It appears pay raises for the next fiscal year will be $800 for teachers and $400 for support staff. Union leaders say lawmakers claim they want to invest in education, but their actions show otherwise. Brooke Thorington explains.
Cut 1 (32) “ …I’m Brooke Thorington.”
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A bill that would extend the state’s 180-million dollar film tax credit program for another three years to 2028 is headed to the House floor for final legislative passage. Jeff Palermo has the details…
Cut 2 (29) …I’m Jeff Palermo.”
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The budgeted amount for K-12 teacher pay raises in Louisiana appears to be on track for $800 and not $1000 as previously discussed by lawmakers. Louisiana Federation of Teachers Legislative Director Cynthia Posey says the amount is disappointing and the goal to bring teacher pay to the southern regional average continues to be put on the backburner.
On Monday the Senate Finance committee released their markup of the state budget that begins on July first.
Posey says there was an understanding to continue to increase teacher pay in an effort to retain and attract qualified educators in the state, but the momentum was sidetracked.
Posey says teachers were in the classroom on day one of the 20-21 school year and lawmakers praised them for it because allowed it parents to reenter the workforce and also meet the nutritional needs of those students who received free or reduced-priced meals at school.
The House approved budget includes $800 pay raises for teachers and $400 raises for support staff. Louisiana schoolteachers are paid on average $51-thousand annually which is $4-thousand below the southern average.
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Legislation that extends the state’s 180-million dollar film tax credit program for another three years through 2028 is moving closer to final passage. Slidell Senator Sharon Hewitt explained to the House Ways and Means Committee on why it’s important to pass the tax credit beyond 2025…
Hewitt says the film industry supports about 10-thousand jobs in the state and last year invested more than 432-million dollars in productions in Louisiana. She expects those numbers to grow…
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The House Ways and Means Committee approved Hewitt’s bill, which has already passed the Senate. It heads to the full House for final legislative passage. Eunice Representative Phillip Devillier is not a fan of spending 180-million dollars on the film tax industry
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The state House passes a bill that would require Louisiana public high schools to spend more time teaching students about the Holocaust and World War Two. Denham Springs Representative Valarie Hodges says students and young adults know very little about the murder of six million Jews by the Nazi regime
Hodges says currently public schools are only required to spend one-semester teaching students about the Holocaust and World War Two, but she believes it’s a topic that should be discussed throughout a child’s high school career…
The bill passed on a 66-32 vote. Several Black lawmakers voted against the bill after Baton Rouge Representative Ted James tried to amend the bill to also include the required instruction of significant figures in Black history.
James’s amendment failed on a 45-51 vote.
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Senate Judiciary C advances house-backed legislation that would decriminalize possession of up to 14 grams of marijuana.
Shreveport Representative Cedric Glover says under his bill those found with just under half an ounce would only face a 100 dollar fine.
While an effort to fully legalize recreational marijuana failed in the House 47-49 Glover’s bill to decriminalize passed easily 68-25.
Louisiana Progress Action Policy Director Peter Robins-Brown spoke in support of the bill. He says polls show nearly 70 percent of Louisianans support decriminalization.
The Louisiana Baptist Convention opposes the bill. Office of Public Policy Director Dr. Will Hall says these days 14 grams of marijuana can be a dangerous amount.
The bill heads to the Senate floor for final passage.