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• Senate budget committee stalls Medicaid program

  May 20, 2013 2:11 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A proposal for Louisiana to tap into federal health overhaul money available for expanding Medicaid has been stalled by senators. The Senate Finance Committee rejected the bill Monday, with all but one Republican voting against expansion. The measure would seek federal approval to use the expansion money to... more »

• Senate panel approves bill to create national ID

  May 15, 2013 6:39 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The Senate Transportation Committee has backed a proposal to use Louisiana driver's licenses to comply with federal law requiring each state to create a national identification card for air travel, including domestic flights. Senators added that language into a bill by Rep. Johnny Guinn, seeking to reverse... more »

• New challenger enters Senate race

  May 14, 2013 8:22 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A retired Air Force colonel from Madisonville says he plans to run for the U.S. Senate next year, seeking to oust Democratic incumbent Mary Landrieu. Rob Maness, a Republican who said he works for Entergy Services Inc. and owns a family farm, announced his candidacy Monday.... more »

• Law seeks clarity for surrogate contracts, rights Play Video

  May 13, 2013 6:45 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Surrogacy, an intense and challenging process, is currently up for debate in the Louisiana Legislature. Senate Bill 162 would make clear contracts for gestational surrogacy, which is when another woman carries and delivers a baby after being impregnated by a previously created embryo. The surrogate... 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 »

• President calls IRS targeting of conservative groups "outrageous"

  May 13, 2013 11:28 AM

  WASHINGTON, D.C. - President Obama is calling the IRS focus on conservative groups 'outrageous,' and says people are 'properly concerned' The IRS apologized Friday for scrutininzing the tax-exempt status of groups with conservative titles such as "Tea Party" or "Patriot" in their applications. The Democratic chairman of the... 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 »

• Senate committee takes up immigration bill

  May 9, 2013 7:42 AM

  WASHINGTON - A bill to remake the nation's immigration system for the first time in decades faces its first congressional test Thursday. The Senate Judiciary Committee is taking up the 844-page legislation to secure the border, provide new avenues for workers to come to the U.S. legally, crack down... more »

• Senators discuss changing background checks bill

  May 8, 2013 7:28 AM

  WASHINGTON - Lawmakers backing gun control say they are discussing how to revise the defeated Senate background check bill in order to win votes they need to resuscitate the measure. Among the changes they said they are considering are limiting the background check fees buyers pay at gun shows,... more »

• Committee considers gun measures at Capitol

  May 7, 2013 10:39 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Several gun bills are scheduled to be discussed this morning at a Senate Judiciary committee hearing in Baton Rouge. The measures include a proposed lifetime concealed carry permit, a bill defying any future federal ban on semi-automatic weapons, and allowing people with concealed carry permits to... more »

• Senate committee backs Medicaid expansion model

  April 30, 2013 6:53 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A proposal for Louisiana to tap into the federal health overhaul money available for expanding Medicaid has won approval from the state Senate's health committee, despite opposition from Gov. Bobby Jindal. The committee voted 4-3 Tuesday to send a modified Medicaid expansion bill to the full Senate... 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 »

• Senate rejects caps on free tuition through TOPS

  April 25, 2013 3:04 PM

  BATON ROUGE- An attempt to control the costs of Louisiana's free college tuition program known as TOPS, by establishing a cap on awards, has been rejected by the Senate Education Committee. Legislation to place limits on the popular free tuition program are killed year after year in the Legislature. ... more »

• Senate mail service to resume on Monday

  April 19, 2013 3:13 PM

  WASHINGTON - Senate offices will begin receiving mail again on Monday, a few days after a Mississippi man was arrested on charges he sent letters containing ricin addressed to President Barack Obama and a Mississippi senator. Senate mail will temporarily be screened at a House mail sorting facility, but that... more »

• Family of man accused of sending ricin letters speaks

  April 19, 2013 11:38 AM

  OXFORD - The family of a man accused of mailing ricin-tainted letters to the president and a U.S. senator says they have tried for years to get him help for his mental illness. Jack Curtis issued a statement on behalf of the family of his brother, Paul Kevin Curtis, on... more »

• Jindal won't seek legislative backing on LSU deals

  April 18, 2013 1:19 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Gov. Bobby Jindal says he won't seek legislative approval of his administration's LSU hospital privatization agreements, though both the House and Senate have voted that they want such decision-making authority. Jindal said Thursday that he believes the legislative resolutions that have received support in the House and... more »

