One in 5 Louisiana children lived below the federal poverty line in 2024, the highest rate, per capita, in the nation. A new report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation explains how the federal government shutdown – and the halting of crucial food assistance programs – could increase hardship. The Times-Picayune | Baton Rouge Advocate’s Mark Ballard reports:
If food stamps were removed from the equation — as threatened nationwide on Saturday because of the partisan stalemate that prolongs a federal government shutdown — Louisiana’s child poverty ratio would increase to roughly 1 in 3, the analysis contends. That works out to 263,599 of Louisiana’s 1,066,394 children under the age of 18 years living in poverty right now and 383,902 who would live in poverty without the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
Louisiana saw the highest percentage point increase in child poverty over the last four years, which researchers and advocates attribute to the expiration of pandemic-era benefits. This sobering reality is yet another example that poverty is a policy choice:
“You know, unfortunately, this isn’t news,” said Jan Moller, executive director of Invest in Louisiana, a Baton Rouge-based progressive think tank. “It just reinforced what we knew, which is (that) public policy has the ability to reduce child poverty.” … Perhaps the most important program during the pandemic was the Child Tax Credit expanded in 2021, both [Agenda for Children Teresa] Falgoust and Moller say. Depending on income, many families received the full credit of $3,600 per child under age 6 and $3,000 for older children. Money was paid out monthly, which helped needy families cover bills. That temporary program expired in December 2022.
Fortunately, the Landry administration and state lawmakers agreed last week to use state emergency reserves to pay November SNAP benefits.
Moller added that the move by a Republican governor and GOP majority Legislature shows a willingness for Louisiana to invest in poverty-stricken children that he hopes could extend to other policies. “So, we know it’s possible to have political consensus around feeding hungry people and giving people public support,” Moller said.
Judge orders restart of SNAP benefits
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to use U.S. Department of Agriculture contingency funds to restart Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. The White House had cut off the benefits amid the ongoing federal government shutdown, despite being legally required to use the USDA funds. States Newsroom’s Jane Norman reports on what’s next:
If the government chooses to make full SNAP payments for November, it must do so by the end of the day Monday, he said. If instead the government makes a partial payment of SNAP funds, then it must pay out all the $6 billion in contingency funds by Wednesday, [U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell Jr.] said. … No matter what happens on Monday, experts and a key member of Congress have said that some SNAP recipients still may see delays in their benefits because changes in administration from the federal government to states to vendors take time.
Early childhood education is key to Louisiana’s future
High-quality early care and education programs support children during their earliest years of development and help parents stay in the workforce. Mandi Mitchell, president and CEO of the Lafayette Economic Development Authority, writing in a guest column for The Times-Picayune | Baton Rouge Advocate, explains why early childhood education is the foundation of a talent pipeline:
Like good roads, modern and robust utilities and accessible and affordable broadband, early childhood education supports workforce participation, builds future workforce readiness and strengthens community economic stability. Investing in children is not charity — it is an economic strategy ensuring that Lafayette, the Acadiana region and all of Louisiana remain places where families want to live, work and grow. Let’s secure Louisiana’s long-term prosperity by investing in the systems that support our future leaders. Strong starts create strong economies!
FCC votes to loosen caps on jail, prison phone calls
The Federal Communications Commission has loosened a ruling that capped the high costs of phone and video calls from jails and prisons. The ruling, which the FCC issued last year, was challenged by Louisiana officials in February. Verite News’ Bobbi-Jeanne Misick explains how call rates will increase:
The new interim rates raise the maximum cost of phone calls with people inside prisons from 6 cents per minute to 11 cents per minute. Rates for large jails, like the Orleans Justice Center, defined as holding 1,000 or more residents, are now capped at 10 cents per minute for phone calls. Rates for medium to very small jails range from 11 to 18 cents per minute. Under the previously agreed upon rules, those rates were capped at between 7 and 12 cents per minute.
Number of the Day
85% – Percentage of Louisiana households with access to broadband internet access, the fourth-lowest rate in the nation. (Source: U.S. Census Bureau via The Advocate)