A New Louisiana Law About Walking and Phones?

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You're listening to American Ground Radio with Louis R. Avallone and Stephen Parr. This is the full show March 16, 2026.

On today’s episode, we start with a simple question that turns into a much bigger conversation about freedom: Do you have the right to be an idiot? It sounds funny, but it leads us straight into a real debate happening in the Louisiana Legislature. Lawmakers are considering a proposal that would fine pedestrians for looking at their phones while crossing the street. We talk about why distracted walking is definitely a bad idea—but also why not every bad decision needs to be turned into a law. In a free society, sometimes the freedom to make mistakes is part of the deal.

From there we run the issue through the lens of the United States Declaration of Independence and the idea of personal responsibility. When government starts legislating common sense, where does it stop? We explore how the “nanny state” mindset can creep into everyday life—and why consequences, not regulations, are often the best teacher.

In the Top Three Things You Need to Know Before Tomorrow, we cover a financial crisis in New Orleans that has city leaders asking the sewer and water board to return $14 million in unused funds, the sale of the tallest building in Shreveport after years of financial trouble, and a new $1.4 billion project in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana that aims to turn garbage and crop waste into jet fuel—creating high-paying jobs while pushing new energy technology forward.

We discuss a serious bill backed by Liz Murrill and Senator Heather Cloud that would criminalize AI-generated child exploitation material. As artificial intelligence evolves faster than the law, we explain why updating the rules may be necessary to keep predators from exploiting new technology.

In our Digging Deep segment, we break down a proposal from Senator Regina Barrow to raise Louisiana’s minimum wage and why the economics behind minimum wage laws often ignore how businesses actually hire workers—especially those trying to get their very first job.

We also tackle claims that immigration enforcement under Donald Trump is causing a labor shortage in Louisiana’s crawfish industry. Is that really a crisis—or is the labor market simply adjusting in a way that could benefit American workers?

And finally, we look at a proposal from Governor Jeff Landry to position Louisiana for the future of nuclear energy as demand for electricity skyrockets.

From personal freedom and government overreach to jobs, energy, and the future of technology, we cover it all at American Ground Radio.

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, visit AmericanGroundRadio.com, and join the conversation at 866-AGR-1776!

New Orleans asks SWBNO to return $14M amid cash crunch

Regions Tower in downtown Shreveport sold to Wilmington Trust for more than $15 million

$1.4B St. Charles facility plans to make jet fuel from waste materials


Senate bill proposed to raise state minimum wage