5:30 LRN Newscast May 19

The state’s $39-billion budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1st has reached final passage. House members Thursday concurred on amendments made in the Senate and voted to send the bill to Governor Edwards’ desk. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says lawmakers did a good job of using windfalls of federal money; from the pandemic and the Infrastructure Act…:

AM Cut 10 (14) “…out of their pockets.”

Pinsonat says polling of Louisiana taxpayers indicates they’d approve of the Governor’s budget proposals and how legislators dealt with them…:

AM Cut  11 (11)  “…existing revenue.” 

House bill to prohibit smoking or vaping marijuana in a motor vehicle advances from Senate Transportation. Metairie Representative Laurie Schlegel says her bill is to address the rising number of incidents of motorists using cannabis and then getting behind the wheel.

PM Cut 12 (08) “…in a car”  

Schlegel amended the bill in committee to not make is a primary offense, so it won’t be deemed profiling.

A bill to keep third graders with reading difficulties from advancing to fourth grade advances in Senate Education. House Bill 269 by Mandeville Representative Richard Nelson is an effort to increase literacy rates and is modeled after successful legislation in Mississippi. The House approved bill now advances to the Senate floor. Nelson says the bill allows the Board of Education to determine the reading test third graders must pass before promotion for fourth grade.