A House committee heard testimony on tax bills during the first full day of the latest special session, but took no votes. That frustrated at least one lawmaker, Jackson Representative Kenny Havard, who has authored a bill to renew a portion of the one-cent sales tax that expires June 30th
Cut 12 (05) “…thank you.”
Over in the House Appropriations Committee, the state’s Health Secretary Rebekah Gee testified in front of the panel to discuss her agency’s budget. Many Republicans say the governor’s decision to expand the Medicaid program in 2016 is costing the state way too much money. But Gee says Medicaid has led to better health care for the state’s working poor, which is a cost savings
Cut 15 (07) “….too late.”
The state health department is not slated for any cuts next fiscal year.

There are over two thousand nursing programs throughout the United States, but only one can be ranked number one. Kevin Barnhart tells us who.
Voicer 1 (30) “I’m Kevin Barnhart”

The Southern Poverty Law Center is asking the state’s ethics board to investigate allegations of Louisiana district attorneys padding their budgets by using off-duty police officers to write traffic tickets that can eventually be dismissed for 175-dollar fee. The law center says it’s against the state’s ethics code for D-As to profit off the threat of prosecution.