The Appropriations Committee, which is dominated by Republicans, approves a spending plan for next fiscal year that fully funds the TOPS scholarship program. The House GOP plan calls for an 82-million dollar cut in state funding to the Department of Health, so that the state can fully cover tuition payments for TOPS students.
cut 23 (02) “…our state”
That’s Baton Rouge Representative Franklin Foil who authored the amendment that passed on a on a 19-5 vote. Democrats on the panel voted against it. New Orleans Representative Gary carter….
cut 29 (17) “…100,000 dollars a year”
More debate will take place on the House floor when the full 28-billion dollar budget will be discussed.

LSU and a news organization create a website which would let the public give an opinion on how Louisiana’s budget woes could be repaired. Jeff Palermo reports…:
Voicer 1 (30) “I’m Jeff Palermo”

Legislation that would regulate car-sharing services like Uber and Lyft received approval from the House Commerce committee. Uber and Lyft support having standard rules across the state, so they don’t have to negotiate agreeements with local jurisdictions. They say it could help expand their service into smaller communities. The measure heads to the House floor for more discussion.