House budget protects TOPS by cutting others

BATON ROUGE- Lawmakers in the Louisiana House are proposing to fully fund the TOPS free college tuition program by cutting across other state agencies.
    
The House Appropriations Committee on Monday reworked the budget proposal for the financial year that begins July 1.
    
The recommendations - approved in an 18-4 vote - are the first indication of House leaders' approach to closing a $600 million budget gap.
   &nb