A House-approved bill that would allow a mother to recover 50% of the out-of-pocket expenses for pregnancy-related medical costs from the father was approved by Senate Committee. Teiko Foxx has more…
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Two bills aimed at softening the state’s all-out ban on abortions meet defeat in a House committee. Kevin Gallagher has more…:
Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Kevin Gallagher.”
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The Louisiana House approves a bill to hold third graders back if they are unable to read at grade level. Brooke Thorington has more.
Cut 3 (31) “…I’m Brooke Thorington.”
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House-approved legislation that would allow the pregnant mother of a child to recover half the out-of-pocket, pregnancy-related medical expenses from the biological father was approved by Senate Committee. Abita Springs Representative Larry Frieman says the bill was created to protect pregnant women.
The prenatal, childbirth and post-partum medical costs are estimated at around $18,000 without insurance, and out-of-pocket for those enrolled in large group insurance plans is around $3,000 according to a Kaiser Family Foundation study in 2022. The bill supported by Turkey Creek Senator Heather Cloud believes single mothers who have to bear a child should not have to bear the cost alone.
After the baby is born, the mother would have two years to recover these expenses. The bill also states the mother can only recuperate monies if the paternity of the child has been proven. An advocate for women of sexual trauma, Morgan Lamandre raised concern that the bill’s preemptive period was not enough.
Utah also has a similar bill that was passed in 2021.
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Lawmakers defer two pro-choice bills aimed at making the state’s all-out ban on abortions less onerous. House Criminal Justice chose to shelve HB 598, which would have ruled that ending a non-viable ectopic pregnancy through surgical means would not be considered an abortion. New Orleans Representative Candace Newell (New-ELL) says her bill isn’t an exception to abortion, but a pathway to saving a mother’s life from a problem pregnancy…:
Cut 7 (15) “…to their patients.”
Louisiana Right to Life director Ben Clapper tells panel members HB 598 is un-needed…:
Cut 8 (11) “…pregnancies and more.”
Another bill set aside by the committee was HB 461, which sought to clarify what bill sponsor and Slidell Representative Mary Dubuisson calls “vague, non-medical” language in the abortion law that gets in the way of OB/GYNs treating their patients. Pro-choice attorney Gwyneth O’Neal says this should be for physicians to decide; not lawmakers…:
Cut 9 (15) “…these complications.”
Several lawmakers rejected the idea that the abortion law’s language is vague or unclear. Bossier Parish Rep. Dodie Horton was among them…:
Cut 10 (07) “…and what’s needed.”
The committee voted to defer both bills. Pro-choice advocates say they will be back next year.
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Code for America awards the Louisiana Department of Child and Family Services with its inaugural Government Changemaker Award – for its outstanding commitment to leveraging technology to better serve Louisiana households at a summit in Washington D.C., DCFS Secretary Terri Ricks says the LA’Message pilot made a difference in the enrollment and renewal process during difficult times.
DCFS collaborated with Code for America with the LA’Message pilot in 2019 which allows one-way text messages that alert recipients of critical points involving the enrollment and renewal process. Ricks says these messages may have been lifesaving as they often included vital information for households.
DCFS and Code for America are working on three projects designed to improve recipients’ experiences: a document uploader, an expanded texting campaign, and a digital assistant. Louisiana was among one the first states chosen last year to participate in Cod for America’s Safety Net Innovation Lab.
Code for America also credited text messages sent by DCFS with helping SNAP recipients claim tax credits in outreach promoted by The White House.
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A bill to hold third graders back if they fail to pass a literacy competency test advances from the full House. Mandeville Representative Richard Nelson’s bill failed the final days of the session last year. He says this bill gives students three opportunities to pass the test…
Students who fail the test would receive intensive instruction and two additional opportunities to pass the test.
The legislation is modeled after a Mississippi law and New Orleans Representative Delisha Boyd questioned why Louisiana would model a program after a neighboring state’s considering its current ranking…
Boyd argued that it isn’t the child who should be punished and held back, it’s the teachers who are failing the students.
Cut 16 (08) “…another solution.”
Boyd says the state needs to hire more certified teachers so students are able to read on grade level. The measure passed on an 88 to 15 vote and advances to a Senate committee.
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Former Rummel running back Logan Diggs has signed with LSU after spending the last two seasons at Notre Dame. Tigers running backs have struggled to stay on the field as John Emory, Armoni Goodwin, and Kaleb Jackson all missed time this Spring. The 22nd-ranked back in the 2021 class, The Advocate’s Wilson Alexander says Diggs will provide proven depth to a convoluted running back room…
The Boutte, Louisiana native started eight games as a sophomore, rushing for 822 yards and four touchdowns for the Fighting Irish last season. After averaging 5 yards a carry as a feature back in the Notre Dame offense, Diggs will reunite with his former coach this summer as perhaps the most talented Tiger running back, but Alexander says he won’t take over the role…
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The tenth-seeded LSU softball team will host the Baton Rouge Regional this weekend featuring the Sun-Belt Champion UL-Lafayette Cajuns, Summit League Champs Omaha, and SWAC Champion Prairie View A&M. The Tigers could possibly play the 46-13 Cajuns multiple times after splitting the two-game regular season season series. Cajuns senior Karly Heath says her team felt slighted by the seeding…
The Cajuns boast the 11th-best RPI in the country just two spots behind LSU and one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the nation but were not granted a home regional. With only an hour separating the two schools, Cajuns Coach Gerry Glasco is excited to face their in-state rival to the east…