Support for Louisiana, the state we're in is provided by.

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I know customers are counting on me.

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And installing new technology to prevent outages before they happen.

Together, together, together.

We power life.

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

The museum focuses on emerging Louisiana artists and is an historical and cultural center for Southwest Louisiana and the Foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting.

With support from viewers like you and well, I think this one really caught the attention of folks on both sides of the issue.

The latest veto override session ends in victory for Republican lawmakers.

And so I've had a pretty full life.

A new Louisiana monument honors African-American veterans, including a medal of Honor recipient who graduated from Southern University.

If something sounds too good to be true, it almost always is.

Investment fraud on the rise in Louisiana.

The EPA has a stringent way of managing and oversee in these kinds of wells.

The conversation about carbon capture heats up as the state asks to regulate the evolving industry.

Hi, everyone.

I'm Kara St. Cyr.

And I'm Karen LeBlanc.

According to The Advocate, most parishes across the state are recording more deaths than births.

And to be specific, that is 46 out of 64 parishes that are seeing that decline.

Only 18 parishes are recording more births and deaths.

And now on to other news making headlines across the state.

More than 15,000 Louisianians will have their student debt loan erased.

The U.S. Department of Education announced last week that it would cancel 39 billion in federal student loans for more than 800,000 borrowers within the next month.

The news comes after a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down the Biden administration's student debt forgiveness plan.

Louisiana taxpayers will have until August 28th to claim millions of dollars in state tax refunds before they become unclaimed property.

The Louisiana Department of Revenue announced this week that letters went out to more than 15,000 individual and business taxpayers advising them to claim their refunds before they are transferred by law to the unclaimed property division of the state's Treasurer's office.

And 80 teachers from nine countries arrived in Louisiana this week to teach in the state's K-through-12 foreign language immersion programs.

The Council for the Development of French in Louisiana and the lieutenant governor welcomed the teachers who will work in Louisiana public schools, teaching in French and Spanish immersion programs starting this fall.

Last month, Governor John Bel Edwards vetoed the Stop Harming Our Kids Act, a bill that will prevent minors from receiving medical treatment to alter their gender by surgery or puberty blockers, among other things.

On Tuesday, Louisiana lawmakers successfully overturned Edward's veto in a special session, their second successful effort to overturn the governor's dismissals.

Following the session, the governor issued a statement calling the bill unconstitutional.

Barry Erwin, the president and CEO of Council for a Better Louisiana, is here to talk about that special session.

So for the second time and Governor John Bel Edwards tenure, lawmakers have successfully overturned the veto.

Like I said earlier, so this time they voted to override his dismissal of the Protect Our Children Act.

For those that may not know what the act was, can you explain briefly?

Yeah.

Basically, it would prohibit gender affirming care for minors, even with parental consent.

I mean, right now, a minor to receive that would would have to have parental consent anyway.

This basically said for some of those things and as you mentioned, surgery, which is really not much of an option because that's not really utilized here.

But for other things like hormone therapy, puberty, puberty, blockers and things like that, it actually prohibited even with parental permission to do that.

And so it's one of the things that you've seen happen in other states.

And now that's passed here.

And obviously with the veto override, that's going to become law.

Now, this was one of the more controversial bills that happened in session.

I mean, why was there so much support around this bill to where there was an override veto session?

Well, I think this one really caught the attention of folks on both sides of the issue for those who were pushing it and really kind of supporting this effort.

They really did see it as an effort to protect children.

And that's why you have the name of the bill about not harming children.

But on the other side, you had people who were coming from the trans community who came out and, you know, very good numbers to the capital to talk about their own personal experiences.

It was very emotional.

And a lot of times there were other pieces of legislation kind of dealing with, you know, gender issues there.

So this one was the one, though, that really kind of caught people's attention on both sides and really was the driving force behind this session.

Well, for this special session, it ended and began pretty quickly.

I mean, it started on Tuesday and ended on Tuesday.

