This year’s legislative session had some big wins for small businesses. Sean Richardson has more.
Cut 1 (30) “…I’m Sean Richardson.”
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A pharmacy benefit managers bill sought by Governor Landry did not pass, but Jeanne Burns reports he will have the chance to sign a P-B-M reform bill that did receive final legislative approval…
Cut 2 (32) “…I’m Jeanne Burns.”
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A new era of college athletics will begin July 1 after the NCAA House settlement approved revenue sharing. Kace Kieschnick spoke with Stone Pigman sports attorney Fritz Metzingier.
Cut 3 (35) “…I’m Kace Kieschnick.”
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NFIB State Director Leah Long praised Louisiana lawmakers for passing several bills that benefit small businesses during the 2025 regular legislative session. Key victories include legal reforms to reduce insurance costs through limits on damage awards, changes to injury assumptions, and revised rules for recovering medical costs.
Cut 4 (11) “…small business owners.”
Long says lawmakers also passed HB 624 and HB 617 to streamline workforce development by reorganizing the Department of Children and Family Services under the new Louisiana Works agency.
Cut 5 (07) “…to small businesses.”
Additionally, NFIB helped defeat SB 223, which would have imposed costly security mandates on small retailers. Long said the session delivered practical solutions to help small businesses grow, hire, and thrive.
Cut 6 (08) “…do nothing anymore.”
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Governor Landry could call a special session so lawmakers can approve legislation to prohibit pharmacy benefit managers from owning drug stores. Landry says this measure would lower prescription drug costs. But Monroe Representative Michael Echols believes his PBM Reform bill approved on the final day of the regular session will lower drug costs over time…
Cut 7 (13) “…entire nation.”
Echols says his legislation ensures that prescription drug rebates and discounts flow directly to the patients or their health plans, instead of pharmacy benefit managers who are considered the middlemen
Cut 8 (08) “…national level.”
Echols says his PBM reform bill is a simple idea, if there’s a deal on your medicine, those savings should go to you….not a corporate company in the middle…
Cut 9 (13) “…PBMs.”
Governor Landy is expected to sign the legislation.
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The LSU Tigers will take on UCLA tonight in a winner’s bracket game at the College World Series. LSU won its first game in Omaha on Saturday, four to one. Left-hander Kade Anderson allowed one run over seven innings versus Arkansas, and tonight Anthony Eyanson will try to follow up that performance…
Cut 10 (10) “…settle in.”
Saturday night was a tough night for LSU first baseman Jared Jones. He went 0-for-5 with five strikeouts. Following yesterday’s workout, Coach Jay Johnson worked with Jones in the batting cage. Johnson says it’s all about getting ready for the next game…
Cut 11 (11) “..the box.”
UCLA enters tonight’s game with a 48-16 record after holding off Murray State on Saturday. The Bruins were co-regular season champs in the Big 10. They are the 15-seed and have not lost a game in the NCAA Tournament. Johnson on the Bruins…
Cut 12 (10) “…awesome night”
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College athletics may never be the same after the NCAA House settlement allowing universities to pay their student athletes directly. All power schools and any other division one schools who elect to do so will be allowed to share up to $20.5 million of their annual athletic revenue with that cap increasing 4% each year over the next decade. Sports attorney Fritz Metzinger of Stone Pigman says many schools will follow the back pay formula devised in the settlement.
Cut 13 (13) “…this money.”
The back pay formula allocates 75% of the funds to football, 15% to men’s basketball, 5% to women’s basketball and the remaining 5% for other sports.
Metzinger says this formula will be used to award the $2.8 billion the settlement included in damages.
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The NCAA also announced a new N-I-L Go program to review N-I-L payments over $600. Metzinger says the Deloitte review board can determine whether they are valid business opportunities or masked booster payments.
Cut 15 (13) “…N-I-L payments.”
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A pair of golfers with Louisiana ties had a chance to claim the crown at the U.S. Open in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. But it was not meant to be, as J.J. Spaun came away with the title. The course was so tough that he was the only one who finished under par for the tournament at minus-one. Shreveport’s own Sam Burns, who competed at LSU, entered the final round atop the leaderboard, but he could not hold on. He had two double-bogeys on the back nine, including on the 15th hole, when his tee shot landed in highly saturated water in the fairway. He tried to get relief from the rules officials from the temporary standing water, but they said no. Afterwards, Burns said it was a tough break.
Cut 16 (19) “…kind of that.”
Burns finished tied for seventh at four over par. He said overall, he’s proud of the way he played.
Cut 17 (07) “…was a blast.”
Another golfer with Louisiana ties who was in contention late was Robert MacIntyre. The native of Scotland spent a year at McNeese before turning pro. He finished second, two strokes back at one over par. MacIntyre said it’s a matter of so close, yet so far away.
Cut 18 (10) “…work to do.”
MacIntyre said he knew going in that the course at Oakmont was going to be a tough one, weather conditions notwithstanding.
Cut 19 (12) “…that doesn’t change.”