By Samuel Carter Karlin
BATON ROUGE — A day after House Appropriations chairman Cameron Henry unveiled plans to fund TOPS by shifting money around in the state’s budget, Gov. John Bel Edwards criticized the moves as “irresponsible” and “reckless.”
The two have exchanged indirect barbs in recent weeks. Henry, a Metairie Republican and fiscal conservative, rebutted Edwards’ position that the state needs more revenue by overhauling the approach taken on HB 1, which he is sponsoring.
By Jack Richards
BATON ROUGE — In a rare bipartisan agreement on this type of legislation, the Senate Judiciary Committee Tuesday unanimously approved bills from Democrat Katrina Jackson and Republican Lance Harris, making it a hate crime to attack a police officer and to make a move with any deadly weapon on an officer aggravated assault.
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By Jack Richards
BATON ROUGE — The House voted unanimously to allow certain victims of domestic violence to get an expedited, temporary concealed carry permit without training if they are under a protective court order.
By Jack Richards and Quint Forgey
BATON ROUGE — Northern Louisiana residents will have to wait for legislative action on dirty water after water companies pressured for the defeat of House Bill 823 this week.
Rep. Marcus Hunter, D-Monroe, pulled his bill after Speaker Taylor Barras, R-New Iberia, deemed amendments to the bill not germane.
By Justin DiCharia
BATON ROUGE — House Ways and Means Committee Chair Neil Abramson’s 378 amendments to the state capital outlay budget, eliminating hundreds of state and local government projects on top of the nearly $1 billion in projects the executive branch already excluded, came as a surprise to Gov. John Bel Edwards.
And the governor is not amused.
By Justin DiCharia
BATON ROUGE – Lawmakers shared personal childhood experiences with bullies Tuesday as legislation to create a Bullying Awareness and Treatment Task Force unanimously passed the House Health and Welfare Committee to the full House for consideration.
Rep. Barbara Norton, D-Shreveport, presented House Bill 1017 at a press conference on the steps of the State Capitol minutes before appearing before the committee, explaining that the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) would spearhead the group in searching for solutions to current anti-bullying policies.
By Samuel Carter Karlin
BATON ROUGE — A bill to penalize those under 18 for drinking at a private residence failed to pass out of House Criminal Justice Committee Tuesday after lengthy debate.
Under current law, those younger than 21 years old can drink for religious or medical reasons, when accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, or if they are in a private residence.
By Jack Richards
BATON ROUGE — A Senate committee Tuesday sent to the full chamber a bill that would add protected classes of people to the state’s non-discrimination laws.
Senate Bill 332 by Sen. J.P. Morrell, D-New Orleans, would amend existing non-discrimination statutes to include age, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity or expression and sex.
By Samuel Carter Karlin
The state’s budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 began its tumultuous journey through the Legislature Monday with large-scale changes made by House Appropriations Chairman Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, in large part to fund TOPS, the state’s popular tuition-paying program.
Gov. John Bel Edwards’ budget recommendation cut TOPS by roughly 80 percent, but he said he will call the Legislature into a second special session in June to raise revenue to fund the program.
By Justin DiCharia and Samuel Carter Karlin
BATON ROUGE – More than a quarter of a billion dollars in eliminations and reductions to Louisiana’s capital outlay projects for the fiscal year beginning July 1 were dispatched to the full House on a unanimous vote Monday in the Ways and Means Committee following the introduction of 375 amendments to House Bill 2.
The measure axes approximately $330 million in state funded projects around the state as a result of the dwindling funds for those projects, and prioritizes projects that have already started.
LSU Manship School Statehouse Bureau 