John Bel Edwards slams House spending plan

By Jessica Williams | Capitol News Bureau Editor​ ​ ​

JBE vs. House GOP: Gov. John Bel Edwards has panned a House plan to spend extra state cash on public pension debt, James Finn reports. The governor and his budget czar say the money should instead be spent on pressing state needs. The Senate is set to consider the plan in the coming weeks. 

Abortion ban: Efforts to loosen the state's strict abortion ban failed this week after a House panel shot down rape and incest exemptions, Finn reports. Bills that would have exempted women who experience miscarriages and lessened penalties for doctors who violate the ban were also shelved, but could be revisited.

Higher electric bills?: The Environmental Protection Agency wants power plants to cut carbon dioxide emissions, but the rules could lead to higher electricity bills and lawsuits, Mark Ballard reports. Similar rules proposed under the Obama administration were shot down by the U.S. Supreme Court.