Is it normal for a session to go that quickly?

Well, you know, it's kind of the new normal sort of for us.

We've had the right or the ability to have these veto sessions ever since our Constitution was ratified in 1974.

We've had about three of them, you know, in the last three years.

So we don't have a lot of experience with them.

But I think the idea is is not to go, you know, belabor this.

They kind of knew that that piece of legislation number one, was top on the agenda.

There were other pieces that were up for consideration, but I don't think they wanted to belabor the point.

They've debated these bills.

They voted on them in the past.

They wanted to get in there and get out.

So that kind of brings me to my next question.

I mean, this was obviously the most one of the more controversial bills, like I said earlier, but there were other vetoes.

Can you tell me a little bit about what those other vetoes were and if they popped up in this session at all?

There were three total that the House actually did override.

That was a vaccine bill.

Another one dealt with foreign nationals purchasing property in Louisiana.

There were votes, like I say, on a number of those in the House.

But at the end of the day, the Senate only went along with that one.

I mean, that final vote on the budget had huge cuts to the Department of Health, and there was some talk that this was going to pop up in the special session, too.

Did it?

What ultimately happened?

It sort of did.

But basically did.

There was the option for it to and a couple of the bills that dealt with some of those were actually sort of on the agenda.

But at the end of the day, what happened at the end of the regular session and the pieces that the governor put together to kind of rectify that or to kind of mitigate what would happen were very complicated.

And so while there was some desire among some particularly conservative legislators to try and kind of go back on that, it was really a difficult thing to do.

And at the end of the day, they just kind of punted on that one.

They just kind of let that one say.

I think it would have been a lot to rework.

Well, what about the next steps for the bill that was actually overturned?

Is that automatically going to become law will face any other challenges?

Yeah, it does become law.

So that is now law in Louisiana, basically.

But what you've seen in other states where this has happened and it's been in a number of states, is that there's litigation pretty soon after the passage of the legislation.

So I think we can pretty well rest assured that in some way that is going to be litigated, that there will be a challenge in court to this legislation.

All right.

Very well.

It's really nice to have you.

It's always a pleasure.

Thanks so much.

The conversation is heating up about carbon capture, the process of burying carbon dioxide deep into the earth to reduce carbon emissions.

Carbon capture plays into Louisiana's overarching goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

But it's not without controversy.

Here's more.

Hi, Caitlin.

Yes.

Kerry.

You.

Caitlin.

Joshua lives near a planned carbon capture pipeline.

It's one of more than 20 carbon capture projects in the permitting process to locate in Louisiana.

So Clean Hydrogen Works has applied for a series of permits, and it's my understanding that they've actually received some approval within that process from environmental agencies.

And so that particular facility would be about a good mile and a half, two miles from my home, would utilize the Mississippi River in order to transport.

And then as well as an injection site in Donaldsonville, Louisiana, which is a good 20 minutes from my home.

Caitlin says she found out through word of mouth about plans for the carbon capture site.

I've never received any public notification of any carbon capture and storage sites or facilities or injection sites.

So my concerns are very simple.

Definitely concerned about groundwater contamination, potential pipe pipeline leaks, or ruptures.

I do a lot of research and I kind of just have to find out on my own is there is not really any mandatory public engagement or civic engagement with neighborhoods right now.

Caitlin lives near a large concentration of industrial facilities that emit carbon dioxide in a stretch of land between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, infamously dubbed cancer Alley.

And now, for decades, concerned nearby residents, conservationists and environmentalist have been vocal about the health and environmental impacts of oil, gas and petrochemical interests.

This latest debate centers on capturing and sequestering carbon dioxide at the source.

Carbon capture is not a new concept, but the technology and practice of capturing carbon dioxide emissions at its source, piping it to sites and injecting it into deep underground wells is an evolving industry.

The idea is you take carbon waste carbon from manufacturing processes, so at some point it might be from power generation processes, what have you.

