State Senate kills transgender health care ban

By Jessica Williams | Capitol News Bureau Editor​ ​ ​

LGBTQ+ win: An effort to ban minors from receiving gender-transition surgeries and puberty blockers was killed by a Senate panel this week after Gov. John Bel Edwards marshaled votes against it, James Finn reports. The bill drew heavy criticism from LGBTQ+ residents who said it undermined parent and patient decisions. 

Traffic relief: U.S. Rep. Garret Graves' bill to use artifical intelligence to clear traffic jams was approved by a U.S. House panel Tuesday, over objections from lawmakers who said such a bill could lead to a government - or robot - takeover. Mark Ballard has the story; the bill will next be considered by the full House. 

Disaster aid: Natural disaster victims would receive government aid more quickly under a bill the U.S. House will soon consider, Ballard reports. The bill would require FEMA to create a single application for disaster relief; it would also remove bureaucratic hurdles that have historically delayed relief payments.