• FBI: Miss. man arrested, accused in ricin letters

  April 17, 2013 7:03 PM

  OXFORD, Miss. - A man in Mississippi has been arrested and accused of sending letters with suspected ricin poison to President Barack Obama and other leaders. FBI Special Agent in Charge Daniel McMullen said Paul Kevin Curtis, 45, was arrested Wednesday. Authorities still waited for definitive tests on the letters... more »

• Senate rejects expanded gun background checks

  April 17, 2013 3:31 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Senate has rejected a bipartisan effort to expand federal background checks to more firearms buyers in a crucial showdown over gun control. Wednesday's vote was a jarring blow to the drive to curb firearms sparked by December's massacre of children and staff at an elementary school in... more »

• Bill moves forward for legislative approval of rate hikes

  April 17, 2013 11:48 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Large rate hikes for customers of Louisiana's property insurer of last resort would require legislative approval, under a bill that received Senate Insurance Committee backing. St. Mary Parish Sen. Bret Allain sponsored the measure after residents of his parish who get insurance from the Louisiana Citizens Property... more »

• FBI: Early test shows ricin in Obama letter

  April 17, 2013 10:23 AM

  WASHINGTON - The FBI says the letters sent to President Barack Obama and Sen. Roger Wicker are related and are both postmarked out of Memphis, Tenn., dated April 8. In an intelligence bulletin obtained by The Associated Press, the FBI says the letters both say: "To see a wrong and... more »

• Officials: 2nd suspicious letter intercepted

  April 17, 2013 10:18 AM

  WASHINGTON - Law enforcement officials say a second suspicious letter that has been received in Washington was actually directed to the White House, not the Senate. Two officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday that the letter was being treated in the same manner as a separate one sent to... more »

• Close vote seen on background checks on gun buyers

  April 15, 2013 7:52 AM

  WASHINGTON - Sponsors of a bipartisan Senate proposal to expand background checks for gun buyers say this week's expected vote is too close to call. Arizona Republican John McCain, whose home state experienced the Tucson 2011 rampage that wounded then-Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, says a lot more needs to be done... more »

• Gun measures put moderate Senate Dems in bind

  April 12, 2013 4:15 PM

  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama's push for tougher gun measures and expanded background checks is putting several moderate Senate Democrats in a bind, forcing them to take sides on a deeply personal issue for rural voters. The Senate is scheduled to begin weeks of discussion over gun control legislation pushed... more »

• Senators wrap up work on immigration bill

  April 11, 2013 3:06 PM

  WASHINGTON - Four Democratic and four Republican senators have reached agreement on all the major elements of sweeping legislation to remake the nation's immigration laws, and expect to unveil the bill next week. Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois says the bill probably will be rolled out on Tuesday. After... more »

• Gun control bill clears first hurdle in Senate

  April 11, 2013 10:42 AM

  WASHINGTON - Gun control supporters have won the first Senate showdown over restricting firearms, rejecting an effort by conservatives to derail a package of gun curbs before debate could even begin. The 68-31 vote gave an initial burst of momentum to efforts by President Barack Obama and lawmakers, mostly Democrats,... more »

• Dem, GOP senators reach background check deal

  April 10, 2013 10:21 AM

  WASHINGTON - Two pivotal senators have announced a bipartisan deal on expanding background checks to more gun buyers. The agreement could build support for President Barack Obama's drive to curb firearms violence. Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Republican Sen. Patrick Toomey of Pennsylvania said their agreement would... more »

• Democrats bring gun control bill to Senate floor

  April 8, 2013 5:03 PM

  WASHINGTON - Democrats have brought gun control legislation to the Senate floor amid a threat from conservative Republican senators to use delaying tactics to prevent formal debate from even beginning. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid took the first procedural step to begin debate on Monday. He said Republicans owed relatives... more »

• Fleming won't run for U.S. Senate

  April 4, 2013 11:26 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Republican U.S. Rep. John Fleming says he won't enter the U.S. Senate race against Democratic incumbent Mary Landrieu because he doesn't want to divide GOP support. Fleming's announcement Thursday comes after his fellow Republican U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy officially announced his candidacy Wednesday. Fleming, a doctor from... more »

