WBRZ - Baton Rouge

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• Lawmakers to look at conflicting law after News 2 report Play Video

  May 14, 2013 9:22 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana lawmakers plan to take a look at resolving the frontwards/backwards child seat requirements. State law tells parents to face kids a year and older forward in their car seats. But a American Academy of Pediatrics 2011 study showed children under two are 75 percent... more »

• House lawmakers shelve Citizens rate review bill

  May 14, 2013 12:44 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Lawmakers in the House have rejected a proposal seeking legislative review of large rate hikes for customers of Louisiana's property insurer of last resort. The House Insurance Committee scrapped the idea Tuesday in a 9-4 vote against the bill by St. Mary Parish Sen. Bret Allain. The... more »

• $25B budget debate shifts to Louisiana Senate

  May 13, 2013 6:02 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Action on crafting next year's nearly $25 billion budget has shifted to the Senate. Last week, the House sent senators a compromise proposal to fund state government in the fiscal year that begins July 1. Senators say they are combing through the details. But the leader of... more »

• House backs big budget compromise Play Video

  May 10, 2013 6:19 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana House voted overwhelmingly in favor of a $25 billion budget today which sways from spending plans recommended by Gov. Bobby Jindal. The House stripped $500 million from Jindal's plan which was either one-time money, or not guaranteed. They instead opted for cuts to state... more »

• House backs $25 billion budget compromise

  May 10, 2013 4:11 PM

  BATON ROUGE - After days of closed-door negotiations, the Louisiana House has backed a nearly $25 billion budget that deeply diverges from spending plans recommended by Gov. Bobby Jindal. Lawmakers objected to Jindal's proposal to use $500 million in uncertain financing from property sales, legal settlements, fund sweeps and other... more »

• Reworked budget compromise taking shape in House

  May 9, 2013 10:38 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana House is considering substantial tweaks to an alternative proposal to Gov. Bobby Jindal's budget for next year. A bipartisan group of lawmakers is working to strip out $500 million in uncertain funding proposed by Jindal. In its place, lawmakers are proposing changes to tax break... more »

• Revised Medicaid expansion proposed to House panel

  May 8, 2013 11:31 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Two Republicans joined with Democrats on the House health committee to advance a proposal to tap into federal funding available to offer insurance to the working poor. But one of those Republicans says his vote was a mistake. The House Health and Welfare Committee already rejected a... more »

• Voucher controversy and uncertainty leaves parents in limbo Play Video

  May 7, 2013 10:21 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Private schools and Governor Bobby Jindal tell benefactors not to worry, but parents are the ones left in a state of uncertainty when it comes to vouchers. Tuesday, the Louisiana Supreme Court ruled funding of the state's voucher program was unconstitutional. Lawmakers used money set aside... more »

• Budget compromise taking shape, without Jindal

  May 6, 2013 12:41 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Gov. Bobby Jindal blasted bipartisan House budget negotiations today as a secretive, back-door attempt to raise taxes on Louisiana businesses and residents. The governor's criticism Monday came as lawmakers in the House moved ahead with the building blocks of a budget compromise that Jindal opposes because it... more »

• Committee to hear breakaway school district bill

  April 29, 2013 10:39 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The Senate Finance Committee scheduled a hearing this morning for another attempt to create a breakaway school district in southeast Baton Rouge. The bill, filed by Sen. Mack "Bodi" White, is similar to the measure which failed to get the necessary two-thirds majority in the last... more »

• House committee working on 2013-14 budget

  April 29, 2013 8:48 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Lawmakers are making their first changes to Gov. Bobby Jindal's $24.7 billion budget proposal for next year in the House Appropriations Committee. Among the largest points of contention for Monday's committee hearing is whether to use piecemeal financing from land sales, legal settlements and fund sweeps... more »

• Lawmakers delay vote on Medicaid expansion Play Video

  April 24, 2013 2:59 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Senators have pushed back their first vote on whether they want to cover more uninsured people in the state's Medicaid program, as allowed under the federal Affordable Care Act. The Senate Health and Welfare Committee on delayed its decision a week, after senators said they wanted more information,... more »

