We’re a week away from the end of the special session and lawmakers still have a lot on their plate including passing a budget for the fiscal year starting July 1st. The budget’s next steps will continue today in the Senate Finance Committee, where more specifics in the 34 billion dollar spending plan will be ironed out. Lapolitics.com Publisher Jeremy Alford expects the committee will approve it for full Senate consideration, but notes crafting a budget isn’t easy right now with so many potentially substantial COVID relief tax breaks still in consideration. But at least…
Several of the larger tax break bills headed to the Senate floor have been redirected back to Senate Finance for further review after winning approval in another committee.
Federal relief dollars plugged most of the, at one point, billion-dollar shortfall, but some cuts in healthcare and higher ed are still planned. Alford says early year promises for more early childhood education funding and teacher pay raises had to be abandoned as well.
A sweeping majority of the House approves a bill that would block public and private schools from civil suits based on COVID exposure to students and staff. The legislation is retroactive to March 11th and will come into play soon as Governor Edwards expects the upcoming school year will start on time.