The Louisiana Legislature concluded its regular session on Monday after three months marked by bitter fights over congressional redistricting and the right of New Orleans to run its own affairs. As state revenues decline due to tax cuts, lawmakers approved a budget that pumps new dollars into prisons while leaving other programs stagnant. Sheridan White, Gracie Thomas and Avery White of the LSU Manship School News Service report:

“When the Revenue Estimating Conference tells us we are $113 million short in revenue for the current year ending June 30, 2026, and we have $104 million less in expected revenue next year, we have to press pause on expanding programs or starting up new programs for now,” Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, said. …” The committee amended the budget to allow the Legislature to spend $850 million from the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund, allocating $387 million for transportation projects. 

An April U.S. Supreme Court ruling gutted the federal Voting Rights Act and allowed the Legislature to reduce the number of Black-majority congressional districts in Louisiana from two to one. The new, gerrymandered map will face legal challenges from both sides:  

At every step, Democratic lawmakers opposed the new maps, saying they were an attack on representation in a state that is one-third Black. “We can’t say we love people and then dilute your vote,” said Sen. Katrina Jackson-Andrews, D-Monroe.

Landry to unveil plan on teacher pay

Annual stipends ($2,000 for teachers and $1,000 for school support workers) that have been included in the state budget since 2023 are not funded in next year’s budget. Gov. Jeff Landry is holding a news conference on Tuesday to outline his plan to prevent teachers from receiving a pay cut. The plan is reportedly based on shifting $150 million earmarked for K-12 public school operations to partially replace the teacher stipends. WAFB’s Liam Combs reports on challenges the governor may face:

 The governor will need major support from both chambers to implement the plan. Two-thirds of the House and Senate must approve the proposal in a mail-in vote to move money from the MFP.

While teachers wait for news about their stipends, several members of Gov. Jeff Landry’s cabinet are getting five-figure pay increases. The Illuminator’s Julie O’Donoghue reports: 

The pay hikes come at an awkward time as the new budget doesn’t include stipends that public school teachers and support staff workers have received the past three years, worth $2,000 and $1,000, respectively. Landry has promised to move money around in the existing state budget to avoid a teacher pay reduction but hasn’t released the plan for doing so yet. 

More young kids are uninsured

Nearly 13,000 Louisiana children ages 0-6 were uninsured in 2024, a 0.8 percentage point increase from 2022. That’s according to a new report from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families (CCF). Nationally, the number of young children who were uninsured increased by a full percentage point. Louisiana’s uninsured rate for children under 6 is 3.9%, which ranks 10th out of 45 states with 2024 data. CCF explains what’s at stake: 

  • More young children are losing coverage. Babies, toddlers, and preschoolers are seeing sharper coverage losses than older children.
  • Coverage protects families from rising costs. Health insurance helps families afford care, avoid medical debt, and give young children a healthier, more stable start. 
  • Without action, more children could lose coverage. Medicaid cuts and new administrative hurdles could make it harder for families to get and keep health insurance for their children.

Louisiana’s struggling economy

Louisiana’s economy is the third-worst in the country, according to a new report from WalletHub. The report grades states on 25 key indicators, and the Pelican State received low marks for annual median household income (51st), percent of jobs in high-tech industries (48th) and startup activity (44th). WalletHub’s Adam McCann reports:

Factors like a low unemployment rate and high average income help residents purchase property, pay down debt and save for the future. The best state economies also encourage growth by being friendly to new businesses and investing in new technology that will help the state deal with future challenges and become more efficient.” 

Number of the Day

$56,785 – Average teacher salary in Louisiana, which ranks 49th nationally. (Source: National Education Association)