• Lawmakers weigh in on Medicaid expansion

  April 24, 2013 8:54 AM

  BATON ROUGE - State lawmakers are taking their first votes on whether they want to cover more uninsured people in the state's Medicaid program, as allowed under the federal Affordable Care Act. Both the House and Senate health care committees have hearings scheduled Wednesday on Medicaid expansion bills. ... more »

• Lawmakers urge delay in control tower furloughs

  April 23, 2013 10:29 AM

  WASHINGTON - Two senators are urging the Obama administration to postpone the furloughing of air traffic controllers, saying the turmoil caused by reduced staffing raises economic and security concerns as well as inconveniencing thousands of travelers. Kansas Republican Jerry Moran says delaying the furloughs that began Sunday would both give... more »

• Jindal says he'd veto cigarette tax without offset

  April 18, 2013 3:20 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Gov. Bobby Jindal says he'll veto any cigarette tax increase that wins passage from lawmakers, unless it's coupled with a corresponding cut in taxes somewhere else. Jindal says he will oppose anything he considers a net increase in state tax revenue. A few weeks ago, Jindal was... more »

• Lawmakers accuse Jindal of moving too fast on EKL closure

  April 10, 2013 10:42 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Lawmakers today approved the closure of Earl K. Long Medical Center and the reimbursement shift necessary to pay a private hospital to take on the poor and uninsured. Some lawmakers say the plan had to be approved because EKL shuts down in five days, and if... more »

• Newtown parents to lobby lawmakers

  April 9, 2013 8:23 AM

  WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats continue to mull strategy for their efforts at gun legislation, especially expanded background checks. They're holding a lunchtime meeting today to assess whether West Virginia Democrat Joe Manchin has reached an acceptable compromise - or has a realistic chance of getting one - with Pennsylvania... more »

• Taxes, gun permits, school district on session agenda

  April 8, 2013 6:54 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The agenda is already packed with more than 900 pre-filed bills, as dozens of state lawmakers flock to the capitol to begin the 2013 legislative session. The two-month session opens at noon. The centerpiece of the session will likely be Gov. Jindal's tax reform plan.... more »

• House speaker talks of capping TOPS program

  April 3, 2013 5:06 PM

  BATON ROUGE - House Speaker Chuck Kleckley says lawmakers need to find a way to control the costs of the state's free college tuition program known as TOPS. Kleckley says colleges need to be able to raise their tuition rates, but he says the state can't afford to continue increasing... more »

• Lawmakers seek injunction against Jindal budget

  April 1, 2013 4:45 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Two Jefferson Parish lawmakers have tweaked their legal challenge to Gov. Bobby Jindal's patchwork financing of the budget. Now, they're asking a Baton Rouge judge to block the use of such financing in next year's spending plans. Republican Reps. Kirk Talbot and Cameron Henry filed their amended... more »

• Federal lawmakers support Internet sales taxes

  March 22, 2013 8:33 PM

  WASHINGTON- Senators supported a law, giving states the power to collect taxes on purchases you make on the Internet. The Nonbinding vote could pave the way for a proposal later this year. Nationally, states miss out on an estimated $20 billion in sales taxes. Louisiana loses about $800... more »

• Buyouts begin for people living near sinkhole Play Video

  March 18, 2013 5:43 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Assumption Parish President Marty Triche says buyouts and settlements being offered by Texas Brine are not all that needs to be done. The company operates a cavern that is believed to be the cause of a sinkhole. Evacuations in the area started last August. Triche... more »

• White briefs lawmakers on school security

  February 28, 2013 10:59 AM

  BATON ROUGE - State education superintendent John White briefed state lawmakers this morning on security conditions and changes at Louisiana's schools. White said after the Sandy Hook elementary shooting in Connecticut, 52 percent of Louisiana's school districts made changes to their school security plans. He also said 98... more »

• People evacuated by sinkhole ask lawmakers for help Play Video

  February 19, 2013 4:21 PM

  BATON ROUGE - People evacuated 200 days ago by a sinkhole in Assumption Parish asked lawmakers today to help them get buyouts for their homes. Residents and parish officials packed a Senate committee hearing today to tell lawmakers about what the past months have been like. They said the... more »