And instead of just emitting that to the air, the atmosphere, you want to join the rest of the greenhouse gases and the problems they cause.

You catch that or at least a portion of it and pump it underground.

Carbon waste is pumped into what's called a Class six.

Well, and Louisiana is asking the federal government to control these wells.

So is Louisiana one of the first states to ask the EPA for primacy regarding carbon capture?

One of the very first.

Now we've kind of become the test case that other states are looking at to say, okay, however, it goes with Louisiana, that's the model we're probably going to have to follow if we want to be able to get primacy.

As a state seeks federal permission to regulate carbon, capture the decibel of the debate grows louder.

Critics question the economic developments versus the potential health and environmental risks and doubt the long term viability of carbon capture and storage.

Our concern is that because these technologies have been proven to fail and proven to underperform over.

The number of decades.

That they've been in development, that they won't be able to deliver the kinds of climate saving technology and pollution reduction that we need in places like Louisiana.

Logan Burke is the executive director of the Alliance of Affordable Energy.

It's part of a coalition of environmental advocacy groups concerned about the long term consequences of carbon capture and the state's ability to properly regulate and monitor it.

The EPA has a stringent way of managing and overseeing these kinds of wells and since it is so new, we think it should remain with them.

The main thing I point out is in addition to our folks, just knowing the turf better, we have more scientists per square mile than the EPA, EPA Region six does.

And we think that gives us an advantage on being able to oversee this and to ensure that it's done responsible.

Louisiana lawmakers passed a resolution establishing a task force to look at the local impacts of carbon capture and sequestration.

The task force is charged with submitting a final report of its findings before February 15, 2024, to the Senate Committee of Natural Resources.

Lawmakers are trying to establish a framework and guardrails for the industry.

My legislation basically wasn't for it or against it.

It was preparing us to be prepared if it did get done.

And what I've heard from multiple constituents, multiple municipalities around the state, is, one, we need more notification.

We need to know about this project coming to our area and let us have public input.

I agree 100%.

House Speaker Clay Sheik Snyder authored a bill signed into law by Governor John Bel Edwards that establishes some guidelines for the notification of carbon capture wells and the distribution of funds to state and local governments.

So what we did is in our in our bill, we went in and said 30% of every tonnage that's pumped into the ground, that 30% of that goes to those locals.

They decide wherever they have biggest needs, this company will pay those royalties to those municipalities, to those parishes, and they can decide where they want to put those dollars.

The state law also extends the time period for a storage site to apply for a certificate of completion from 10 to 50 years to make sure the well is safe and in compliance long term.

Oil and gas is our is our backbone.

That's what keeps our state moving forward.

Nationwide, funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act aims to incentivize carbon management efforts.

Louisiana will receive billions of dollars and has already received this sort of a commitment of investment in order to lower the carbon intensity of our products.

Some say regardless of who administrate and regulates.

Not in my backyard.

Recent EPA public hearings drew heated discussions from people living in communities of proposed carbon capture sites.

We want to do our part in making sure that our state is safe and actually working towards climate goals.

But carbon capture and storage is not the way to do that.

There are loads of opportunities to generate clean and affordable power for Louisiana.

And the idea that instead we would run down an avenue that will just raise people's bills and waste people's money is really scary.

Carbon capture factors into Louisiana's overarching goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Now lawmakers, state agencies and the federal government collectively face a pressing challenge how to balance the state's goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, an economy bolstered by industrial plants and the people who live in and around the sites.

Investment fraud is quickly becoming the most expensive scam, costing Americans billions in 2020.

To Louisiana, though, a median in the rankings is recording a growing number of fraud victims.

The state is listed at number 35 for investment fraud loss.

Lance McCardle, a securities litigation lawyer with Fishman Haygood LLP, gives us some tips on how to spot some scams.

All right.

So let's start with the basics.

First, can you explain what investment fraud is?

