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ST. ROSALIE
Mass in Stephensville is suspended for public safety until further notice due to high water.

CAMP MEETINGS
Hosted by Women of Light of Living in the Light Ministries, 2106 La. 182, Bayou Vista. April 12 meeting at 7 p.m. Guest speakers Evangelist Rosa Butler and Barbara Walker. Casual attire. Public invited.

BATON ROUGE (AP) — Only months from an election seen as a referendum on his performance, Gov. John Bel Edwards told lawmakers Monday that Louisiana was “back on the path to prosperity” after stabilizing its finances, framing his term as ending budget uncertainty even as he and House Republican leaders squabble over next year’s spending plan.
“The budget crisis that for years held Louisiana hostage is over,” the Democratic governor said to a joint gathering of the majority-GOP House and Senate on the opening day of the annual legislative session.
The 60-day regular session is the 11th session of the four-year term, a span consumed with heated budget-balancing tax debates and conflicts between the governor and House Republican leaders.
A seven-year tax deal struck last year ended fears of deep cuts across health and education programs that marked budget debates for the past decade. Still, financial disagreements remain front and center this session with Edwards and House GOP leaders at loggerheads about how much the state should spend in the budget year starting July 1 and what income projections to use.
This latest feud comes as Edwards is seeking a second term in the Oct. 12 election, facing two Republican challengers: U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham and businessman Eddie Rispone, both of whom attended the speech in the House chamber. Abraham objected to Edwards’ characterization of a state with economic momentum.
“The state is not prosperous right now,” said the congressman, who represents a northeast Louisiana-based district.
In campaign-style remarks, Edwards touted past achievements and outlined a limited election-year agenda.
He’s seeking pay raises for teachers and school support workers, creation of a program that promotes veteran-owned businesses and passage of a state law to prohibit health insurance discrimination based on preexisting medical conditions.
Edwards again is proposing to raise Louisiana’s minimum wage and enact new equal pay laws, efforts that have failed three years in a row. He asked lawmakers to send a minimum wage hike to voters to decide.
“While we refuse to act, our neighbors in Arkansas have raised their minimum wage three times, most recently with an $11-an-hour ballot initiative,” the governor said.
Lawmakers will debate tax measures, though little appetite seems to exist for significant change after last year’s deal. Some Republicans want to reverse Edwards’ restrictions on a property tax break program for manufacturers. Repeat efforts to raise Louisiana’s gas tax to address a $14 billion roadwork backlog face the same opposition that previously killed the proposal.
Contentious debates are expected on Louisiana’s use of the death penalty, the legalization of sports betting, the loosening of marijuana penalties, the handling of sexual harassment settlements involving state officials and a proposal to ban abortions if a fetal heartbeat is detected.
Other repeat debates are planned on whether to enact statewide regulations for ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft and whether to strike a new long-term deal with Harrah’s, the operator of New Orleans’ land-based casino.
Edwards struck a bipartisan tone in his speech: “No matter where I go across this state, I am more and more convinced that there is far more that unites us than divides us.”
But even as Edwards was delivering his remarks, his campaign issued a statement slamming Abraham for showing up to the speech, calling it a “desperate, pathetic stunt.” And Republican Rep. Blake Miguez, of Erath, tweeted an objection to Edwards’ speech while the governor was giving it, saying Edwards’ descriptions of economic prosperity were untrue.
As a backdrop to the session, all 144 legislative seats also are on the October ballot. Many of the 47 term-limited lawmakers are angling for new elected jobs, while other lawmakers are running for reelection.
Rep. Tanner Magee, a Houma Republican, predicts the looming election will lead to more grandstanding than anything else.
“It’s going to be about positioning yourself to be in the election cycle, and I think it’s going to be a lot of just political stuff instead of substance,” Magee said.

The Central Catholic Lady Eagles softball team may feature a lineup dominated by underclassmen, including multiple eighth graders, but that hasn’t stopped the Lady Eagles from overall achieving success this season.
To date, Central Catholic has a 20-8 mark, including a 9-2 record in District 7-1A action.
All of the Lady Eagles’ losses have come to teams ranked in the top 10 of either their classes or divisions.
“Our young players have really stepped up and played important roles for our team this year, both offensively and defensively,” First-year Central Catholic Coach Linda Sanders said.
The Lady Eagles entered this season having to replace four Louisiana Sports Writers Association Class 1A All-State selections from a year ago — first-team pick Taylor Picou, who now is playing at Delta State University, and honorable mention selections Kelly Russo, Sarah Thomas and Kaleigh Navarro.
On this year’s squad, senior centerfielder Brooke Lipari was the lone returning Lady Eagle to earn first- or second-team All-District honors a year ago as she was a second-team utility selection in 2018.
Lipari, along with her twin sister, third baseman Bailee Lipari, are the lone senior starters on this year’s Lady Eagle squad.
The squad starts no juniors and has two sophomores, shortstop Haley Fontenot and catcher Rylie Jeau Theriot.
The Lady Eagles have three pitchers this season, and all three are freshmen. They are Hallie Crappell, Olivia Black and Alanni Landry.
“Having three ninth-grade pitchers is a blessing,” Sanders said last month. “Having those three young pitchers will take us a long way, not just this year but in years to come.”
Other starters for the Lady Eagles are Landry at first base, eighth grader Amaya Williams at second, eighth grader Emily Lipari in leftfield, freshman right fielder Shelby Mabile, who also can play catcher, and eighth grade designated player Hailee Skiles.
Seventh grader Kamille Lightfoot, who is a courtesy runner, can play in the outfield, too, Sanders said.
This year, the Lady Eagles have played 30 games thus far with 32 on the schedule. The Lady Eagles actually had more games than that scheduled, but an early season tournament at Terrebonne was rained out.
“I’m a coach that likes to play a lot of games to build up, to prepare to get to the state tournament and hopefully win a state championship,” she said last month. “They were a little shocked about my schedule, to play so many games this year. I like to play a lot of games and play a lot of good competition.”