The state we’re in: Louisiana is No. 45 among all states and the District of Columbia in WalletHub.com’s new “Safest States to Live In” report. “By safety, we’re not referring exclusively to protection from violence and crime,” says the financial news website, noting the study encompasses various forms of safety, including workplace safety, emergency preparedness, home and community stability, road safety and, of course, financial security. Among the category rankings, Louisiana got its best mark for its financial safety rank, at No. 31. It ranks No. 42 for road safety, No. 41 for workplace safety, No. 33 for natural disasters risk and No. 43 for home and community safety. Massachusetts is ranked as the safest state, while Mississippi is said to be the least safe. See the complete report.
Laying the foundation: If Louisiana’s next governor wants to expand the state Medicaid program to tap into billions of available federal health care dollars, state lawmakers have given him a way to help pay for it. The Associated Press reports the Senate voted 31-8 Monday for the Medicaid financing mechanism, which is contained in legislation by Republican House Speaker Chuck Kleckley. The vote gave final passage to the measure, which earlier was approved by the House and can’t be vetoed by Gov. Bobby Jindal. Jindal opposes the Medicaid expansion, and lawmakers repeatedly have rejected expansion proposals. The Louisiana Hospital Association crafted Kleckley’s legislation. It uses a voter-backed plan that allows hospitals to pool their dollars and use that money to attract new federal Medicaid money to compensate them for their care for the poor. Read the full story.
High water everywhere: Both Caddo and Bossier officials are continuing to prepare for the Red River’s highest crest in Shreveport since 1990. The Shreveport Times reports representatives from city, parish, and state agencies met on Monday to review plans and share information. Weather experts say the river still is expected to crest on Saturday at 34 feet and will remain high for most of the summer. Over the weekend, both the city of Shreveport and Caddo Parish received 10,000 extra sandbags from the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and will be distributing them to citizens and businesses in the area. The Caddo Parish Levee Board is continuing to monitor the levees on a daily basis and is reporting no problems. Officials say they are not anticipating major flooding in any neighborhoods but are checking areas that could be at risk several times a day. Read the full story.