• Cassidy announces Senate bid in online video

  April 3, 2013 7:48 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Rep. Bill Cassidy officially announced his plans to run for the U.S. Senate this morning. Cassidy made the announcement in a video posting to his website, along with his wife, Laura. He will challenge Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu, who will be running for her fourth... more »

• Cassidy running for US Senate in 2014

  April 2, 2013 1:29 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Republican U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy is running for the Senate next year, seeking to keep Democratic U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu from a fourth term. Cassidy, a Baton Rouge doctor elected to Congress in 2008, will release a video Wednesday announcing his candidacy. The video was provided to... 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 »

• LSU Faculty Senate votes 'no confidence' in board

  March 20, 2013 11:50 AM

  BATON ROUGE - LSU's faculty leaders say they have no faith in the university system's governing board to make wise decisions, and they question the credentials of the contender to be system president. LSU Faculty Senate President Kevin Cope said Wednesday that the group approved a "vote of no confidence"... more »

• Top Senate Democrat proposes Social Security panel

  March 20, 2013 10:33 AM

  WASHINGTON - The Senate's No. 2 Democrat says he's preparing a plan to create a commission to study Social Security's fiscal problems and send a proposed solution to Congress for guaranteed votes in both House and Senate. Illinois Democrat Dick Durbin says he's got bipartisan backing for the idea, which... more »

• Assault weapons ban won't be in Dems' gun bill

  March 19, 2013 12:52 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Senate's top Democrat says he wants to bring a gun bill to the Senate with enough support to overcome any Republican efforts to block debate. And Harry Reid says that meant leaving out a proposed assault weapons ban. Reid says even using "the most optimistic numbers," there... more »

• Senate panel OKs Dems gun background check bill

  March 12, 2013 10:38 AM

  WASHINGTON - A divided Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday narrowly approved a Democratic bill expanding required federal background checks for nearly all gun purchases, but put off immediate consideration of an assault weapons ban. The panel approved the measure by 10-8, supported by all Democrats and opposed by every Republican.... more »

• Senate Democrats prepare government funding bill

  March 11, 2013 4:15 PM

  WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats are preparing a catchall government funding bill that denies President Barack Obama money for implementing signature first-term accomplishments like new regulations on Wall Street and his expansion of government health care subsidies but provides modest additional funding for domestic priorities like health research. The measure is... more »

• Boustany won't challenge Landrieu in '14 Senate race

  March 5, 2013 2:57 PM

  LAFAYETTE- Count at least one person out of the race for Senate next year. Republican U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany, who represents a large section of South and Southwestern Louisiana, said he would not challenge Democratic U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu. Landrieu will run for re-election. A spokesperson for Boustany... more »

• Packed house for Senate sinkhole meeting

  February 19, 2013 10:27 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Spectators packed the Senate committee room at the state capitol this morning ahead of a scheduled committee meeting to discuss developments at the Assumption Parish sinkhole. The state Senate's Natural Resources Committee scheduled two meetings, one today and another later in Assumption Parish, to get more... more »

• Senate GOP blocks Hagel vote for now

  February 14, 2013 7:48 PM

  WASHINGTON - Republicans have, for now, blocked Chuck Hagel's nomination to become defense secretary. The Senate came up two votes short of the 60 needed to move Hagel's nomination forward as lawmakers prepare to leave town for a week's break. Democrats hold a 55-45 edge in the Senate. Republicans had... more »

• Senators take up immigration in first hearing

  February 13, 2013 7:08 AM

  WASHINGTON - An illegal immigrant and the secretary of Homeland Security will be among the witnesses as the Senate opens its first hearing on overhauling the nation's immigration laws. The Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Wednesday comes amid a concerted push on immigration reform from the White House to the Capitol.... more »

• Obama tries to unify Senate Democrats

  February 6, 2013 7:24 AM

  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama is working to sell Senate Democrats on his strategy for tackling immigration, gun control and a host of fiscal dilemmas. The president meets with senators Wednesday at a closed-door retreat in Annapolis, Md. Obama's prospects for enacting his ambitious second-term agenda depend partly on Senate... more »

