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The Louisiana Legislature completed its work on the state’s multibillion-dollar budget days ahead of the deadline, in a regular session temporarily disrupted by another divisive redistricting debate and ending with uncertainty for public school teachers.
Louisiana will use a new congressional map for the fall elections, drawn by lawmakers after the U.S. Supreme Court declared the previous district configuration unconstitutional in a contentious, years-long redistricting battle.
The Louisiana House supported Gov. Jeff Landry’s multibillion-dollar roadmap for spending next year, making only modest changes and keeping intact the governor’s push to allocate more money for economic development, prisons and an education voucher program.
Lawmakers are heading back to the Capitol with wide latitude for this regular legislative sessionas they are free to propose an unlimited number of bills on statewide and local issues, excludingmost tax-related measures.
Across its first three years, more than 10,500 people in Louisiana have received aid through the state-financed M.J. Foster Promise Program to help them access workforce education and training aimed at getting residents into high-demand, high-wage jobs. Â
With his latest budget proposal, Gov. Jeff Landry is restarting what appears likely to be an annual debate of whether and how to expand Louisiana’s education voucher program. Again, he’s hitting resistance.
Louisiana’s governor and lawmakers are getting a little something extra in their holiday stockings this year, courtesy of the state income forecasting panel.