The special session begins today, giving lawmakers two weeks to solve the 648 million dollar budget shortfall that’s hamstrung the legislative season. Don Molino has more.
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Congressman Clay Higgins’ school safety bill clears the House and heads to the Senate. Matt Doyle has the story.
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A survey by the Louisiana Federation of Teachers shows a clear majority would support a statewide strike for better pay. Michael Farrar has more.
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The special session kicks off today, giving legislators two weeks to come to an agreement on how to handle a 648 million dollar budget shortfall that threatens to potentially devastate healthcare and higher education. A special session in February failed, and legislative attempts to craft a budget with 648 million in cuts were vetoed, but Governor Edwards says this will be different.
The budget gap, known as the “fiscal cliff” is the result of sales taxes that are set to expire July 1st.
Democrats and many Republicans agree that at least some of the expiring revenue will need to be replaced, and reports say a consensus may be growing around renewing half of the one penny sales tax that falls off in July. Edwards says it’s a compromise he may have to settle for.
And GOP Chairman Lance Harris indicated that if Republicans do agree to renew any of the expiring taxes, it would most likely be some of that expiring penny.
Harris believes Republicans will not push a final budget that resembles a spending plan similar to the one that passed the House that eliminated public-private partnership hospitals and Medicaid programs that pay for nursing homes for the elderly. He says Department of Health funding is not at risk, and chided the governor for sending eviction notice letters to patients whose housing was put at risk.
Many Democrats, specifically the black caucus, began the legislative season firmly stating that they would not support attempts to keep a portion of the expiring penny sales tax, because it unfairly targets the working class. But Baton Rouge Representative Ted James indicated that the caucus may be open keeping some of that penny if it means fully funding healthcare and higher ed.
James says he’s open to compromise plans, but will not support any budget that resembles those passed by the Louisiana House and Senate that either slashed healthcare or gutted higher ed and TOPS.
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US Representative Clay Higgins’ bill that would require the US to collect information on how many school resource officers are in place in schools passed the House and is on its way to the Senate. The North Louisianan Congressman says after the Parkland school shooting, he realized DC was lacking critical information on school safety.
The bill is one of two pieces of legislation aimed at improving school safety, the other being an attempt to establish national standards and best practices for responding to school shootings. Higgins says before a comprehensive plan can be created to address school safety, more information is needed.
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Higgins says he’s optimistic that the bill will make it to the president’s desk.
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Overnight facilities at two Louisiana State Parks are reopening after they were damaged by the 2016 floods. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser announced that portions of the Lake Fausse Pointe State Park near St. Martinville opened Monday and newly renovated cabins at Chemin-A-Haut State Park near Bastrop will open Friday
Along with park restorations, Nungesser says his office is focusing on partnerships to improve the parks and bring back lost revenue from the floods.
Chemin-A-Haut State Park has completely reopened and Lake Bistineau State Park is projected to reopen its overnight facilities later this year. Campsites at Lake Fosse Pointe will reopen first and the rest of the park will open upon bathhouse renovation. Nungesser says there will be announcements every month about the progress of the parks.
For more information about our State Parks visit LaStateParks.com.
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A survey from the Louisiana Federation of Teachers indicates that 61 percent of union members support a statewide walkout or strike to accomplish their goals of better school funding and pay raises. The survey was inspired by a series of successful teacher’s strikes in other states. LFT president Larry Carter says they’re ready to send a message to the legislature.
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53 percent of teachers surveyed say teacher pay is the most important issue facing schools, and 75 percent say they would favor a sales tax increase, property tax increase, or both to get fund a pay raise. Carter says pay has stagnated since 2012, and is now clearly below the regional average.
An overwhelming 82 percent of teachers support eliminating tax exemptions for businesses to fund higher pay.
Carter says the low pay and crippled tenure system is directly responsible for the statewide shortage of teachers.
3,800 teachers responded to the survey
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Pelicans Head Coach Alvin Gentry reiterated they would like to see All-Star DeMarcus Cousins return to the team. Cousins is an unrestricted free agent and said last week he’s open to signing with New Orleans after July 1st, but hasn’t heard from the Pelicans front office in a while. Gentry spoke with reporters at the Saints Hall of Fame Celebrity Golf Classic
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The LSU baseball team’s season could be on the line today versus Mississippi State in a single-elimination game at the SEC Tournament. The Tigers are on the bubble to make the NCAA Tournament and a loss to a Bulldogs could burst their bubble. Coach Paul Mainieri will start left-hander Nick Bush on the mound…