a close, many of the state's biggest questions remain unsettled.

The new congressional map is headed back to court.

The future of teacher pay remains uncertain.

Debates over carbon capture are expected to return, and hundreds of new laws are preparing to take effect.

Well, let's take a look at what's going on this week in the world of sports.

Sports correspondent Victor Howard joins us now with more.

What's going on, Victor?

Well, unfortunately, no local teams in the College World Series rival on the national scene.

There's the NBA finals and the Stanley Cup happening right now.

Guess what?

We're going to talk about both NBA and hockey here in Louisiana.

Less than a month after Baton Rouge hockey team the zydeco announced it was folding, it was announced a third team will be moving into town.

A group of investors, including Baton Rouge businessman Jacob Hector, will be owners of the yet to be named franchise that will play in the Federal Prospects Hockey League.

Now, that's the same league that zydeco played in since 2023.

Baton Rouge Kingfish of the ECHL was the city's first hockey franchise to take the ice was back in 1996.

A name for the new franchise is expected to be announced in a couple of weeks.

Well, when the school year starts again and another year of athletic competition is underway on the high school level, there will be three new destinations for three sports to crown a state champion.

One of the biggest moves is the boys basketball.

The week of 70 finals and finals will return to the Cajun Dome in Lafayette.

It's been held in Lake Charles for the last 13 seasons.

Now also on the move, the state wrestling tournament will now be held at the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, having been in West Monroe the last few years.

But the state powerlifting championships will now move to West Monroe.

It's been the last two years being held at the Pontchartrain Center down in Kenner.

Hey, while we're speaking of sports on the move.

Let's jump to the colleges.

Where next Tuesday, there's a big announcement scheduled in New Orleans.

Multiple reports say the Loyola Wolfpack are expected to announce their move from the Naia level up to Division two in the NCAA.

The Wolfpack have won two Naia national titles, both in men's basketball, 1 in 2022, the other 1945.

The university is also adding a new sport ready for this rugby, both a men's and women's team.

So a lot of exciting news down off of Saint Charles and good luck to the Loyola Wolfpack staying in New Orleans since we last saw you.

The New Orleans Pelicans officially introduced the team's new head coach.

Jamal Mosley lands in the Big Easy after his most recent stint in Orlando as head coach of the magic.

That's a team he actually took to the playoffs this season in the Eastern Conference.

That's something he hopes to do with the Pels now in the Western Conference.

And while it might take a little patience, he sees pieces in place to build success.

We're not going to skip steps because greatness has to be step by step.

Culture is built not by the words that you say, but by the work that you put in.

And it's daily.

The consistent habits of us being great is going to be us holding each other accountable.

High levels of communication, real conversations that help us all grow towards a championship.

Well, if you've been keeping score at home since 2018, the Pels have had four losing seasons in six years.

They did make the postseason play in round three.

That was three years in a row.

Rather, they made the play in from 2022 to 24, making it to the first round twice in 2022.

They lost to Phoenix in six games and in 2024 they were swept by Oklahoma City.

So there are a lot of expectations down there.

Look, there are a lot of basketball fans in Louisiana.

They just need to see the Pels be a little more consistent.

Maybe Jamal Mosley can do that starting next season.

Yeah I want to see some good basketball.

Got down there at the Smoothie King Center.

It's a great night.

Yeah.

All right thank you so much.

You bet.

In south Louisiana.

Algae filled ditches and piles of discarded Easter shells are often overlooked.

But at Nicholls State University, a team of chemistry students is turning those bayou byproducts into something with global potential clean, renewable fuel.

Along the bayou, algae and Easter shells are easy to overlook.

But inside this Nicholls State University chemistry lab, students are giving those local byproducts a second life.

The team is researching how algae can be converted into biodiesel, a cleaner burning alternative to gasoline.

While crushed oyster shells are used to lower the cost of production.

We have abundance of oil star shells and the poses, challenges of disposal and other environmental challenges of pollution.

And we also have plentiful microalgae.

We sat down and decided to think if we could put the two together to solve one problem of sustainable energy to a problem of pollution and the environment for our.

