There’s one more week left in the legislative session. The two biggest pieces of legislation that have yet to receive final legislative approval are a new congressional map and the budget. LaPolitics-dot-com publisher Jeremy Alford says the Senate has had to make changes to the state’s spending plan.
Cut 4 (06) “…was supposed to.”
The full Senate is expected to vote on a budget proposal today, and the upper chamber will likely not go along with the governor’s request to double the funding for the state’s voucher program, known as LA GATOR.
Alford says besides the budget and redistricting, there are several other pieces of legislation that lawmakers would like to send to the governor’s desk before the legislative session must end on June 1st.
Cut 5 (07) “…and tort reform.”
Teacher pay is also a big issue in the final days of the session. Educators could see their salary reduced by two-thousand dollars because Constitutional Amendment 3 did not pass on May 16th. D’Shay Oaks, the president of the Louisiana Federation of Educators, says taking away that stipend could have devastating effects for those teachers.
Cut 15 (10) “…from their family.”
There may be hope. Governor Landry, Senate President Cameron Henry and House Speaker Phillip DeVillier will be holding a news conference about a potential teacher pay raise plan this morning.
A bill that would make prostate cancer screening free for high-risk men is now awaiting Governor Landry’s signature. Alice Kline, the Louisiana government relations director at the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, says this will make it a lot easier for those men to get those life-saving screenings.