The Revenue Estimating Conference has recognized an additional $88 million for the next fiscal year budget which is good news for teachers. Colleen Crain explains.
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Legislation to hold a Constitutional Convention in August still has to clear the Senate. Brooke Thorington has more.
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The USDA has changed the rules so crawfisherman impacted by low production this year because of last year’s summer heat can apply for federal disaster grants. Sean Richardson has more from a local producer
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Louisiana lawmakers in the House reduced teacher stipends from $2,000 to $1,700 for the 2024-25 Fiscal Year. And while the budget has yet to be heard in Senate Finance, House Appropriations Chair Jack McFarland says the Revenue Estimating Conference figures could allow for those cuts to be restored.
The REC found an additional $88 million that can be added to the next budget year which begins July 1st.
McFarland says when the House received the budget, they were given X amount of dollars and had to make cuts accordingly. But he points out that they did that with the anticipation that the REC would find extra monies to restore those cuts and the originally proposed teacher stipends of $2,000.
The original amount set aside in the Executive Budget was $198 million for teacher pay stipends. Governor Jeff Landry proposed a second round of teacher stipends instead of a permanent salary increase because of anticipated future budget shortfalls. McFarland says now with additional funding from the R-E-C for the next fiscal year…
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The current legislative session is scheduled to end June 3rd.
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A bill to hold a Constitutional Convention, in August as opposed to May, still must pass in the Senate. While Senate President Cameron Henry says a new start date is more realistic, he says there are still several unknowns about the process that will be used in June and July before the convention.
Henry says proposed changes made at the convention will still have to go before voters in either the November or December elections.
Henry says there are still too many unknowns about the convention and the delegate process that he says will have to be answered before he believes the upper chamber will approve a convention.
The Senate Governmental Affairs Committee has yet to schedule a hearing on the constitutional convention bill. Henry says the Senate also has to focus on approving a budget.
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The USDA has announced Louisiana crawfish farmers are now covered under the Emergency Livestock Assistance Program, allowing producers to apply for federal disaster grants. Last year’s historic drought and a late-season freeze reduced production by about 200 million pounds at 45 thousand ponds. Louisiana Crawfish Processors Board Chairman David Savoy says it will take money to get production back to normal levels….
Savoy said the funding will make a major difference and help farmers with reseeding.
Savoy says supply has improved in April and May, but prices are still about a dollar more this year for boiled crawfish…
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It’s Motorcycle Awareness Month and Greg Fischer with the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission has some advice for Louisiana drivers.
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And Fischer says this month isn’t just a message to drivers of trucks and cars, he’s talking to motorcyclists as well. He reminds everyone to drive the speed limit and responsibly this month and every month.
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Even with advances in technology like lane and driver assist, it’s still best to take the time to slow down and look before you go.