It would be a wise idea.

Traditional biodiesel production often depends on food crops like soybeans, which require large amounts of land and expensive industrial chemicals.

But Professor Bellamy and his students wanted to find a cheaper and more sustainable approach, using resources already abundant in Louisiana.

The process starts in the field, where students collect algae from nearby ditches and waterways.

Once back in the lab, the algae is dried, processed and converted into fuel at the same time.

Shells, another common Louisiana byproduct, are crushed and transformed into a catalyst that helps drive the chemical reaction needed to make biodiesel.

We've been able to use sustainable natural resources from the area, which already is lowering the cost, because feedstocks that are going into the reaction are more sustainable for the environment.

Preliminary analysis suggests their process could drastically reduce certain biodiesel production costs compared with some traditional methods.

We have done preliminary techno economic analysis and our finding was hugely good.

We able to understand that if this product become successful, we will be able to cut costs by about 70 to 80%.

The research recently gained national attention when Nichols undergraduate, Samia al-Ashraf, presented the team's findings at the American Chemical Society Spring 2026 national meeting in Atlanta.

For Samia, the project became more than just an assignment in a science class.

It was an opportunity to contribute to research with real world applications before even graduating college.

Is this something you ever thought you would be doing?

Because this is pretty significant research.

Honestly, no.

I'm a pre-med major, so this is like completely out of the field.

But I've been having a good time.

You know it.

It's good for the world.

It's good for the environment and the conditions of the world that we're in right now.

So I've been enjoying it, and I'm learning.

At many universities, advanced research opportunities are often reserved for graduate students or faculty researchers.

But at Nichols, undergraduates are deeply involved in every stage of the process, from collecting algae in the field to analyzing data in the lab.

The team is now partnering with a Louisiana based company to continue testing how the biodiesel performs under different weather and safety conditions.

Researchers say the long term goal extends far beyond Louisiana.

Our intention is, number one, scaling to a pilot level where we could have some partners have additional funding, at least we could be able to produce even at, let's say, 500, maybe 1000l.

And then our lung aim is to be able to go commercial because algae and shell waste are found worldwide.

The same process could potentially be adapted by communities across the globe looking for affordable renewable energy solutions.

It's humbling.

It's it's amazing.

We just have to do our own part for for the planet.

And I just think it's cool because like, you learn about it in class and then you come to it in the lab and then like, wow, like it can actually have an impact on the world.

And here in South Louisiana, students are proving that some of the bayous most overlooked materials could help fuel a more sustainable future.

Well, one Louisiana student is putting her passion for poetry on full display.

Covington High School's Mallory Lot was named the state champion of poetry out loud, and she then went on to represent Louisiana in the national competition.

I sat down with Mallory to talk about the power of poetry.

Hands that can grasp, eyes that can dilate, hair that can rise if it must.

These things are important.

I'm joined now by Mallory Lot.

She's a student at Covington High School in Saint Tammany Parish, and she serves now as the 2026 Louisiana state champion for Poetry Out Loud.

And she finished in the top nine for the national finals.

How did you find out about this competition?

I found out about poetry out loud, through through my school, through my teacher, Gary or Gary Mendoza.

He.

And he makes us all do it.

But it's it's not a mandatory thing for me, I loved it.

As soon as I did it.

And I've always kind of had a been drawn to poetry throughout my whole life.

So how does this competition work?

You actually read the poem or you recite the poem out loud on a stage?

Yeah, we we recite the poem.

We have to memorize them.

So we start with round one.

So we find any poem we want.

And then if you make round two, then you then find another poem.

Usually there's guidelines, but this year it was a little different.

So you just found any poem you wanted.

And then if you made it to state, then you had to find a third poem, which you would do if you made a final cut.

And then you kept the same three pieces memorized.

Word for word.

Yeah.

So you're memorizing these poems about how long are they?

They can range for from a lot of things.

There were some that were four lines long.

There are some.

The Star Spangled Banner was on there.

It was the whole thing, not just the song.

So there were some pieces that were easily like seven minutes long.

