By Samuel Carter Karlin
BATON ROUGE — Legislators Tuesday began working on addressing changes to the state’s tax code during the first special session. Among those items under reconsideration are Girl Scout cookies and garage sales.
House stalls on bill to fund state, local construction projects
By Justin DiCharia
BATON ROUGE — House Bill 2, arguably the second most important measure in front of the Louisiana Legislature during its regular session, funds state and local construction projects. The $1.4 billion dollar spending measure covers such things as the Lafayette airport, I-49 in Shreveport and downtown developments in Monroe.
2016 legislative session the longest in Louisiana history
By Jack Richards
BATON ROUGE — When the 2016 Louisiana Legislature withdraws on June 23 from its Statehouse entrenchment,following a second special session that begins today, it will have served 19 consecutive weeks, the longest weekly stretch in the legislative branch’s 204-year history.
Starting Feb. 14, it will have spanned three seasons of the year.
Who writes Louisiana’s laws?
By Justin DiCharia
BATON ROUGE – With just days left in the 2016 General Session of the Louisiana Legislature, lawmakers have written and introduced 1,644 bills, but only 281 of them have become law – a 17 percent success rate.
Read the story in The News Star
Changes to La. individual income tax may be topic of special session
By Samuel Carter Karlin
BATON ROUGE – Quietly discussed changes to Louisiana’s individual income tax could be a means in the upcoming special legislative session to relieve the deflated budget if lawmakers agree revenue is needed to fund TOPS, safety-net hospitals and other agencies.
And lawmakers could make those changes as soon as the special session beginning Monday night, but some legislators, especially in the House, are wary of Gov. John Bel Edwards’ plan to raise revenue and reluctant to touch anymore tax increases.
Contentious debate in Senate over abortion bill amendments
By Justin DiCharia
BATON ROUGE — What was thought to be a routine amendment to placate senators calling a ban on abortions for genetic abnormalities unconstitutional may unintentionally have rendered the bill moot.
House Bill 1019 passed the Senate 29-6 over the claim that the bill was unconstitutional and reminders that the state is in no financial shape to cover costly legal challenges and one senator’s accusations of rampant hypocrisy in the chamber.
House passes bill to give universities power over tuition
By Jack Richards
BATON ROUGE — The House voted 95-7 to allow the management boards of the state’s colleges and universities to raise or lower tuition without the legislature’s approval.
Senate Bill 80, by Sen. Blade Morrish, R-Jennings, would let the boards of the LSU, UL and Southern systems and the community and technical colleges to set their own tuition rates.
Bill to allow family members to receive autopsy reports sails through House committee
By Samuel Carter Karlin
BATON ROUGE — A “transparency” bill allowing family members to receive documents used in autopsy reports sailed past the House Judiciary Committee Thursday.
STATEHOUSE RUN BY INMATES
By Tierra Smith
BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana Statehouse is in the hands of criminals – and it’s not who first comes to mind.
Every weekday, state correctional officers transport about 40 Dixon Correctional Institute (DCI) inmates 30 miles from the Jackson, La., facility to the Louisiana State Capitol. The DIC inmates keep the Statehouse looking good, functioning and fed.
House approves resolution to study whether certain abortions can be reversed
By Samuel Carter Karlin
BATON ROUGE — A resolution urging the Department of Health and Hospitals to study whether the effects of a drug- or chemical-induced abortion can be reversed has been adopted by the House after representatives agreed to Senate amendments.
LSU Manship School Statehouse Bureau 