Investment fraud is a pretty broad topic involving really any misrepresentation or suppression of truth in connection with the sale of an investment to a person can involve outright theft of your money or just getting you to buy something without telling you everything about it.

So when you think about scams, it seems like it would be pretty easy to spot.

But what are the most common ways that Americans are running into investment fraudsters?

Well, I think kind of the kind of the hot topics nowadays are there's a lot of fraud in cryptocurrencies.

There are real estate scams where someone's trying to sell you a share of a piece of real estate that either doesn't exist or cannot possibly generate the returns that they may promise you.

There is a number of different ways of misconduct taking place in Americans individual retirement accounts that they may have with a broker or financial advisor.

And those types of things can range from, you know, just recommending someone an unsuitable investment for something that's not in your best interest all the way to stealing money from your account.

There's lots of things in between churning, buying and selling just to generate commissions, selling something to an elderly person that they don't possibly want or need just to generate commissions, things of that nature.

Now, suppose you are very unlucky and you find yourself in a situation where you know that you've been scammed.

What do you do then?

You know, I think the most important thing is you want to report it immediately.

If the money was taken from your bank or an investment account, you want to notify those financial institutions, you will notify the bank.

You want to notify your brokerage, They may be able to trace the money.

They may not be able to.

You want to notify law enforcement, You want to notify.

Start with the local police.

You could try the FBI for report it to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Can report it to FINRA.

And then after that, I would advise you to be the squeaky wheel.

Continue to follow up with these agencies.

They get them.

I get hundreds of calls a day.

You want to make sure they're working on your case and trying to figure out what it is.

Lastly, I would make sure you, you know, make a file, gather everything related to what you believe has been a fraudulent transaction, bank statements, anything showing the transfer of funds.

If you have canceled checks, credit card receipt, tax returns, anything that might show it, in particular, communications with the person who sold you the investment and have all that ready to go for.

When you talk with a regulator, the law enforcement or an attorney.

But what's the likelihood you'll actually get your money back?

Is there any way to know?

No, unfortunately, there isn't a way to know.

The faster you act, the more people you can involve, the higher likelihood of getting it back.

If, if, if unscrupulous broker or financial adviser has sold you something while they were working for a firm, you know, you may be able to recover that loss or a portion of that loss for the firm with which that person was working.

So that's one avenue.

But there are unfortunately many, many stories of money, you know, vanishing in Eastern Europe or other locations.

All right.

So you've given us some pretty good information.

Is there anything else that you think that people should know?

Yeah, I mean, a lot of people don't realize that if you suffer these significant declines in your individual retirement account, that's something, you know, bad may have happened if you start, you know, suffer a sudden loss, show it to someone, show it to your CPA, show it to your accountant, show it to an attorney.

Ask them if everything's above board.

And if it's not, you can file what's called a FINRA arbitration proceeding where it's like a proceeding in court.

But you file on a claim against either the broker or the firm with which he works for any of the misconduct that took place in your account.

All right.

Well, thank you so much for giving us some tips and tricks.

We appreciate you coming down.

Great.

Thank you for having me.

The Louisiana state capitol grounds are home to a new monument honoring African American veterans.

Dignitaries unveiled a sculpture this weekend, a dedication ceremony attended by military trailblazers, including a Vietnam veteran and Southern University graduate who recently received a long overdue Medal of Honor.

Pride, hard work.

The Louisiana Heritage Monument honors African-American veterans who fought for our country throughout history.

It's the first of its kind in the nation on state capitol grounds, honoring the overlooked contributions of black military members.

Colonel Davis, we salute you this morning.

We thank you for your service to our nation.

Retired Army Special Forces Colonel Parris Davis is in the audience.

A Vietnam veteran, war hero, Southern University graduate and recent recipient of a long overdue Medal of Honor for his bravery during a battle in June 1965.

But the big one was on the the June the 15th, I think, and it lasted for almost three days.

And we had three.

Three of our soldiers we were raised that were wounded.