They're performed.

So you memorize the poems.

You have to go up on stage and recite the poem to in front of the judges.

Yes.

You don't just recite it, you also kind of add emotion to it.

How does that how do you do that?

Yeah.

Usually people look at poetry and perform it like, very well.

They perform it.

How I did it was I looked at it like a monologue.

I looked at it sort of like I wanted an audience to feel how the poem felt.

And so I kind of thought about that when I added inflections.

But I wanted it to be real, so I didn't add to much, but I didn't add too little.

So it's kind of finding that happy medium that is staying true to the piece without, you know, straying from it or anything like that.

Okay.

Well let's see, let's see a bit of this poem.

Now, this is a video that of you actually reading the poem or reciting the poem on camera.

Let's take a look.

Poetry by Marianne Moore.

I to dislike it.

There are things that are important beyond all this fiddle and that which is, on the other hand, genuine.

Then you are interested in poetry.

That was really interesting.

So what's it like actually going up on stage and doing something like that?

It's it's nerve wracking.

It is.

But I mean, you kind of there's a switch you have to flip when you go on stage and you're just like, all right, I'm doing it.

But yeah, you just have to you have to trust yourself.

You have to trust the microphone.

You have to trust that you've done this a million times before and that you're prepared.

So it's really just knowing that you can do it and just just going for it.

So you're actually named the Louisiana Poetry Out Loud winner.

And you finished in the top nine for the national finals.

How was that?

It's it's still surreal.

I go back and watch videos or look at pictures and I'm like, I was there.

I went to D.C.

and it was a crazy experience, but it was a fortunate I was fortunate enough to go and it was amazing.

You think you might want to be an actress when you get big?

Yes.

Yeah, that's the dream.

That's the dream.

Okay.

And you're acting right now.

Are you?

Any productions at school or.

I am, I do a summer program at my school.

It's called claps and I'm a big part of the set design, and I help with that.

But I'm also in Finding Neverland.

I'm Elliot, and I'm in the complete works of William Shakespeare.

And we do a Broadway cabaret where we sing a lot of songs, do a lot of dances, and so it's sort of a medley thing.

And yeah.

So for students out there thinking about joining a poetry Out loud, what advice would you give them?

I would just say try it.

It's the main thing that holds people back is being afraid or getting up on that mic and being like, everyone's looking at me.

But because in a play, it's like you're with other people, it's just all you with poetry out loud.

So I would say just get comfortable behind the microphone, the space, knowing the space and being knowing that you can own the space is the main obstacle that keeps you from, you know, trying the competition or succeeding in it.

And also kind of it's more of an internal thing, like knowing that your voice has meaning and that you can you can connect with people and things like that.

So it's really just getting over the stage fright and knowing that it's you can do it.

It's not as big of a deal as long as you know that once you're behind that mic, it's you just go.

I want to thank you.

Mallory lot.

She is the Louisiana state champion for poetry out loud.

Thank you for being here.

Thank you so much for having me.

The small town of a Beta Springs is working to keep Louisiana's musical traditions alive.

From Cajun and folk to country and bluegrass.

The Beta Springs Opry has become a big draw for music lovers around the region.

Away in the charming, artsy village north of Lake Pontchartrain.

There's a celebration of our Louisiana heritage.

We're here at the Abbey Springs Opera to hear some Louisiana roots music.

So what's Louisiana roots music?

Let's go find out.

The toe tapping, handclapping concerts of pure Louisiana music are held six Saturday nights a year, and the century old town of Beta Springs.

And it draws an audience from around the world coming to hear this music unique to Louisiana.

Yeah.

What's your favorite kind of music?

I like country, Cajun, zydeco, blues, jazz, New Orleans.

My favorite kind of music is I'm wail, school, Dixieland, a country music.

Bluegrass.

The jazz.

Oh my God, that's awesome.

Kind of hillbilly jazz, zydeco.

It's got Cajun music.

And oh, and they play it all here.

Bluegrass.

I like all music.

Brass bands, pretty much the blues.

Blues.