• White House calls immigration proposal a backup

  February 18, 2013 9:39 AM

  WASHINGTON - The White House is downplaying its immigration proposal as merely a backup plan if lawmakers don't come up with an overhaul of their own. Republican and Democratic lawmakers tell President Barack Obama that it won't be necessary. White House chief of staff Denis McDonough says that Obama wants... more »

• British lawmakers vote in favor of gay marriage

  February 5, 2013 2:24 PM

  LONDON- British lawmakers have voted overwhelmingly in favor of a bill to legalize same-sex marriages. The government-proposed bill would enable same-sex couples to get married in both civil and religious ceremonies, provided that the religious institution consents. In a first House of Commons vote on Tuesday, lawmakers voted 400 to... more »

• Lawmakers propose restructuring La. budget process

  January 29, 2013 8:40 AM

  BATON ROUGE- Conservative House lawmakers who have been at odds with Gov. Bobby Jindal over budgeting tactics are proposing to rewrite the laws governing state spending. The bills were unveiled Tuesday by the Budget Reform Coalition, a mainly Republican group. The measures would limit what dollars lawmakers and the governor... more »

• Senators pledge action on immigration reform

  January 28, 2013 5:01 PM

  WASHINGTON - Key Democratic and Republican senators are pledging to get a wide-ranging immigration bill through the Senate by summer even as they point to numerous pitfalls ahead. The group of eight senators unveiled proposals Monday to secure the border, allow more guest workers, require tougher verification measures by employers... more »

• Lawmakers asked to give up tuition-setting power

  January 22, 2013 3:09 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Louisiana's higher education chief, Jim Purcell, says colleges and universities will again ask lawmakers to relinquish their tuition-setting authority, so the schools can move closer to the tuition rates charged by their peers in the South. Purcell told the joint House and Senate education committee Tuesday that he... more »

• Conservative House group seeks changes to budget Play Video

  January 22, 2013 2:45 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Conservative lawmakers in the state House are devising a package of proposals that aim to expand the state budget areas that can be cut during shortfalls and to limit the use of patchwork funding for ongoing programs. Rep. Brett Geymann, a Republican leading the "Budget Reform Coalition,"... more »

• State budget deficit growing into billions Play Video

  January 18, 2013 6:17 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Lawmakers met at the capitol this morning, where they discussed the state budget and its growth. Members of the joint budget committee are optimistic because the state took in more money than expected last month. The state is short $1.2 billion though, and many lawmakers are... more »

• Tax break recommendations expected in March

  January 18, 2013 6:38 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The chairman of a legislative study panel reviewing Louisiana's billions of dollars in tax breaks says he won't meet a February deadline to compile recommendations to lawmakers. Rep. Joel Robideaux, a Republican leading the Revenue Study Commission, says he'll have the report and its suggestions ready for... more »

• Lawmakers reviewing school security practices

  January 17, 2013 3:25 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Education leaders are reviewing Louisiana school security procedures after the mass shooting at a Connecticut elementary school. Superintendent of Education John White suggested lawmakers should tweak a state law from 2001 that requires all elementary and secondary public schools to have a written crisis management and response... more »

• Lawsuit challenges Jindal budgeting tactics

  January 15, 2013 1:04 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Two Jefferson Parish lawmakers have lodged a legal challenge against the state's budget, asking a judge to declare its financing a violation of Louisiana's Constitution. Reps. Kirk Talbot and Cameron Henry, both Republicans, filed the lawsuit Tuesday in state district court in Baton Rouge. The lawsuit is... more »

• Lawmakers hesitant about Jindal tax proposal Play Video

  January 11, 2013 2:14 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Lawmakers are responding with caution to Gov. Bobby Jindal's proposal to eliminate Louisiana's income tax in exchange for higher sales taxes and other tax code changes. Among specific concerns raised Friday by legislators who will decide the fate of the plan are how it will impact low- to... more »

