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Louisiana lawmakers skirmish in special session’s final days

Sens. Bodi White, R-Central, left; Eddie Lambert, R-Gonzales, center; and Franklin Foil, R-Baton Rouge, vote on bills on the Senate floor as the Louisiana Legislature wrapped up its regular session on Monday, June 1, 2020, in Baton Rouge, La. (AP Photo/Melinda Deslatte)

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana lawmakers have reached the final days of their special session.

Skirmishes Thursday over elections issues and a police financing measure kept them bickering rather than wrapping up early. Lawmakers hoped to end the session Friday, though it remained unclear if they would do so.

Gov. John Bel Edwards said he hopes lawmakers won’t keep going until their Tuesday deadline. Republican lawmakers called the monthlong special session to try to curb Edwards’ coronavirus restrictions and give lawmakers more authority over emergency decision-making.

The House and Senate agreed to a proposal giving lawmakers the ability to scrap individual coronavirus rules. Edwards hasn’t said whether he’ll veto the bill.