• Senate passes bill to improve embassy security

  February 5, 2013 6:59 AM

  WASHINGTON - The Senate has approved legislation that would allow the State Department to transfer up to $1.1 billion to improve security at U.S. embassies in the wake of the deadly assault last year at the U.S. Consulate in Libya that killed four Americans. The measure now heads to the... more »

• Sen. Landrieu reports $2.5M in campaign account

  February 1, 2013 11:24 AM

  BATON ROUGE- U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu is heading to her 2014 re-election bid with $2.5 million in her campaign account, more than twice what she had at this point in her last campaign. The figure was disclosed in campaign documents filed Thursday with the Federal Election Commission detailing money raised... more »

• Defense nominee Hagel defends his record in Senate

  January 31, 2013 10:26 AM

  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama's nominee for defense secretary is defending himself against critics who have seized on his past statements about Israel, Iran and nuclear weapons. Chuck Hagel says he cannot be defined by a single vote or quote. He insists that his worldview hasn't changed and the United... more »

• Senate to clear debt limit increase for Obama

  January 31, 2013 6:32 AM

  WASHINGTON - The Senate is poised to permit the government to borrow hundreds of billions of dollars more to meet its obligations, putting off one Washington showdown even as others loom in coming weeks. The measure would suspend the $16.4 trillion limit on federal borrowing through May 18, allowing an... more »

• Senate hearing pits NRA, gun-control supporters

  January 30, 2013 6:58 AM

  WASHINGTON - The National Rifle Association and gun-control advocates, including the husband of wounded former Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, are facing off at the year's first Senate hearing on curbing gun violence. Wednesday's Senate Judiciary Committee hearing comes less than two months after the massacre of 20 first-graders and six... more »

• Senate confirms Kerry nomination for State Dept.

  January 29, 2013 3:51 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Senate has confirmed Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry as the next secretary of state. The vote was 94-3. Once sworn-in, Kerry will replace Hillary Rodham Clinton, who is stepping down after four years. The vote came just hours after the Foreign Relations Committee approved his nomination by voice... more »

• Senate nears vote on $50.5B bill for Sandy victims

  January 28, 2013 10:08 AM

  WASHINGTON - Three months after Superstorm Sandy devastated parts of the densely populated Northeast, the Senate is nearing a vote on a $50.5 billion emergency relief bill to help storm victims recover. Some conservatives are complaining the bill will add to the nation's debt. But Northeast lawmakers in both parties... more »

• Court: Obama appointments are unconstitutional

  January 25, 2013 10:08 AM

  WASHINGTON - A federal appeals court has ruled that President Barack Obama violated the Constitution when he bypassed the Senate to fill vacancies on a labor relations panel. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit says Obama did not have the power to make recess appointments last... more »

• Senate sets Monday vote on $50.5B Sandy aid bill

  January 25, 2013 5:17 AM

  WASHINGTON - The Senate is set to vote Monday on a $50.5 billion emergency relief bill to help victims of Superstorm Sandy. Northeast lawmakers from both parties hope to win Senate approval of the measure and send it to President Barack Obama, who has said he would sign it.... more »

• La. Black Caucus founder Richard Turnley Jr. dies

  January 23, 2013 3:01 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Richard Turnley Jr., one of the founding members of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus, died recently after battling a long illness. Turnley and nine other African American legislators established the caucus in 1977 to bring together black legislators and champion causes of the "least among us."... more »

• House passes bill to defuse debt crisis

  January 23, 2013 12:29 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The House has passed a bill to permit the government to borrow enough money to avoid a first avoid default for at least four months, defusing a crisis looming next month and setting the stage for a springtime debate over taxes, spending and the deficit. The House... more »

• GOP wants budget; Schumer warns they will get one

  January 21, 2013 6:40 AM

  WASHINGTON - Democrats are looking to make new revenue part of the Senate's first budget in almost four years. That budget will be released soon after the start of President Barack Obama's second term. Obama has pushed for a "balanced approach" to solving the nation's financial woes, including more tax... more »

• Obama taps homeland security aide to head CIA

  January 7, 2013 5:47 PM

  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama has tapped White House homeland security adviser John Brennan as his nominee to lead the Central Intelligence Agency. Obama on Monday appeared with Brennan in the East Room of the White House to name him as his pick to succeed former CIA chief David Petraeus,... more »