• Date set for school security task force meeting

  December 27, 2012 9:59 PM

  BATON ROUGE- State leaders will take a good, hard look at the safety of kids while they're at school. Thursday, lawmakers set a date for a special meeting to talk about school security. A homeland security committee will gather on January 9, 2013. It's members from the Louisiana... more »

• 'Fiscal cliff' offers hint at more defense cuts

  December 5, 2012 7:51 AM

  WASHINGTON - House Republicans' "fiscal cliff" counteroffer to President Barack Obama hints at billions of dollars in military cuts on top of the nearly $500 billion that the White House and Congress backed last year, and even the fiercest defense hawks acknowledge that the Pentagon faces another financial hit. ... more »

• Lawmakers discuss low Miss. River with Corps

  November 29, 2012 3:10 PM

  WASHINGTON - A top Army Corps of Engineers official told federal lawmakers the agency can't legally reverse its decision to reduce the Missouri River's flow into the rain-starved Mississippi River. But Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois says Army Assistant Secretary Jo-Ellen Darcy did tell him and senators from Iowa and... more »

• Source: Obama officials, lawmakers set for talks

  November 28, 2012 1:08 PM

  WASHINGTON - An administration official says two of President Barack Obama's top negotiators on the "fiscal cliff" will meet separately on Thursday with leading lawmakers. The sessions are seen as an important step in determining how the government will avoid a year-end package of tax increases and spending cuts that... more »

• Lawmakers shown video of Benghazi attack

  November 15, 2012 6:00 PM

  WASHINGTON - Lawmakers have seen a video made drone surveillance and security camera video that showed them in real time the attack in Libya that killed four Americans, including the ambassador. Top intelligence officials showed them the footage as part of hearings on the attack in September on the diplomatic... more »

• Lawmakers back Jindal health outsourcing contract Play Video

  November 9, 2012 10:59 AM

  BATON ROUGE - After a shake-up on the House budget committee, Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration has gotten approval from lawmakers to outsource a state employee health insurance plan. The Senate Finance Committee backed the contract between the Office of Group Benefits and Blue Cross/Blue Shield in a 10-3 vote Friday,... more »

• Vote planned on Jindal health outsourcing contract

  November 9, 2012 8:44 AM

  BATON ROUGE - After a shake-up on the House budget committee, Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration is returning to lawmakers to ask permission to outsource a state employee health insurance plan. Jindal's top budget adviser shelved a vote last week when it became clear the contract between the Office of... more »

• State lawmakers looking for compromise with federal health care plan Play Video

  November 8, 2012 5:51 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Some state lawmakers hope Governor Bobby Jindal will help work through issues with President Obama's healthcare reforms, now that the election is over. The health care plan is aimed at guaranteeing health care coverage for the uninsured, among other reforms. Governor Jindal had previously stated he... more »

• Lawmakers target operations of data-mining firms

  November 8, 2012 3:24 PM

  WASHINGTON - A group of lawmakers say data-mining companies that collect and sell personal information about consumers should make their operations more transparent. Members of the Congressional Bipartisan Privacy Caucus said Thursday that responses they received from nine major data brokers provided only a glimpse of a multibillion-dollar industry "that... more »

• Vote shelved on Jindal health outsourcing plan Play Video

  November 1, 2012 4:55 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Gov. Bobby Jindal's top budget adviser scrapped a planned legislative vote on the governor's proposal to hire a private company to manage a state employee health insurance plan. Commissioner of Administration Kristy Nichols pulled the proposed contract between the Office of Group Benefits and Blue Cross/Blue Shield... more »

• Special session push fails to gain Senate support

  October 26, 2012 4:03 PM

  BATON ROUGE (AP) - An attempt to get lawmakers into special session to consider reversing Gov. Bobby Jindal's recent cuts to health care programs and a state prison has failed to win enough support. State senators blocked the effort. Thibodaux Rep. Jerome "Dee" Richard needed 13 senators to sign onto... more »

