LSU Manship School News Service

Gov. John Bel Edwards joined lawmakers Monday at the start of the regular session Monday to outline his legislative agenda in his final state of the state address and call on lawmakers to give pay raises of $3,000 to teachers and $1,500 to support workers.

Conservative lawmakers’ concerns about spending some of the state’s surplus on teacher pay raises is already stirring up controversy on the third day of the session.

State officials are trying to figure out how to remedy a decline in TOPS scholarship participation throughout the state.

The House Civil Law and Procedure Committee moved forward a bill that would allow mothers to recuperate half of out-of-pocket, pregnancy-related medical expenses from the father of their child. After the baby is born, the mother would have two years to recover these expenses, which would not include costs covered by insurance. Under present law, women have no avenue for this action.