04.26.12 A Louisiana Senate committee defied the Jindal administration and advanced legislation Wednesday to organize an exchange to help facilitate the purchase and sale of health-care insurance under the new federal law.

The Senate Insurance Committee voted to 6-2 to send Senate Bill 744 to the Senate floor for debate.

The panel "just voted to make a very risky move," said Bruce Greenstein, secretary of the state Department of Health and Hospitals, after the vote.

Louisiana is one of a handful of states that has refused to set up a health insurance exchange.