• State lawmaker retreat drawing criticism Play Video

  October 25, 2012 5:41 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Several members of the Louisiana House attended a three day retreat in Venice that wrapped up today. The lawmakers received $149 dollars in per diem and .55 cents per miles for travel to the popular fishing site near the Gulf of Mexico. All chairmen and vice chairmen of... more »

• House agrees to vote on special session Play Video

  October 23, 2012 11:31 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A Thibodaux lawmaker has hit the first benchmark in his effort to revisit Gov. Bobby Jindal's recent budget cuts in a November special session. Thirty-nine House members, Republicans and Democrats, have signed onto supporting the idea by Rep. Jerome "Dee" Richard, an independent. That meets the threshold... more »

• Vote delayed on Jindal health privatization plan

  October 18, 2012 6:52 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Lawmakers have scrapped a planned Thursday vote on Gov. Bobby Jindal's plan to hire a private company to manage a state employee health insurance plan. The delay, announced a day before the scheduled hearing, has prompted claims the Jindal administration didn't have enough votes from the... more »

• Lawmakers call special session request waste of money

  October 8, 2012 3:59 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Top state lawmakers called the request for a special legislative session over healthcare cuts "unnecessary" and "an irresponsible use of taxpayer dollars" today. State House Speaker Chuck Kleckley, R-Lake Charles, and Senate President John Alario, R-Westwego, made the comments in a a joint statement released today,... more »

• Ethics board hears appeals for fines Play Video

  September 21, 2012 6:49 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A state ethics board denied several lawmakers' appeals to have ethics fines against them waived today. The fines in dispute ranged from a few hundred dollars to $8,000, and mostly dealt with campaign finance reports which were filed late or improperly. State Senator Elbert Guillory,... more »

• State lawmakers caught off guard by prison closure

  September 18, 2012 2:11 PM

  BATON ROUGE - State lawmakers from southwest Louisiana, even those allied with the governor, say they were caught off-guard by an abrupt announcement from the Jindal administration that it planned to close a state prison in DeQuincy. The closure of C. Paul Phelps Correctional Center was announced Friday, with Corrections... more »

• Lawmakers considering ideas to help poor retirees

  August 21, 2012 3:34 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Lawmakers are trying to find ways, despite the state's ongoing budget woes, to boost retirement payments to retired state workers and public schools teachers. Thousands of those retirees receive benefits at or below the poverty level, the Senate Retirement Committee was told Tuesday. State senators said they... more »

• Reid, Boehner announce stopgap spending pact

  July 31, 2012 1:53 PM

  WASHINGTON - The top Republican and Democrat on Capitol Hill have announced an agreement to keep the government running on autopilot for six months when the current budget year ends on Sept. 30. The announcements by Democratic Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and GOP House Speaker John Boehner are aimed... more »

• Democrats, Republicans face off over tax proposals in the Senate

  July 10, 2012 1:39 PM

  WASHINGTON - The tax fight isn't just playing out on the campaign trail today -- it's also taking center stage in the Senate, where leaders of both parties are belittling each other's tax-cutting plans. Democrats today are trying to advance legislation that would lower taxes for companies that hire new... more »

• New oil spill claims administrator meets with lawmakers Play Video

  June 28, 2012 5:54 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The new court appointed claims administrator for the BP oil spill made a stop at the State Capitol today. Pat Juneau of Lafayette replaced Kenneth Feinberg earlier this year. Today, he highlighted the work being done at more than a dozen claims centers, including one in... more »

• Tentative Hill deal on student loans

  June 27, 2012 1:17 PM

  WASHINGTON - A congressional Republican says the House and Senate have tentatively agreed to prevent interest rates on new college loans from doubling to 6.8 percent this Sunday. The one-year extension of the existing 3.4 percent rate on subsidized Stafford loans is the same package that Senate Majority Leader Harry... more »

• Lawmakers pass new exceptions to La. ethics code

  June 12, 2012 2:57 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A handful of proposals that chip away at provisions of the state's ethics code have received approval from Gov. Bobby Jindal, after lawmakers supported new exceptions to nepotism bans and contracting prohibitions. Critics of some of the provisions say the changes could undermine ethics laws and lead... more »

