Tagged: Baton Rouge

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana's lawmakers disagree over how to craft a new ban on bullying at public schools.

Two different proposals advanced Wednesday in the House, one by Baton Rouge Rep. Patricia Smith getting 71-16 backing on the House floor and another by Port Allen Sen. Rick Ward getting passage from the House Education Committee.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Two bills focused on deterring pregnant women from getting abortions have been overwhelmingly approved by two legislative health committees. One bill gives women the opportunity to listen to a fetal heartbeat before an abortion is performed. The other would ban abortion after 20 weeks post-fertilization, excepted in limited medical cases. 

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Gov. Bobby Jindal's top budget adviser says the $25 billion budget proposal passed by the House could force steep cuts in public colleges and health care, damaging services.

Commissioner of Administration Paul Rainwater outlined his concerns Monday to the Senate Finance Committee.

GOP lawmakers in the House forced reductions of $268 million more than the Republican Jindal administration and Democrats want, saying they didn't want to use one-time dollars to pay for ongoing expenses.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The New Orleans Hornets will continue receiving a tax break that saves the NBA team $37 million over 10 years.

The Senate sent the tax break bill to the governor's desk Monday with a 28-7 vote. The measure is part of the state's deal to the keep the Hornets in Louisiana.

The tax break ran into sharp criticism in the House, where lawmakers bristled at the idea of giving a multimillion dollar tax break while also weighing budget cuts to colleges and health services.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The Louisiana House is set to try again on Friday to reach a compromise over next year's budget, a day after deadlocking on the $25 billion in spending plans. Conservative Republicans and the Jindal administration are at odds over whether to use $270 million in one-time cash — or to make deeper cuts to state agencies.