Franklinton Senator Beth Mizell has proposed legislation to mandate all public schools in Louisiana adopt a traditional five-day school week. Nine school districts in the state have some or all schools with four-day weeks. Mizell has concerns about childcare and student welfare.
The bill has been referred to Senate Education.
Hospitals, public agencies, and other employers that mandate the COVID-19 vaccine for their employees could face fines of up to $50,000 if Monroe Representative Michael Echols’ bill is enacted. He believes it’s about individual freedom.
The bill heads to the Senate for discussion.
The Louisiana Gator Scholarship Program bill, also known as Education Savings Accounts, goes before House Appropriations Tuesday. How much it will cost the state to fund and implement the program is a concern. Public Affairs Research Council President Steven Procopio estimates it will eventually cost $520-million annually.
While the program has plenty of Republican support, Procopio says lawmakers need to consider a sales tax that’s rolling off, which is estimated to create a $400 to $500 million fiscal cliff as they consider funding the ESA program.
He says even if the bill passes in the legislature in its current form there’s a year of planning before it’s implemented.