• Top lawmakers declare war on intelligence leaks

  June 7, 2012 3:26 PM

  WASHINGTON - Top Democratic and Republican lawmakers are vowing to pursue recent leaks of sensitive information they believe came from the White House on the covert drone and cyber wars against terrorism. Leaders of the Senate and House intelligence committees said Thursday they are drafting legislation to further limit who... more »

• Universities planning for more cuts, despite lawmakers easing the blow Play Video

  June 4, 2012 10:27 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The close of the legislative session also means another year of damage to higher education. Universities face a $70 million cut for next year, on top of slashing $25 million by the end of the month. One-time money and rainy day funds helped lessen the blow to... more »

• A glance at 2012 At The Capitol

  June 4, 2012 3:20 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's lawmakers spent three months combing through bills in the regular legislative session. Nearly 2,000 bills were filed for consideration. Here's a look at what happened to some of the issues, with the session ending Monday: BUDGET: A $25.6 billion budget proposal for 2012-13 will finance... more »

• Weekend showdown over budget ahead for lawmakers Play Video

  June 1, 2012 7:02 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A weekend conference committee may be needed to help settle a dispute between the state House and Senate over the use of one-time money in the state budget. Today at the Capitol, no one expected the issue would be settled quickly. "I expect us to... more »

• Lawmakers address lead hazards with legislation

  May 29, 2012 8:10 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Three bills focused on identifying lead contamination in playgrounds, day care centers and schools have been making their way through the Legislature following studies that found hazardous lead levels in several New Orleans parks. The proposals, near final passage, would require new day cares, preschools and certain... more »

• Stronger requirements to create new gun laws could be up to you

  May 24, 2012 10:24 PM

  BATON ROUGE- State lawmakers want to make it harder to create new gun laws. A bill allowing for that passed the House Thursday. The law adds hurdles for legislators to change gun laws. Supporters say it protects the 2nd Amendment freedoms. Critics say it gives the green-light for... more »

• New developments on Juban Crossing

  May 21, 2012 4:42 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A bill creating a new tax district around the Juban Crossing development is one step closer to final approval. The Louisiana House Appropriations Committee approved the bill, which keeps revenue from a one-cent sales tax at the site to pay for things like sewage and drainage improvements.... more »

• Conservative lawmakers fail to block budget bill

  May 17, 2012 3:12 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A bloc of conservative Republicans in the House couldn't stall a budget bill that taps into one-time dollars to help piece together spending plans year after year. The House voted 63-38 Thursday to send the bill to the Senate, raising questions about whether the coalition was fracturing... more »

• Compromise reached in oilfield cleanup dispute

  May 17, 2012 11:15 AM

  BATON ROUGE- Lawmakers say they have brokered an agreement in an ongoing dispute between the oil and gas industry and landowners over how to clean up environmental damage done in drilling years ago. The proposal, included Thursday in a bill by Sen. Robert Adley, would allow cleanup plans devised by... more »

• La. lawmakers at odds over how to ban bullying

  May 16, 2012 3:31 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's lawmakers disagree over how to craft a new ban on bullying at public schools. Two different proposals advanced Wednesday in the House, one by Baton Rouge Rep. Patricia Smith getting 71-16 backing on the House floor and another by Port Allen Sen. Rick Ward getting passage... more »

• College fee increase stalls with House lawmakers

  May 15, 2012 11:40 AM

  BATON ROUGE- A bid by higher education leaders to boost charges on college students has stalled, facing resistance from House lawmakers who question if students and families could afford the fee hike. Rep. Chris Broadwater shelved his fee increase bill Tuesday in the House Education Committee, likely dooming the push... more »

• Lawmakers ask NFL to reconsider Saints penalties

  May 15, 2012 7:30 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana Legislature is asking the NFL to reconsider the penalties imposed on the New Orleans Saints because of its bounty program. The formal request received final legislative passage with a 28-1 Senate vote Monday. In the resolution, lawmakers say there is "widespread public opinion... more »

