On the road: Work will get underway today on a 6.5-mile project to widen Interstate 10 from four to six lanes between Highland Road in Baton Rouge to La. 73 in Prairieville. A groundbreaking ceremony will take place at 2 p.m. near Blue Bayou Water Park, with Gov. John Bel Edwards set to deliver some remarks. The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development says the roughly $60 million project is designed to enhance the safety and efficiency of the highway for the more than 95,000 motorists who travel the route daily.
Open for business: The Lafayette Council has voted to lift its moratorium on the spread of bars and clubs in the city’s downtown, The Advertiser reports. In 2003, the city restricted the number of bars in its Central Business District, fearing a series of new bars threatened to turn the city’s popular Jefferson Street into Bourbon Street. The moratorium, however, had unintended consequences such as creating an artificial market that eliminated competition and failing to offer a means to regulate troublesome bars and clubs. Read more.
Shifting foundations: In a major policy shift that could affect millions of low-income people, the Trump administration says it’s offering a path for states that want to seek work requirements on Medicaid recipients. Work and community involvement can make a positive difference in people’s lives and in their health, says Seema Verma, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Still, the plan probably will face strong political opposition and even legal challenges over concerns people would lose coverage. Medicaid is a federal-state collaboration covering more than 70 million people or about 1 in 5 Americans. Read more.
