After close to three hours of testimony in House Criminal Justice, New Orleans Representative Mandie Landry shelved her bill to decriminalize prostitution. Gloria Blankenship with Purchase Not for Sale, an organization to assist victims of sexual exploitation, says while she agrees with the intent of the bill, she’s unable to support it in its current form.
Cut 8 (10) “…exploitation.”
Other opponents disapproved of the bill on moral grounds.

A bill to ban corporal punishment in public schools is possibly dead for the session after the proposal fell five votes short of passing the Louisiana House. Plaquemine Representative Chad Brown questioned New Orleans Representative Stephanie Hilferty about her bill…
cut 5 (12) “…Americans”

Governor John Bel Edwards encourages owners of restaurants, bars, and other food-related establishments to register for the Small Business Administration’s new Restaurant Revitalization Fund. Louisiana Restaurant Association President Stan Harris says $28-billion has been set aside to fund the program.
Cut 14 (11) “… disadvantaged businesses.”
The federal program will provide restaurants with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss of up to ten-million dollar per business and five million per physical location. Go to S-B-A-dot-gov for more information.

The Louisiana House will consider the proposed budget for next fiscal year tomorrow. It contains an 800-dollar pay raise for K-through-12 teachers and a 400-dollar pay raise for support staff. Louisiana Federation of Teachers Legislative Director Cynthia Posey says the raise will help reduce attrition of teachers….
cut 13 (06) “…children there”