• GOP blocks Senate debate on Dem student loan bill

  May 8, 2012 11:36 AM

  WASHINGTON- Republicans have blocked the Senate from debating a Democratic bill keeping interest rates on college loans from doubling this summer for 7.4 million students. Republicans say they support heading off higher rates on subsidized Stafford loans. They oppose how Democrats would pay for the measure - raising payroll taxes... more »

• Bills blocking former lawmakers from taking jobs rejected Play Video

  May 2, 2012 5:19 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A house committee killed two bills with one stone. The bills would have kept lawmakers from leaving the legislature and going straight into other state jobs. It has been a hot topic around the capitol for the past few months. Several former lawmakers were given appointments to... more »

• Red light bills scheduled for debate in committee

  April 26, 2012 9:17 AM

  BATON ROUGE- Lawmakers will consider several changes concerning red light camera operations in Louisiana. One would ban unpaid citations from issued through an automated camera system from being sent to a collection agency. We'll track these bills and others important to you today. Look for updates on WBRZ.com... more »

• Lawmakers won't change yellow lights Play Video

  April 3, 2012 5:48 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Lawmakers deferred a bill that would change traffic signals across the state, making it mandatory for yellow lights to run at least 5 seconds. Traffic engineers say the law could negatively affect traffic patterns. "We would have to reevaluate a lot of the signal timing, every... more »

• First votes set on voucher, tenure bills Play Video

  March 14, 2012 1:33 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Gov. Bobby Jindal assured members of a House panel that his plan to expand public funding of some students' private school tuition is constitutional, as lawmakers opened hearings Wednesday on his proposals. The Republican governor - in a rare appearance before a legislative committee - disagreed... more »

• Senators question assumptions in Jindal budget

  March 13, 2012 11:04 AM

  BATON ROUGE- State senators getting their first in-depth look at Gov. Bobby Jindal's budget proposal are questioning some of the assumptions the administration made to make the numbers work. More than $1 billion of Jindal's $25.5 billion spending proposal for the upcoming fiscal year is tied to passage of state... more »

• WBRZ following the 2012 Louisiana Legislative Session

  March 12, 2012 10:07 AM

  BATON ROUGE- The 2012 Louisiana Legislative Session begins today. Governor Bobby Jindal is scheduled to speak at 1:00 p.m. The governor backs sweeping change as part of his education reform package for public schools. He also wants to change the retirement benefits for thousands of state workers. Many of... more »

• Lawmakers open hearings on Jindal budget

  March 6, 2012 11:50 AM

  BATON ROUGE- Lawmakers delving into the details of Gov. Bobby Jindal's $25.5 billion budget proposal questioned his plans to privatize more health services and to merge an elderly affairs office into the health department. The House Appropriations Committee opened its budget hearings Tuesday. It is combing through Jindal's spending proposals... more »

• Senate defeats bill to reverse birth control rule

  March 1, 2012 11:04 AM

  WASHINGTON - The Senate has defeated a Republican effort to roll back President Barack Obama's policy on contraception insurance coverage. The measure sponsored by Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, a Republican, was defeated 51-48. The measure, an amendment to a pending transportation bill, would have allowed employers and insurers to opt... more »

• Bill would limit former lawmakers from taking state jobs Play Video

  February 27, 2012 5:02 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A bill prefiled for the upcoming Louisiana Legislative session would block former lawmakers from taking state jobs for at least two years after they leave office. Representative Dee Richard, I-Thibodaux, says recent political appointments by the governor and others are part of the "good ol' boy network."... more »

• Bill aims to block former lawmakers from state jobs

  February 27, 2012 10:02 AM

  BATON ROUGE- Several former state lawmakers have recently received high-profile jobs within state government. State Representative Dee Richard, I-Thibodaux, says that process needs to end. Richard has prefiled a bill for the upcoming session forcing an ex-lawmaker to wait at least two years before taking a job in state... more »

• Washington state lawmakers pass gay marriage bill

  February 9, 2012 3:06 AM

  OLYMPIA, Wash. - The Washington state Legislature has voted to legalize gay marriage, setting the stage for the state to become the seventh in the nation to allow same-sex couples to wed. The action comes a day after a federal appeals court declared California's ban on gay marriage unconstitutional. The... more »