• Congress ushering in new members, with old divide

  January 3, 2013 8:03 AM

  WASHINGTON - The Senate and House have ushered in a new Congress. The 113th Congress convened at noon on Thursday, the constitutionally mandated time. Pomp and pageantry began simultaneously on either side of the Capitol. In the Senate, Vice President Joe Biden joined his former colleagues. He was swearing in... more »

• House gives final passage to fiscal cliff bill

  January 1, 2013 10:52 PM

  WASHINGTON - Legislation to block the "fiscal cliff" is headed to the White House for President Barack Obama's signature. The bill will avoid, for now, the major tax increases and government spending cuts that had been scheduled to take effect with the new year. Final approval came in the House... more »

• House will vote on Senate-passed 'cliff' bill

  January 1, 2013 8:17 PM

  WASHINGTON - Republicans are dropping their demands for additional spending cuts and will hold a House vote on whether to give final congressional approval to the Senate-approved compromise averting "fiscal cliff" tax increases and spending cuts. The House vote was expected Tuesday evening. A decision by the Republican-run House to... more »

• McConnell: 2 sides close on 'fiscal cliff' deal

  December 31, 2012 2:06 PM

  WASHINGTON- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell says he and the White House have agreed on preventing tax hikes that the "fiscal cliff" will trigger after midnight. And he says they are very close to an overall deal that would also prevent budget-wide spending cuts. The Kentucky Republican did not provide... more »

• Senate leaders in last-ditch fiscal cliff talks

  December 28, 2012 4:36 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Senate's top Democrat and Republican say they're entering last-minute talks with the White House aimed at avoiding the fiscal cliff. Majority Leader Harry Reid and GOP leader Mitch McConnell gave the relatively upbeat assessment after the duo and top House leaders had what McConnell called a "good"... more »

• Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii dead at 88

  December 17, 2012 5:14 PM

  WASHINGTON - Influential Sen. Daniel Inouye, a World War II veteran and Medal of Honor recipient, has died. The Democrat from Hawaii broke racial barriers on Capitol Hill and played key roles in congressional investigations of the Watergate and Iran-Contra scandals. He had served in the Senate for 50 years... more »

• Senate Dems offer Sandy disaster aid package

  December 12, 2012 3:56 PM

  WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats have quickly cobbled together a $60.4 billion disaster aid package for New York, New Jersey and other states hit by Superstorm Sandy in late October. Working from the emergency spending request President Barack Obama made five days ago, the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday released draft... more »

• Senate GOP leader calls on Dems to spell out cuts

  December 11, 2012 10:23 AM

  WASHINGTON - The Senate Republican leader is calling on President Barack Obama and Democrats to spell out where they would cut government spending as part of any deal to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff." Sen. Mitch McConnell complained on Tuesday that Obama has spent his time talking about raising tax... more »

• Accreditation complaint filed in LSU job merger

  December 6, 2012 2:56 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The president of LSU's Faculty Senate has filed a formal complaint with the university's accrediting agency about plans to reorganize university system leadership. Kevin Cope said Thursday that he lodged a list of criticisms with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools about an LSU Board of... more »

• Senate passes $631 billion defense bill

  December 4, 2012 4:51 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Senate has voted for a sweeping, $631 billion defense bill that calls for accelerating the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan and tightens sanctions on Iran. The vote was 98-0. The legislation would authorize money for weapons, aircraft and ships and provide a 1.7 percent pay raise... more »

• Senate committee approves email privacy bill

  November 29, 2012 10:46 AM

  WASHINGTON - The Senate Judiciary Committee has approved legislation that would require police to obtain a search warrant from a judge before they can review a person's emails or other electronic communications. The bill moves to the full Senate for its next vote. It makes it slightly more difficult for... more »

• Sportsman bill stalls in Congress

  November 26, 2012 7:20 PM

  A bill to give hunters and fishermen more access to public land stalled in the Senate after Republicans argued it spent too much money. GOP Senators blocked the legislation along party lines after Jeff Sessions of Alabama objected to spending on conservation programs included in the bill. But most Republicans... more »

• Jesse Jackson Jr. submits letter of resignation

  November 21, 2012 1:51 PM

  WASHINGTON - A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner says he has received letter of resignation from Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. Boehner's spokesman Michael Steel said Wednesday the Speaker's office received a letter of resignation from Jackson. Boehner's office did not immediately comment beyond acknowledging they'd received the letter. Jackson... more »

