A tornado watch is in effect until 5pm for most parishes in southern and southeast Louisiana. Warnings have also been coming and going as the National Weather Service receives reports of funnel clouds. They say a storm spotter reported a tornado crossed I-10 near exit 171 in Ascension Parish. Andrew Ansorge with the National Weather Service in Slidell says this level of risk hasn’t been seen in quite sometime…:
CUT 8 (05) “southeast Louisiana”
Flood warnings have been issued for St. Tammany, Washington and Webster parishes.

The Louisiana House Ways and Means Committee quickly went through a series of tax proposals today and are still meeting. The proposed one cent increase in the state sales tax was reported and will go to the full House for consideration. Louisiana Association of Business and Industry said committee members used a procedural punt to get the sales tax bill the house floor. The 20 cent increase on the cigarette tax advances, so does the alcohol tax an extra 6 cents on a six pack of beer.

Secretary of State Tom Scheduler announces the temporary suspension of early voting in East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Lafourche, Livingston, St. Helena, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and West Baton Rouge due to severe weather. They say it is expected that the list of parishes impacted could increase over the course of the day.

Lawmakers are discussing letting voters decide whether or not Louisiana should legalize recreational marijuana so the state could tax it. Jesse McCormick, head of the Louisiana Cannabis Association, says it would be difficult to move a bill like this out of the legislature:
CUT 5 (10) “on the ballot”
He says the revenue from pot taxes in other states has been substantial and could really help Louisiana in this time of crisis.