Louisiana House, Senate strike deal to lift state spending cap

Louisiana lawmakers are one step closer to spending millions of extra dollars on infrastructure, local projects and hospitals after a House panel agreed Monday to lift a politically fraught state spending limit. An amended resolution approved by the House Appropriations Committee would lift the spending cap by less than what Senate leadership had called for — by $250 million this year and $1.4 billion next year. Senate President Page Cortez wanted to raise the limit by $500 million this year and $1.8 billion next year. But in an interview, Cortez...