• Reid to McCain: No need for special Libya panel

  November 16, 2012 4:45 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Democratic leader in the Senate is rejecting Sen. John McCain's request for a Watergate-style congressional committee to investigate the deadly Sept. 11 raid in Libya. In a letter Friday to McCain, Sen. Harry Reid said he refuses to allow the Senate to be used as a "venue... more »

• Senate GOP leader: Obama should offer deficit plan

  November 13, 2012 3:28 PM

  WASHINGTON - Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell says it's up to President Barack Obama to present a deficit reduction plan rather than a campaign slogan to Congress. The Kentucky Republican said that like House Speaker John Boehner, he is ready to support new revenue as part of a deal that... more »

• King wins in Maine, giving Senate 2 independents

  November 6, 2012 7:13 PM

  WASHINGTON - Former Gov. Angus King has won the Senate race in Maine, running as an independent. King will take over the seat held by retiring Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe. Another independent, Vermont's Sen. Bernie Sanders, also has been re-elected. Four Democrats senators have also won re-election: Bill Nelson in... more »

• Biden to attend funeral today for ex-Sen. Specter

  October 16, 2012 10:41 AM

  PHILADELPHIA - Arlen Specter, Pennsylvania's longest-serving U.S. senator, will be remembered at a funeral service attended by Vice President Joe Biden, his longtime senate colleague. Family members say the 82-year-old Specter died Sunday of complications from non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The public service is scheduled for noon Tuesday at Har Zion... more »

• Mo. GOP leaders call for Akin to quit Senate race

  August 21, 2012 1:19 PM

  JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - Five patriarchs of the Missouri Republican Party have called on U.S. Senate candidate Todd Akin to withdraw from the race after comments he made about rape. The joint statement was issued Tuesday by U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt and four former senators from Missouri - John Ashcroft,... more »

• Senate candidate's rape comments draw bipartisan condemnation

  August 20, 2012 12:47 PM

  WASHINGTON - Politicians on both sides of the aisle condemned comments about rape made by a Senate candidate in Missouri. Both President Obama and his GOP challenger Mitt Romney condemned Missouri GOP Congressman Todd Akin's rape comments. Obama said it shows danger of men deciding women's health issues.... more »

• Senator asks for legal opinion on hospital closure

  August 14, 2012 2:54 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The chairman of the Senate Finance Committee is asking for an attorney general's opinion about whether Gov. Bobby Jindal can close a state-run mental health facility in St. Tammany Parish without legislative approval. Sen. Jack Donahue, a Republican from Mandeville, says closing Southeast Louisiana Hospital in a... more »

• Senate OKs Dem tax-cut bill in showdown with GOP

  July 25, 2012 4:18 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Senate has voted to approve a Democratic bill renewing tax cuts next year for all but the highest-earning Americans. The partisan 51-48 vote was a victory for Democrats and averted what would have been a campaign-season embarrassment for them and the White House. The bill closely follows... more »

• Senate rejects Democrats' business tax cut bill

  July 12, 2012 2:22 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Senate has rejected a Democratic bill providing tax breaks to companies that enlarge their payrolls or make major purchases or plant improvements. The vote was 53-44, seven short of the 60 votes required to overcome GOP procedural hurdles. The roll call came after senators voted 73-24 against... more »

• Health care up for vote in Senate today

  July 11, 2012 7:29 AM

  WASHINGTON - The House has voted more than 30 times to repeal or undercut the health care law President Barack Obama signed in March of 2010, only to have its efforts die in the Senate. And House Republicans plan to try again today. This time, they're arguing that... 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 »

• 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 »

• Student loan deal seems near

  June 22, 2012 1:21 PM

  WASHINGTON- Senate aides from both parties say a deal seems in sight to avert a doubling of student loan interest rates on July 1. If finalized and approved by Congress next week, the agreement would bring an end to an election-year battle. President Barack Obama is trying to cast Republicans... more »

• House approves GOP bill repealing medical tax

  June 7, 2012 4:49 PM

  WASHINGTON - The House has shrugged off a veto threat and passed legislation repealing a tax on companies that produce many medical devices sold in the United States. Lawmakers approved the measure 270-146. Majority Republicans won support from three-dozen Democrats representing states where medical equipment makers have a heavy presence... 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 »

