The House Appropriations Committee has begun discussions on the proposed budget for next fiscal year. The governor’s proposed spending plan only allocated a third of the approximately 300-million dollars needed to fully cover tuition costs for eligible TOPS students. Chairman of the budget committee, Cameron Henry of Metairie, says that’s not enough…
cut 13 (07) “…that’s covered”
Henry says they’ll move money away from the state health department to make sure TOPS is fully funded.

The full House is scheduled to hear a bill this afternoon that would prohibit open buring of explosives and munitions. But the bill’s author, Minden Representative Gene Reynolds, says the legislation might not be needed, if they work out a compromise with Clean Harbors, a company that open burns near Colfax….
cut 5 (10) “…in statue”

Louisiana’s US Senate race is six months away. ULM Political Science Professor Joshua Stockley says right now, the favorites to make a December runoff are any of the major Republican candidates…
cut 12 (10) “…picks up”
There are two major Democrats, businesswoman Caroline Fayard and PSC Member Foster Campbell.

Governor John Bel Edwards’ staff are in St. Joseph today to meet with residents who have complained for years about brown drinking water. Deputy Chief of Staff, Julie Baxter Payer, says there’s nearly eight-million dollars to available repair the town’s water system, but unfortunately St. Joseph cannot receive the money, because it has yet to complete a 2015 financial audit.…
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Baxter Payer hopes that gets done soon.