The 2016 regular session has ended with lawmakers failing to approve a construction budget for next fiscal year. House leaders didn’t like the changes made to the spending measure by the Senate. The stalemate over the construction budget bill will have to be resolved in the special session.

Governor Edwards has signed the Louisiana Family Caregiver Act into law, which requires hospitals to offer caregivers instruction and demonstration of medical tasks. Andrew Muhl, with AARP Louisiana, says this legislation will save the state money by reducing costly hospital readmissions, as family caregivers will be able to perform the tasks patients need…
cut 8 (10) “….be required”
Twenty-two states have similar legislation.

The special session to also address a $600 million dollar budget shortfall is underway. LSU economist Jim Richardson also serves as the chairman of the task force for long term budget reform. He says one option to raise revenue is to change the income tax brackets, which would impact everyone…
CUT 5 (08) “notice it”
The special session must end by midnight on Thursday, June 23rd.

The court has appointed a fiscal administrator for St. Joseph, which is needed to stabilize the Tensas Parish town’s finances. The governor’s director of communications, Richard Carbo, says this is an important step towards bringing clear, clean drinking water for its citizens…
cut 11 (10) “….projects underway”
Once the town’s finances are in order, St. Joseph will be eligible to access eight million dollars in state funding to repair the drinking water system.