UNO Moves To UL System

The House passes a bill to move the University of New Orleans from the LSU System into the U.L. System. Bill sponsor and House Speaker Jim Tucker says, after failing to get enough votes for merging UNO with Southern University-New Orleans, he's amending the bill to affect UNO only.  Another amendment to the bill directs UNO to work with SUNO and Delgado University to seek cost efficiencies thorugh cooperative endeavors.  Rep. Austin Badon seemed nervous that SUNO, his alma mater, is still mentioned in the bill in any form. Tucker reassures him.  The Legislative Black Caucus lobbied hard to deny votes for the SUNO-UNO merger--which they felt would hurt minority education in New Orleans. Caucus chair and Baton Rouge Rep. Patricia Smith endorses Tucker's amended bill, which leaves SUNO intact.  The measure passed by 96-0 vote, and goes over to the Senate.
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