Savings: Louisiana’s lawmakers are steering more of the state’s nearly $535 million surplus to savings than the constitution requires, a move the Legislature rarely makes. With a 100-0 vote Thursday, the House gave final passage and sent Gov. John Bel Edwards a state construction budget that doesn’t spend all the surplus money on the table. Instead, the House and Senate propose to sock away about $200 million more than required into savings accounts during the ongoing special session. Read the full story.
Rebuilding: Livingston Parish School Superintendent Joe Murphy announced Thursday the district has been awarded more than $57 million in federal funds to rebuild school campuses that were substantially damaged during the August 2016 flood WAFB-TV reports. The school district will receive $51.8 million from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and another $5.4 million from the Department of Housing and Urban Development to build enlarged and much-improved campuses for Denham Springs Elementary, Southside Elementary and Southside Junior High. Read the full story.
Roadwork: The intersection of North Third Street and Laurel Street downtown will be closed through next Friday, WBRZ-TV reports. Detours will route all northbound traffic at Florida Street, while all westbound traffic must detour at North 4th Street. Read the full story.
