The Louisiana Legislature will force public school teachers to absorb a $2,000 pay cut if voters reject a proposed constitutional amendment on Saturday. Senate President Cameron Henry said lawmakers have no plans to renew the annual stipends that teachers have received the past three years in lieu of a raise. Amendment 3 would eliminate three constitutionally protected trust funds to finance a modest pay raise for teachers. When the loss of the stipends is taken into account, the net increase in pay would be only $250. The Times-Picayune | Baton Rouge Advocate’s Meghan Friedmann explains why the proposal is facing political headwinds:

Some political observers believe anger over Gov. Jeff Landry’s decision to halt this month’s U.S. House races so the state can redraw its congressional map to favor Republicans could make it difficult for the five constitutional amendments on the May 16 ballot to pass. … In the four decades since the creation of the trust funds that would be liquidated under Amendment 3, they have contributed about $1.8 billion toward initiatives such as foreign language programs, preschool programs for at-risk children, vocational and technical programs, educator bonuses and updated curriculum materials. 

Henry’s comments came days after state economists downgraded Louisiana’s revenue forecast. The downturn was mostly driven by corporate and income-tax collections coming in below estimates:

The revised revenue forecasts reduce how much money Louisiana is projected to have for the fiscal year that starts on July 1 by about $104 million. The estimate for the current fiscal year went down by about $113 million. Top budget officials say they don’t expect to cut any existing programs, but that they will not be able to expand programs to the extent they had hoped.

Reality check: If teachers receive a pay cut, it will be because of decisions made by the Legislature. Tax cuts have left the state with revenue shortfalls. Meanwhile, the state has reserves it can tap to renew the stipends until a long-term fix can pass. 


Senate passes new congressional map

A new congressional map that reduces the number of Black-majority districts cleared a key hurdle on Thursday. The Senate approved Senate Bill 121 on a 27-10 party-line vote, with minimal changes to political boundaries approved by a legislative committee on Wednesday. Democrats continued to push back on the GOP-majority’s effort to reduce Black voters’ ability to elect candidates of their choice. The Times-Picayune | Baton Rouge Advocate’s Alyse Pfeil reports: 

“You can’t bring a map like this, that’s gonna reduce representation and think we’re just supposed to take it,” said Sen. Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans. “You think I’m supposed to be cool about it? You think I’m supposed to be calm about it? I don’t think so.” Sen. Katrina Jackson-Andrews, D-Monroe, said, “For generations, many citizens of this state were excluded. They were systematically deprived of their right to vote.” Minority voting power has been “constantly diluted,” she added.

The bill now heads to the House: 

Speaker Phillip DeVillier, R-Eunice, said he expects the House to pass a map that looks similar to the version approved by the Senate, but he said some members of the chamber don’t want parishes in their districts split up.  … [House and Governmental Affairs, Chair Beau] Beaullieu said he expects to hear SB121 sometime next week, though a date hasn’t been set. He said there will be ample time for public testimony.

Boustany, Landrieu: Congress can stop gerrymandering madness

The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in the Louisiana v. Callais case has cleared a path for Louisiana’s Legislature – and other state legislatures – to eliminate Black-majority districts. Leaders in Tennessee and Alabama are already gerrymandering their political boundaries. Former Louisiana Rep. Charles Boustany and Sen. Mary Landrieu, in a guest column for The Times-Picayune | Baton Rouge Advocate, urge Louisiana leaders to reverse course: 

As former members of Congress from different political parties, we urge Gov. Landry and the state Legislature to halt this gerrymandering push. This attempt to draw new voting maps would turn back the clock to a cruel chapter of our state’s history. And, it’s causing mass confusion about this year’s primary elections. … The state Legislature should pause any rushed redraw until after the 2026 midterms and let current elections proceed under stable rules. This would give voters, election officials and candidates certainty. 

Boustany and Landrieau explain steps Congress can take to stop the gerrymandering madness:

Lawmakers must act swiftly to restore and strengthen federal protections against racial dilution in redistricting. Congress should pass a bill with three simple reforms:

  • Ban mid-decade redistricting unless there is court order stating otherwise
  • Mandate independent or bipartisan redistricting commissions in all 50 states
  • Require commonsense national criteria for redistricting

Election Day voter purge is possible

Hundreds of thousands of Louisianans could be placed on an inactive voter list and purged from the state’s rolls if they do not cast a ballot for Saturday’s election. The Times-Picayune | Baton Rouge Advocate columnist Will Sutton urges everyone to do their civic duty:

No matter what, if you are registered to vote and you haven’t voted, please do. When you vote, vote for EVERYTHING on the ballot, including candidates and all five constitutional amendments. And vote for your congressional representative of choice, too. Show the guv and others that you want your vote to count. With legal challenges, we don’t know whether those votes will count.

Number of the Day

2,964,882 – Number of registered voters in Louisiana. (Source: Louisiana Secretary of State)