The House Education Committee approves legislation to give public colleges and universities more authority to raise tuition and fees. Jeff Palermo has the story…:
CUT 2 (29) “reporting”

State Treasurer John Kennedy says Moody’s Investors Service has lowered LSU’s credit outlook from positive to stable. He says the flagship university is now one step away from a negative outlook which would be bad. Moody’s wrote the downgrade is due to limited prospects for sustained revenue growth due to potential reductions in the state budget. Kennedy says the solution would be for the legislature to stabilize funding for higher education.

Two bills that attempt to address gender inequality when it comes to pay failed to get approval from the House Labor Committee. Natchitoches Representative Kenny Cox says Louisiana has the worst gender pay gap in the nation at 66 percent. Hammond Representative Chris Broadwater says laws like this would open up floodgates of litigation…:
CUT 13 (09) “treated unfairly”
Others feel the data is skewed when it comes to saying Louisiana is 51st in the nation for gender pay because our workforce is different.

Despite opposition from Governor Bobby Jindal, the Senate Education committee approves legislation designed to control the cost of the TOPS scholarship program. The bill’s author, Mandeville Senator Jack Donahue, says as tuition costs rise, so does the cost for TOPS and something needs to be done to preserve the program…:
CUT 14 (09) “in the future”
Donahue’s bill heads to the Senate floor for more discussion.