The House Appropriations Committee has stopped an effort to increase the annual salaries of state lawmakers from $16,800 to around 39-thousand dollars. Gretna Representative Joe Marino says being a legislator is time-consuming and a higher salary would result in a larger pool of candidates wanting the job.
The proposal was rejected on a 16-5 vote.
Legislation to establish a partnership with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Louisiana advances from House Appropriations. Bogalusa Representative Melinda White’s bill creates the Louisiana Imagination Library Program with dedicated funding for children up to age five to receive free books by mail.
The bill advances to the House floor.
Louisiana Wildlife is investigating the illegal killing of one of the state legacies – the Louisiana Black Bear – found in Lincoln Parish last week. LDWF Sgt. John Hattaway says agents and biologists responded to the call of a bear shot on Millie Road.
They are asking the public for any information about the incident.
During the pandemic, a gap in health insurance complicated matters for many and annual mammograms fell by the wayside. LSU Health New Orleans Surgical Oncologist Dr. Shawn McKinney says there are several programs that pay for mammograms, and she urges patients to never let finances be an obstacle. She says to always tell your healthcare provider about your family history.
McKinney says they are seeing more advanced stages of breast cancer since the pandemic.