Legislators ask for an end to feuding
by Caroline Moses - WAFB Channel 9 (CBS) (excerpt)

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - As the legislative session nears its final days, the latest feud has shifted from House versus Senate to House versus House in a dispute that turned into hours of voicing frustrations rather than taking action on proposed bills.

Tuesday, some of the female legislators called it quits. Representatives Jane Smith, Regina Barrow, and Karen St. Germain took on an almost babysitter-like role. They asked legislators not to repeat the name-calling and emotional distractions displayed on the House floor Monday night. "Come on, let's all get along because when you go home, it's our people," said St. Germain, D-Plaquemine. "It's not about what I don't like about this representative or they don't like about me."

Several House members spoke out against the so-called game playing. They face a 6:00pm deadline this Thursday to resolve issues like higher education and healthcare funding. "We've been playing a whole lot of games in here lately and we've got some pretty serious issues we're debating," said Representative Walt Leger, D-New Orleans. "We spent way too much time on things that don't deal with our budget," said Representative Hunter Greene, R-Baton Rouge.

The House and Senate have yet to come to an agreement on how best to find more money.

Cartoon by LaRochelle