Millions of reasons: The leader of the House budget committee says Gov. Bobby Jindal’s proposal for using a $143 million surplus violates the law and an agreement reached with the House earlier this year to end a budget stalemate. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jim Fannin made his comments today as lawmakers received a revised estimate of how much was left unspent when the books were closed on the last fiscal year. The Jindal administration wants to use the leftover cash to help fill a $94 million gap in Louisiana’s Medicaid program, to stop a new round of cuts on health care services. Fannin says that conflicts with a bill he sponsored earlier this year requiring that surplus funding up to $205 million be used to replenish the state’s “rainy day” fund.
Stepping aside: After applying discipline on two separate occasions in the New Orleans Saints bounty scandal, and hearing from many that he was not qualified or authorized to do so, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has recused himself from the process and appointed former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue in his place. Tagliabue, the league’s commissioner from 1989 through 2006, will listen to testimony from the four suspended Saints players in an appeal hearing on Oct. 30. The four suspended players will be able to play while the appeals process unfolds. Read the full story here.
Better safe: LSU fans traveling to College Station, Texas, this weekend for the Tigers’ game against Texas A&M are being advised to stay away from the campus for the time being as the campus was cleared earlier today in response to a bomb threat. Texas A&M issued a “Code Maroon” alert instructing all students to leave the campus on foot at 11:34 a.m., and shortly after announced classes would be canceled for the remainder of the day. There has been no word yet on whether Saturday’s 11 a.m. scheduled contest between No. 6 LSU and No. 20 Texas A&M will be affected by the bomb threat. The most recent update sent out by the university, as 1:53 p.m., says the campus continues to be searched. You can keep up-to-date with all emergency announcements from Texas A&M online here.
