BATON ROUGE — The House gave final legislative approval to a bundle of budget bills on Thursday that include funds for $1,500 pay raises for K-12 teachers and $300 million for a new Mississippi River bridge in Baton Rouge. The basic package had already cleared the House, but amendments made by the Senate had to be concurred. In one of the nine bills, the House advanced the $39 billion state operating budget on a bipartisan 88-7 vote, with one Democrat, state Rep. Wilford Cart

BATON ROUGE — The House and Governmental Affairs Committee advanced a bill Tuesday that would raise the limit on the amount of money that individuals and political committees can contribute to candidates. House Bill 254, sponsored by state Rep. Kyle Green Jr., D-Marrero, would set the campaign contribution limit for donors and small political action committees at $5,000 for all political offices. It would increase the limit to $10,000 for larger PACs with 250 or more members

BATON ROUGE — The House Committee on Civil Law and Procedure advanced a bill Monday that would prohibit discrimination over vaccination or immunity status. House Bill 252, sponsored by state Rep. Kathy Edmonston, R-Gonzales, would amend several existing discrimination statutes, adding vaccination or immunity status as a protected class. In most statutes, protected classes include race, sex, color, national origin, age, disability as well as occasionally marital status, econom

BATON ROUGE — After a nationwide backlash, Louisiana House Republicans on Thursday amended a bill to remove criminal penalties for women who have abortions, prompting the bill’s author to withdraw the measure. House Bill 813, sponsored by state Rep. Danny McCormick, R-Oil City, would have allowed anyone who received or administered an abortion to be charged with homicide, a crime that is punishable with life in prison. But even some Republicans who had supported the bill earl

BATON ROUGE — The Senate Health and Welfare committee on Wednesday rejected a House resolution to repeal a state rule requiring COVID vaccines for students. The committee voted 4-3 against the resolution. Its vote will allow the Louisiana Health Department to add the COVID vaccine to a list of required immunizations for students aged 16 and up. State Rep. Larry Bagley, R-Stonewall, proposed the resolution after several lawmakers brought the rule to his attention. “I have 10 p

A 32-year-old man is being sought by Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry enforcement agents in connection with numerous wildfires on Olon Bankston Road in Kentwood, according to LDAF. Four arrest warrants for John Grady Davidson were obtained by LDAF agents on May 2. On May 3, forestry agents and Tangipahoa Parish Sheriff's Office deputies saw Davidson's vehicle on La. Highway 1054 near La. Highway 16 in Amite. According to an LDAF press release, Michael Warren o