Latest news with #CommitteeonAppropriations
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
La. legislative session nears end, here's a recap
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — The Louisiana legislative session is nearing the have tackled insurance reform, election security, and even the state's $45 billion spending budget. While some bills have been signed into law by the governor, a lot of bills are still making their way through the legislature. Governor Jeff Landry has signed into law six bills from his Tort and insurance reform effort, which he says will lower insurance rates. One of the laws requires people who claim they have been hurt in a car accident to prove their injuries were caused by it. 'This points to a cultural problem of frivolous litigation, driven by lawyer advertising,' said Governor Landry during a news conference and bill signing. Even before the session, Landry called for major reform with what he calls a balanced approach, addressing both trial lawyers and the insurance companies. State elections were also a priority in this session. A package of bills pushed by Louisiana's Secretary of State, Nancy Landry, promises election security in the state. Out of the six election bills presented, a few are hung up in committees, one has been sent to the governor, and another has been signed by the governor. As for the bills Louisiana First News has followed: The abortion exceptions bill never made it out of committee last week. It would have allowed victims of rape under the age of 17 to get an abortion. The bill failed 3-9, with two Democrats siding with Republicans. A bill that promised to address homelessness also failed in committee. HB 619 would have allowed local governments to designate certain areas as homeless encampments if beds at homeless shelters are not available. That bill was narrowly defeated by one vote in the Committee on Appropriations. And finally, the bill that funds the government, House Bill 1 by Representative Jack McFarland, has been on a fast track to the governor's desk with lots of bipartisan support. McFarland says the 45 billion dollar budget does more with less, adds no new taxes, and still funds the legislature's priorities, like education, teacher pay raises, and crucial government services. 'I have an open dialogue with every member. If you will remember when the session started, I told every member publicly I'm going to fund the priorities of the legislature,' said McFarland after his bill passed out of the Committee on Appropriations. Since that time, HB 1 has also passed out of the House, and on Monday it passed out of the Senate with no opposition. Out of the hundreds of bills filed, 83 have passed, with a lot more being considered. The Governor has only vetoed one bill so far. The session must end by Thursday. 81 Years After D-Day: Honoring the courage that changed history Date, game time announced for LSU Baseball in 2025 NCAA Men's College World Series Trump hails $1K-per-child 'Trump Accounts' during White House roundtable La. legislative session nears end, here's a recap Inmate accused of attacking Assumption Parish corrections officer facing additional charges Collins calls Kennedy's firing of vaccine experts 'excessive' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
This Week in Louisiana Poltics: Approaching the end of the legislative session
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — We're approaching the end of the regular legislative session this week. We've seen many bills debated in the legislature. So far, Governor Jeff Landry has signed into law six bills from his tort and insurance reform effort, which he says will lower insurance rates. We've seen election security bills make it out of committee—they are headed to the House for final passage. And then there's the state's budget, which is House Bill 1 by Representative Jack McFarland. That bill easily passed out of the Committee on Appropriations and then sailed through the full House with bipartisan support. Louisiana House committee rejects bill on homeless camps It's awaiting final passage in the Senate, then will head back to the House, where it'll likely reflect priorities from both the legislature and the governor, including education, fully funding services, and teacher pay raises. This and more on Your Local Election Headquarters. Several injured after Tennessee plane crash Southern University Law Center offering help to clear criminal records with event in Gonzales The best midsize SUVs for 2025 Invasive tick that can be deadly for cattle causing concerns among researchers Tropical Storm Barbara strengthens off Mexico, expected to become hurricane Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Bill to put St. George school system on a ballot advances in House Committee
BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — A bill that paves the way for the newly formed city of St. George to operate its own school system has moved forward in the Regular Legislative Session. Senate Bill 25 passed out of the Committee on Appropriations on Tuesday. 'All Senate Bill 25 does as a companion bill is it gives it an election date in April so that people can vote on it,' said Senator Rick Edmonds (R-Baton Rouge). The companion bill he's referring to is Senate Bill 234. That bill would actually create the St. George school board and system within the parish of East Baton Rouge. That bill still must go through the Committee on Education. In terms of legislative progress, SB 234 has a few more hurdles to clear. Tuesday opponents of SB 25 told committee members it would ultimately divert millions of dollars away from Baton Rouge schools, and they believe passing it now was 'putting the cart before the horse.' Senator Edmonds rejected the suggestion to defer his bill until SB 234 is passed through committee, saying it's not uncommon to pass legislation out of order. 'We do it all the time, it's the timeline we get under that we have to pass companion bills, this bill still has to go to civil laws, the language has to be approved. So if you just look at the timing of legislation, those are things that happen all the time,' said Edmonds. SB 25 passed out of the Appropriations Committee on a 15 to 2 vote. SB 234 is a constitutional amendment, so it must ultimately go before the voter before becoming law. Edmonds is hopeful to have it on the ballot for an April 2026 election. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Trump's 2026 proposed budget includes cuts to space programs
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — In a letter given to the Chair of the Committee on Appropriations on Friday, President Trump recommended cuts to multiple federal programs, including ones that would affect the Rocket City. Space Launch System After three flights, the Budget would cut $879 million from the Space Launch System rocket and Orion capsule. The letter says SLS costs $4 billion per launch and is 140% over budget. After Artemis III, the Budget would fund a program to replace SLS and Orion flights to the Moon with more cost-effective systems that would support later lunar missions. The Budget also proposes to terminate the Gateway, a small lunar space station in development with international partners, which would have been used to support future SLS and Orion missions. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and private space contractors in Huntsville are currently working on the Artemis II and Artemis III programs. International Space Station The Budget would cut $509 million from the station's budget and reduce the crew's size and onboard research. It would also prepare the station for decommissioning by 2030. The ISS is primarily run by crews on Redstone Arsenal with the Marshall Space Flight Program. Crew and cargo flights to the station would be significantly reduced. The station's reduced research capacity would be focused on efforts critical to the Moon and Mars exploration programs. To read more about the proposed budget, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Staff at multiple agencies instructed not to speak to Congress, says Democrat
Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) sent several letters Thursday to various federal agency heads seeking answers regarding directives banning employees from speaking to Congress. 'The Committee on Appropriations has a longstanding relationship with Agency career staff who are integral to providing the data used to inform our decisions,' she wrote in separate letters to Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lee Zeldin. 'These staff have always conducted themselves in a professional way with integrity,' the Democratic lawmaker added. 'Unfortunately, nearly all communication has stopped since President Trump took office. My understanding is that these staff have been directed not to communicate with Congress.' Pingree, a ranking member of the House Appropriations Interior and Environment Subcommittee, took issue with the recent firing of U.S. Forest Service employees. She said the firings threatened the ability of agencies 'to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of both present and future generations.' In her letters, the representative requested a detailed report outlining a breakdown of terminations and current vacancies. 'Oversight of the executive branch is one of Congress's main responsibilities, and the Department's utter lack of transparency is unacceptable. It is clear to me that this reckless and indiscriminate purge of public servants will have lasting harmful effects,' the Maine lawmaker stated. 'The chaotic manner in which these mass firings were executed will only make the federal government more inefficient. Ultimately, when the federal government fails to deliver services, it will be the American people who suffer.' The U.S. Department of Agriculture and Interior Department did not immediately respond to The Hill's requests for comment. The EPA said it is 'reviewing the letter and will respond through the appropriate channels.' Updated at 10:55 a.m. EST. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
