Louisiana Budget Project Executive Director Jan Moller issued the following statement about the 2019 Legislature:
“The fact that the budget didn’t dominate debate at the Capitol this spring is testament to the success of last year’s revenue compromise, which brought much-needed stability to Louisiana’s finances. For the first time in nearly a decade, the Legislature was able to have a debate about new investments in education – from public schools to early childhood and infrastructure – instead of fighting over which programs to cut. These new investments in Louisiana families will serve the state well for years to come.
“Legislators wisely rejected efforts to roll back last year’s tax compromise, which would have returned us to the fiscal instability and disinvestment that hung over state government for years.
“Unfortunately, legislators also failed to make progress on several measures that would have helped low-income families make ends meet and made it easier to weather life’s unexpected hardships. The fact that Louisiana still has no state minimum wage or paid leave laws on its books, and women are still often paid a fraction of what men earn for the same work is proof that much work remains to be done.”