After midnight, the US Senate narrowly passed the most substantial tax reform package since the Reagan administration on a party-line 51-48 vote.
All of Louisiana’s Republican congressional delegation voted for the bill, which has an estimated cost of 1.5 trillion dollars. Representative Ralph Abraham says it’ll mean more money in people’s pockets…:
Cut 4 (07) “United States”
But Executive Director of the Louisiana Budget Project Jan Moller says the bill takes money from the working class and gives it to the richest Americans…:
Cut 6 (10) “and corporations”
There were three provisions in the bill that violated Senate rules, so the massive legislation has to head back to the House again for another vote today before it heads to the president’s desk.

According to Trust for America’s Health, Louisiana achieved only four out of ten indicators for public health preparedness. The criteria is based on weather related events, flu vaccination rate, paid sick leave and other benchmarks. CEO John Auerbach says Louisiana’s flu vaccine rate is the seventh lowest in the nation…:
Cut 8 (12) “42 percent”
Auerbach says it’s also a concern that Louisiana has not joined the U-S Climate Alliance to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Today, Governor John Bel Edwards will hold an end of the year news conference to deliver remarks reflecting on the challenges and successes Louisiana has seen during 2017. He will then host his statewide, monthly call-in radio show, “Ask the Governor,” beginning at 2pm. You can hear the show on certain affiliates of the Louisiana Radio Network.