But anywhere she takes me.

When you step inside the Abbey to Springs Opry, you'll feel like you've traveled back in time to the classic Front porch music show.

Always popular in Louisiana, a feat of Springs Opry brings to life the longest standing folk traditions of Acadiana and the Gulf South is a warm, foot stomping musical party where everyone feels like family.

What are some of the different types of music in Louisiana roots?

Well, we have bluegrass, we have country, we have Cajun blues rock.

Lisa King is treasurer and board member, and she runs concessions.

She began working on these local Opry concerts nearly 30 years ago.

The Abida Springs Opry has put the springs on the map.

People come from all over to the Opry, and it really brings a lot of business into the town.

Brian Gallon was mayor in 1992 when a surprise impromptu concert picked up in the park before a summertime thunderstorm started and a small town lit up with excitement.

You know what?

This is too good with just a bed.

Let's go to the town hall.

That Piney Woods Opry became a beloved North Shore tradition for eight years before taking a break, but locals were not happy when the concert stopped.

I told them I was mayor, I said I got more complaints about the show non-existing than I did my potholes.

We just wanted to continue on with something similar.

So we broadened the music selection.

The John to Louisiana roots music.

So the biannual concert series is now performed six times a year inside the historic century old of Beta Springs Town Hall.

Three concerts run on the third Saturday in the spring and the fall season.

MD Frederick has been performing here for more than 30 years and has his own style of music.

But my type of music, its roots music.

I like to promote the roots music, keep things going in an old time traditional way, but also put a modern twist on things because the young folks, you know, they, they, they got so much into and the excitement in the for the future of the blues, the blues will never die.

We're here.

We're here to make sure that it doesn't.

You beat Springs Opry sells tickets for $20 apiece.

Concerts bring in between 5 to 600 people.

And the money all goes to things happening around the city.

Everybody here is a volunteer.

We all come and we give a little bit of time.

And.

And so the alumni Association supports kids through the proceeds that we make from this event.

If they want to go to the school board, they have to have all kinds of paperwork.

When they come to us, that money goes into an account, then they can bring us a receipt and they get their personal money back.

You like singing here?

Yes.

Love it.

Look, the crowd love it.

The crowd crowd gets what you did.

I think in in the world they got good food and they got good kids.

Yes.

Food is another big draw at the Springs Opry with a variety of foods being served.

They have wonderful gumbo and hot dogs, and now they even have homemade Abida ice cream.

The air is filled with the enticing scent of hot gumbo, homemade dinners, and fresh baked goods.

I saw that the gumbo.

How's the gumbo made?

It's made home.

It's homemade.

This one this time is rabbit and chicken.

Rabbit and chicken gumbo.

And it's good.

What do people think of rabbit and gumbo?

Complaints about it.

Yet we stew the rabbit in a pressure pot to get the meat nice and tender.

Shredded.

Same thing with the chicken.

Then we make our basic gumbo base and start from there.

We're going to be producing the the Opry as long as we can, as long as we're here.

It's a mix of blues, gospel, zydeco, all kinds of Louisiana music.

The only place six times a year at the Springs Opry.

Thank you, thank you God.

That's our show for this week.

Remember, you can watch anything LBB anytime, wherever you are with our LPB app and you can catch LPB news and public affairs shows, as well as other Louisiana programs that you've come to enjoy over the years.

And please like us on Facebook and Instagram for everyone at Louisiana Public Broadcasting, I'm Christina Jensen and I'm Johnny Atkinson.

Until next time.

That's the state we're in.

Support for.

Louisiana.

The state we're in is provided by Entergy.

Louisiana is strengthening our power grid throughout the state.

We're reinforcing infrastructure to prepare for stronger storms, reduce outages, and respond quicker when you do need us because together we power life.

Additional support provided by the Fred B and Ruth B Ziegler Foundation and the Ziegler Art Museum, located in Jennings City Hall.

The museum focuses on emerging Louisiana artists and is a historical and cultural center for Southwest Louisiana, and by Visit Baton Rouge and the Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting.

And viewers like you.

Thank you.