And we were fighting almost a brigade of Vietcong.

Colonel Davis defied orders to evacuate the battlefield.

He refused to leave behind wounded Green Berets under his command, trapped by enemy fire.

You were nominated for a medal of Honor.

And in that process, you were told that the paperwork was lost.

Do you believe that?

And how did you feel about that?

Well, I really didn't have any feelings about it, because at that time, we had been in a battle about three or four days before the information you just mentioned happened.

And I got in Chad 15 time.

Nearly 60 years later.

Colonel Davis gets the phone call that validates his valor from President Joe Biden.

I remember that night he called me and said, you know, I regret everything that you've done and I have all I want is a quick answer.

He said, Did it or didn't?

I said it.

Did he say good night?

And so we that's how we started conversation.

And it didn't last more than 20 seconds.

On March 3rd, 2023.

Colonel Parris Davis finally received his Medal of Honor from President Biden in a White House ceremony as a medal of Honor recipient.

Do you feel validated and or vindicated after all this time, finally getting this recognition?

I don't feel either either.

I feel relieved.

I mean, it really doesn't go any further than that.

And I say, ain't nothing higher than getting the Medal of Honor.

And so I'm really happy that it happened.

I don't know all the reasons why it didn't happen or the 50 years that it took to happen.

This year also marks the 75th anniversary of the desegregation of the U.S. military.

The Louisiana Heritage Monument honors several notable contributions by African-American troops, starting with the 1863 siege of Port Hudson, where 600 black soldiers fought for the union side.

It was a turning point in the Civil War, allowing the union to gain control of the Mississippi River.

New Orleans artist Charlene Jones sculpted the likeness of 17 African-American veterans in the face of the monument.

All military trailblazers, much like Colonel Parris Davis, one of the first African-American members of the Green Beret.

Do you see yourself as a trailblazer in the military in any sense?

Well, if we start with the president, he put that sort of on me, then being a trailblazer and all that.

I never really felt that way.

I felt that I wanted to be in Special Forces and they took the time to send me to a language school to speak Burmese.

There were times when I was in charge of a different element, but I never felt that I was misplaced or underused.

On the day we met Colonel Parris Davis, he was visiting his alma mater, Southern University, where he studied political science on an ROTC scholarship.

He graduated in 1959 with fond memories of the people and the place that shaped his character and inspired a taste for a certain South Louisiana dish.

So what were some of your fondest memories as a student here at Southern University?

We had beans and rice to start out with.

And once I got past that, I wanted more red beans in my eyes.

And after I finished my second half and hoping I went outside Bell to see if I could eat some more.

But it didn't quite work.

So I just enjoyed Southern, had a great time near the people with the professors and all that.

Just my cup of tea.

And now I think it's time for us to get a plate of that red beans and rice.

You guys have.

Some Southern University.

Students.

That evening, Colonel Parris Davis was the guest of honor at a campus event and a full circle moment as Southern University proudly salutes one of its graduates for his bravery, both breaking through racial barriers and on the battlefield.

Was able to command a special forces group, which I think is really a pleasure.

And at the same time, we're going to be staying at that.

And so I've had a pretty full life.

That's our show for this week.

Remember, you can watch anything anytime, wherever you are, with our LPB app.

You can catch LPB news and public affairs shows as well as other Louisiana programs you've come to enjoy over the years.

And please like us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

For everyone at Louisiana Public Broadcasting.

I'm Karen LeBlanc.

And I'm Kara St,Cyr.

Until next time.

That's the state we're in.

Every day I go to work for Entergy.

I know customers are counting on me.

So Entergy is investing millions of dollars to keep the lights on.

And installing new technology to prevent outages before they happen.

Together, together, together.

We power life.

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

The museum focuses on emerging Louisiana artists and is an historical and cultural center for Southwest Louisiana and the foundation for Excellence in Louisiana Public Broadcasting.

With support from viewers like you.