News roundup: Hancock Whitney becomes LSU athletics’ official bank … Burlington to cover Louisiana sales tax on would-be tax free weekend … Louisiana ACA insurance premiums to drop

New stripes: Hancock Whitney has been announced as the official bank of LSU athletics through a multi-year partnership with the university and will be the exclusive provider of the LSU Tigers’ debit and credit cards. As part of the sponsorship agreement—the financial terms of which were not disclosed—Hancock Whitney will receive premium signage in all LSU Athletics venues; radio, television, Internet, and game program advertising; game sponsorship benefits, tickets, and hospitality access for sporting events; and use of the Team LSU mark for advertising and promotions.
Tax and spend: Burlington, which has seven stores in Louisiana and one in Baton Rouge, says it will waive the 3% Louisiana state sales tax on Friday and Saturday. The announcement comes after Louisiana shelved its tax-free weekends during the most recent special session, including what has become known as the ‘back-to-school tax-free holiday weekend’ that historically has taken place on the first weekend of August.
More affordable: Many Louisianans with health insurance through the Affordable Care Act’s individual exchange are set to see premiums drop by an average of 6.9% next year. The Louisiana Department of Insurance revealed expected rates Wednesday that show declines ranging from 4% to more than 15%. The decline comes after years of rate hikes for the more than 100,000 Louisianans insured through the individual exchange. Louisiana’s largest insurer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana, and Vantage Health Plan are the only insurers in the state to offer health plans on that exchange. Read the full story.