• Budget battle possible as session ends Play Video

  May 31, 2012 5:27 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The Louisiana Senate approved most of the budget changes backed in committee, setting up a possible budget showdown this weekend. The Louisiana House of Representatives cut hundreds of millions of dollars of dollars from the budget. The money is not guaranteed from year to year. The Senate... more »

• La. Senate backs $25.6B budget for next year

  May 31, 2012 3:11 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Senators have backed a $25.6 billion state operating budget for next year that contains hundreds of millions more than the spending plans passed by the House. Few changes were made Thursday, and the Senate debate contained none of the rancor that marked the ongoing House dispute over... more »

• Senators reject drug testing of welfare recipients

  May 30, 2012 4:36 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana won't require a random sample of welfare recipients to submit to drug tests, after a Senate committee refused to support the idea. The proposal by Republican Rep. Sherman Mack, of Livingston, has been criticized as being the equivalent of class warfare. A Senate judiciary committee voted... more »

• Senate budget proposal relies on complex financing

  May 29, 2012 3:31 PM

  BATON ROUGE - To stave off deep cuts, senators are proposing to balance next year's budget with a series of financing maneuvers tied to building sales, loan repayments and fund transfers. The provisions - some initially pushed by the Jindal administration - were included in the Senate Finance Committee's budget... more »

• Senate to debate bill to shorten La. voting hours

  May 29, 2012 11:20 AM

  BATON ROUGE- State senators are deciding whether to shorten voting hours on most election days in Louisiana. Currently, poll hours run from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. The House-approved measure pushed by Secretary of State Tom Schedler would push back the opening of polls to 7 a.m. on Saturday elections.... more »

• Senate rejects GOP, Dem plans on student loans

  May 24, 2012 3:36 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Senate has rejected Democratic and Republican plans for averting a doubling of interest rates on federal college loans for 7.4 million students. The election-season standoff means efforts to resolve the dispute will be delayed until next month. Beginning July 1, interest rates for subsidized Stafford loans for... more »

• School district bill heading back to Senate Play Video

  May 24, 2012 3:28 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A bill to create a breakaway school district is headed for another round with lawmakers after the state House added an amedment today. The House passed the amended version of the bill which would create a breakaway school district in southeast Baton Rouge, between the I-10... more »

• Bid to shorten voting hours revived in La. Senate

  May 24, 2012 7:22 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A proposal to shorten voting hours on most election days in Louisiana has been revived by a state Senate committee that killed the idea earlier this month. Currently, poll hours run from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. The House-approved measure pushed by Secretary of State Tom Schedler... more »

• Bill banning abortion after 20 weeks passes Senate

  May 22, 2012 4:08 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A bill prohibiting doctors from performing abortions 20 weeks after fertilization by declaring the fetus can feel pain has passed the Senate without opposition. The measure by Senate President John Alario declares that the state should protect "the lives of unborn children from the stage at which... more »

• Lawmaker intimidation bill scrapped by author

  May 22, 2012 2:30 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A proposal to set up a formal House process for disciplining people who attempt to intimidate lawmakers was shelved Tuesday for the legislative session. Rep. Neil Abramson, D-New Orleans, said he offered the legislation after being threatened for his position in a dispute between the oil and... more »

• Parents of special needs children plead with lawmakers to keep Early Steps Play Video

  May 19, 2012 6:55 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Parents of special needs children converged at the capitol Saturday pleading with lawmakers to take the Early Steps program off the chopping block. The meetings at the capitol adjourned, but questions still remain whether the program will have to shut down. The Early Steps program provides... more »

• Community and technical colleges could feel pinch Play Video

  May 17, 2012 5:36 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Louisiana Community and Technical College System President Joe May says his schools are facing historic cuts. Louisiana House members reduced the budget by an additional $268 million dollars in an attempt to get rid of one-time dollars. Dr. May says that could result in $42 million... more »

• Senate Democrats reject House GOP budget plan

  May 16, 2012 3:43 PM

  WASHINGTON - Democrats controlling the Senate have rejected for the second consecutive year a budget plan passed by House Republicans. The vote came after a daylong debate Wednesday in which Democrats blasted Republicans for refusing to consider tax increases as part of a solution to trillion-dollar deficits. Republicans in turn... more »