• Colo. lawmakers consider trans-fat ban in schools

  February 2, 2012 4:09 AM

  DENVER - Colorado is taking aim at junk food in school cafeterias as it considers the nation's toughest school trans-fat ban. A Colorado House committee is expected to hear a bill today to forbid any trans-fat in school food - not just the food served through regular cafeteria lunches. That... more »

• Lawmakers buying $350 BCS championship tickets

  December 19, 2011 3:17 PM

  BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Louisiana's lawmakers are snapping up tickets to the BCS National Championship Game, but only the current legislators. New lawmakers are out of luck. Their terms start on game day. Tickets to the Jan. 9 matchup between LSU and Alabama are selling for thousands of dollars... more »

• Legislative leadership choices are giant puzzle

  November 30, 2011 2:45 PM

  BATON ROUGE - With elections over, lawmakers supported by Gov. Bobby Jindal to lead the House and Senate are working on the giant puzzle of who should be in charge of more than two dozen legislative committees. Lawmakers are jockeying for the positions, which come with power and status. ... more »

• Ethics law lets lawmakers buy tickets to big games

  November 3, 2011 5:23 PM

  MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Alabama's newly toughened ethics law prohibits legislators and other state officials from receiving most free gifts, including football tickets. But in some cases they can still buy tickets to big games, like this weekend's Alabama-LSU game, at face value. That's an advantage over most state residents... more »

• Stelly Plan reappears in La. statewide elections

  October 3, 2011 4:19 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Three years have passed since lawmakers reversed the income tax hikes of the tax swap plan known as the Stelly Plan, but the issue isn't dead, becoming a key point of attack in two statewide races. The Stelly Plan, a sweeping package named for its legislative... more »

• Lawmaker says BP claims aren't enough for stricken residents

  September 29, 2011 6:32 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana may not be getting a fair shake when it comes to the BP claims process, according to some state lawmakers. Representative Joe Harrison (R-Houma) said at a claims hearing in Baton Rouge today that hurricanes, river flooding, seafood imports and the oil spill have all... more »

• Nearly 1/4 of current lawmakers won't return in Jan.

  September 14, 2011 4:46 PM

  BATON ROUGE - No matter what happens in the Oct. 22 election, about a quarter of Louisiana's lawmakers won't return in January to their same posts. While some are forced out by term limits, more than a dozen chose not to return though they could have sought re-election. Twenty-five... more »

• Obama urges Congress to pass jobs bill

  September 12, 2011 11:14 AM

  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama says he's sending his jobs bill to Congress on Monday and lawmakers should pass it immediately with no games, politics or delays. The bill Obama unveiled in a speech to Congress last week aims to create thousands of jobs through a blend of tax... more »

• At least a quarter of La. Legislature won't return

  August 10, 2011 3:05 AM

  BATON ROUGE- No matter the outcome of the fall elections, at least a quarter of the Louisiana Legislature won't be back in January for another four-year term. That includes at least 27 members of the 105-member House and at least 10 senators in the 39-member chamber. Fourteen House members are... more »

• Former lawmakers seek return to Louisiana Legislature

  August 7, 2011 10:56 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Former longtime lawmakers are seeking to return to Louisiana's Legislature. In southwest Louisiana, James David Cain is hoping to force Sen. John Smith out of the seat Cain held before term limits kept him from a re-election bid four years ago. Both are Republicans. In Shreveport, Sen.... more »

• Justice Department clears La. congressional remap

  August 1, 2011 7:11 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The U.S. Department of Justice has cleared Louisiana's new map for its congressional districts, which lawmakers drew in a special legislative session earlier this year. The plan shrinks the number of Louisiana congressional districts from seven to six, starting with the 2012 elections, because of the... more »

• Phone lines, websites busy as people weigh in on debt limit

  July 26, 2011 2:12 PM

  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama's appeal for Americans to let their lawmakers know how they feel about the debt limit debate may be having an impact. Congressional officials say the House switchboard is near capacity, and they're suggesting using backup numbers. Websites are also experiencing heavy traffic. But... more »