Opposing views: As BREC hosts additional community meetings on its plan to relocate the Baton Rouge Zoo and revitalize Greenwood Park, a group opposing the move is holding its own gatherings. The Keep the Zoo at Greenwood Park Committee has scheduled seven meetings on the proposal, which BREC will consider for a vote on Aug. 24. The committee, which includes Councilwoman Chauna Banks, met with the Baker City Council Tuesday while BREC held a meeting the Perkins Road Community Park. The committee in a statement says it saw the need for additional meetings to offer a balance in diversity. It met again at 8 a.m. this morning at Piccadilly Cafeteria, 6406 Florida Blvd., according to a schedule. BREC’s next meeting is at the Highland Road Community Park on Thursday. See the schedules for The Keep the Zoo at Greenwood Park Committee and BREC.
New offerings: Starmount Life Insurance Co.—the dental and vision center for Tennessee-based Unum—has launched four new individual dental PPO plans in Florida and seven other states. Starmount’s Individual Dental 2.0 Plans are now available in 43 states, including Alaska, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, Pennsylvania, South Dakota and the District of Columbia. The company says individual dental plans are offered to those not eligible for workplace dental benefits, like part-time, contract and other “gig economy” workers. The new PPO plans, Starmount says, are a direct response to the growing market demand for individual dental insurance with flexible levels of coverage, benefits and plan options. Unum purchased Starmount last year for $127 million. Read a Business Report cover story on the acquisition.
Likely vote: U.S. Sen. John Kennedy said he’ll support the Senate GOP health care bill being negotiated behind the scenes—even if it’s only a modest improvement over Obamacare. As The Associated Press reports, Senate Republican leaders have announced a reworked health care bill will be introduced Thursday, with a vote expected next week. New to the Senate, Kennedy is seen as a likely supporter of any proposal to scale back the provisions of the Obamacare. But he didn’t stake out a position on the first draft of the Senate bill and has said he’s not yet sure if he’ll support the next draft because he hasn’t seen it. Kennedy is ready, however, for the Senate to vote next week. And Kennedy said he’s going to vote for the proposal if he determines it to be better than the current law he derided repeatedly when he ran for office, “even if it’s not perfect,” he said. Read more.
