The Senate passed a budget, and a sales tax bill to pay for it last night, that fully funds TOPS, higher ed, and healthcare. The tax bill raises 508 million dollars by renewing half of the expiring penny sales tax, and eliminating some business tax deductions. Senate Finance Chairman Eric LaFleur says it’s a compromise he hopes everyone can be content with.
Cut 13 (07) “solid policy”
The House has yet to say whether they’ll accept or reject the Senate’s budget and tax plan. Behind the scenes negotiations are ongoing.

It won’t help next fiscal year, but executive director of the Louisiana Casino Association Wade Duty says the state will benefit from a bill signed into law that allows riverboat casinos to move gaming operations on to land…
cut 5 (09) “…..for the state”
Duty anticipates a handful of the state’s 15 licensed riverboat casinos will push to take advantage of the new law over the next year.

Three people are accused of a widespread livestock theft ring with quite the price tag. State Agriculture Commissioner Mike Strain says the husband and wife, Rickey and Wanda Thompson of Pitkin, along with their son Justin Thompson, are accused of the thefts that occurred from August to October of 2017.
Cut 9 (08) “…one million dollars”
Ricky and Wanda Thompson have turned themselves in to the Allen Parish Jail, however Justin Thompson has yet to surrender to authorities.

The American Cancer Society is now recommending that average-risk adults get a colorectal cancer screening at age 45, five years earlier than the previous recommendation. A co-author of that report is Elizabeth Fontham from LSU Health New Orleans, who says there are six different tests that screen for the disease…
cut 8 (09) “…missing anything visually”
Fontham says among adults younger than 55 years, there was a 51-percent increase in the incident of colorectal cancer.