State lawmakers advanced a pair of bills on Tuesday that would revive the teacher-pay elements of a recently defeated constitutional amendment. House Bills 579 and 466 would eliminate state trust funds that support education programs and use those dollars to replace annual stipends that teachers have received the past two years. The Times-Picayune | Baton Rouge Advocate’s Elyse Carmosino explains why the president of the state’s largest teachers union opposes the effort:
During the committee meeting, the president of the state’s largest teachers union told representatives that he could not support the bills in their current form because they do not guarantee that all eligible educators would receive the pay increases. Louisiana Federation of Teachers President Larry Carter also expressed worry that the raises would not be included in the state’s school-funding formula, which would prevent the money from being reallocated for other uses in the future.
The bills would use about $2 billion in constitutionally protected education funds to pay off debt in the teachers’ retirement system. Local school districts would apply the resulting savings to salary increases of $2,000 for teachers and $1,000 for support workers. But those pay hikes would only replace annual stipends that public school teachers are already getting, so teachers’ overall take-home pay will not change. The bills would also need voters’ approval, which wouldn’t appear on ballots until April 2026:
Carter said it’s unacceptable that, even if the amendment to raise teacher pay in the future is approved, teachers could lose their stipends next school year. “Our educators deserve a genuine increase that acknowledges their contributions and the rising costs of living in this country,” he told the committee.
Cuts to scientific research would devastate Louisiana
The National Science Foundation, which provides funding for scientific research programs at colleges and universities, announced that it has halted all current and future grants, and will reduce a cap on “indirect” costs for grants from 50% to 15%. Louisiana, whose flagship school recently received the largest NSF grant in history, will be one of the states most impacted by the moves. The Louisiana Illuminator’s Piper Hutchinson reports:
In the 2023 fiscal year, the most recent year that data is available, the National Science Foundation awarded over $54 million in grants to Louisiana universities. Each dollar spent on research is estimated to have triple the fiscal impact, according to numerous economic impact studies published by universities. … Jim Henderson, president of Louisiana Tech University, said NSF funds research with direct economic impact for Louisiana, such as solutions to problems that affect forestry – the leading agricultural sector in Louisiana. Losing that money would leave a hole that might be hard to fill, Henderson said.
Students will also feel the impacts:
Parampreet Singh, an LSU physics professor funded by the National Science Foundation, said he is unsure how he will support his graduate research students moving forward. Even if universities can provide short-term funding in the form of teaching assistantships, it may not be enough for students early in their five- or six-year Ph.D. programs if the loss of NSF funding is a long-term problem.
Medicaid is critical for early childhood workforce
Child care workers nurture and support children during their early years and help parents stay in the workforce. To do their jobs well, 41% of child care workers in Louisiana rely on Medicaid to stay healthy. A new brief from Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families outlines how Medicaid supports child care workers, parents, and the young children they care for – and what is at risk if Congress moves forward with cuts to the program.
Until payment and benefits can be improved, Medicaid plays an important role in providing health coverage for this critical workforce. A strong, well-supported early childhood education workforce plays a critical role in supporting young children’s healthy development and parents’ ability to work. Medicaid helps to prevent further destabilization of the early childhood education workforce, added staff burnout and turnover, and more limits on families’ access to high-quality care that meets their needs.
The consequences of congressional budget gimmicks
Congressional Republicans are struggling to come up with ways to pay for a tax-cut package that would cost more than $4 trillion over the next decade. While cuts to safety-net programs such as Medicaid have been proposed, those reductions would only partially offset the massive price tag. Senate Republicans are trying to use a budget gimmick to not count the cost of the tax cuts in budget math, but as The Washington Post’s Natasha Sarin explains, this scheme would result in higher deficits and borrowing costs for the nation:
Embracing massive, deficit-financed tax changes is not something that we can afford. The costs of higher deficits may sound far off (what is a “fiscal crisis”? And when will one come?). But they are and will be tangible to families. They will mean higher borrowing costs on government debt and for families looking to buy homes or start businesses. … Hopefully, as lawmakers debate the reconciliation package, they will return to those roots and grapple with the basic fact that tax cuts for all — paid for by none — isn’t an equation that makes much sense for the American people or the American economy.
Number of the Day
30% – Percentage of Louisiana residents with an ID that have obtained a REAL-ID compliant license or identification card as of May 1. (Source: Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles via The Advocate)