Latest news with #HouseBill77
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Major tweaks to TOPS scholarships in Louisiana scrapped due to cost
The University of Louisiana Monroe library, photographed from Northeast Drive. (Greg LaRose/Louisiana Illuminator) Louisiana lawmakers have advanced a new TOPS award for high-performing students, scrapping language from an original proposal that would have dramatically changed the popular scholarship program. House Bill 77 by Rep. Chris Turner, R-Ruston, was amended Tuesday in the House Committee on Appropriations because it would have increased state spending nearly $50 million annually at a time when lawmakers are working under budget constraints. In its current state, Turner said his proposal comes with a $12 million cost that can be covered with unused TOPS awards. Originally, Turner's bill would have created a flat rate for each level of TOPS award rather than a unique allotment for each school. The new rate would have meant students at LSU, its two medical schools and the University of New Orleans would pay more out of pocket, while students at other Louisiana schools would pay less. The provisions drew the criticism of Phyllis Taylor, whose late husband Patrick F. Taylor was responsible for the creation of the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, a merit-based scholarship program for Louisiana students who attend in-state schools. With the new amendments, Turner's bill creates the TOPS Excellence award, which is available to any student with a 3.5 grade point average and a score of 31 or higher on the ACT. The scholarship will equal tuition and fees at the public university the student chooses or $12,000, whichever is less. The new Excellence award would go to students who enroll in college starting in the upcoming fall semester or later. Turner added amendments to his bill that incorporate language from House Bill 70 by Rep. Ken Brass, D-Vacherie. It would expand the number of students eligible for the TOPS Tech award, which covers up to two years of study in a skill or occupational training program. The bill will next be debated on the House floor. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Salt Lake City issues new Pride flag to get around Utah ban
The Salt Lake City Council has adopted three new Pride flags to circumvent Utah's ban on flying such flags at public schools, universities and government buildings. Council members approved the measure via ordinance during a formal meeting on Tuesday. The three new city flags include: The Sego Celebration Flag, representing Juneteenth, the Sego Belonging Flag, representing LGBT+ residents and the Sego Visibility Flag, representing transgender rights. The sego lily, the city's most recognized emblem, is in the upper corner of the designs. The flags were chosen because versions of them had already been displayed at City Hall. They'll fly alongside the Utah and American flags. 'Our City flags are powerful symbols representing Salt Lake City's values,' said Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall, a Democrat. 'I want all Salt Lakers to look up at these flags and be reminded that we value diversity, equity and inclusion—leaving no doubt that we are united as a city and people, moving forward together.' The Utah State Capitol in Salt Lake City. Lawmakers had passed legislation narrowing the types of flags that can be displayed on government property (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Earlier this year, Utah state lawmakers passed House Bill 77, legislation that narrowed the types of flags that can be displayed on government property, leading the council members to adopt the proposal. 'Like other civic symbols, these flags reflect our shared humanity and the values that help everyone feel they belong—no matter their background, orientation or beliefs,' said Salt Lake City Council Chair Chris Wharton. 'While the state has restricted which flags public buildings can fly, I'm glad we can still uphold our community's values within the law.' In a statement on House Bill 77's passage, the American Civil Liberties Union said in opposition: 'This isn't about flags but about othering and erasing LGBTQ+ people from public life... Today, it's Pride flags. Tomorrow, it very well could be broader restrictions on speech, education, or expression for even more Utahns.' The state law was expected to go into effect Wednesday. If violated, officials can impose a $500 fine per day on state or local government buildings that fly unauthorized banners. Authorized flags include the state flag and military flag. There is a short list of exceptions.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
TOPS tweaks trouble cofounder Taylor: ‘Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water'
LSU's Memorial Tower rises above the trees on Monday, March 20, 2023, on Tower Drive in Baton Rouge, La. (Matthew Perschall / Louisiana Illuminator) It had been many years since Phyllis Taylor, widow to the creator of the TOPS program, had sat behind the presentation desk of the Louisiana House Education Committee. Her late husband, Patrick F. Taylor, a wealthy oilman who had served for many years on the LSU Board of Supervisors, is perhaps best remembered for creating the program that's now known as the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students. The program began with 183 students that Taylor personally paid tuition for. After this pilot's success, Taylor convinced the legislature to begin a state-financed version, which inspired similar programs in numerous other states. Started in 1989, it pays a significant chunk of tuition costs for qualified Louisiana students who attend college at state colleges and universities. Hundreds of thousands of students have paid for college with TOPS, many who would have otherwise been unable to afford an education. Every year, lawmakers debate tweaks to TOPS, some minor, some major. But Phyllis Taylor, a soft-spoken octogenarian philanthropist and one of the richest people in Louisiana, has refrained from weighing in — until this week. What piqued Taylor's interest was House Bill 77 by Rep. Chris Turner, R-Ruston. It would create a flat rate for each TOPS award amount, rather than having a unique allotment for each school. The new rate would mean students at LSU, LSU's two medical schools and the University of New Orleans would be paying more out of pocket, while students at other Louisiana schools would pay less. The bill would also create a higher award amount for high-achieving students. In its original state, Turner's bill – designed to keep high-performing students in Louisiana – would add around $50 million annually to the cost of the TOPS program. That's not a small sum as the state tightens its belt amid difficult fiscal times. 'I come to remind everyone that we want, by all means, to preserve TOPS, even if that means that some changes might have to be deferred for a later time, because I realized that the state of Louisiana is going to be under dire fiscal constraints,' Taylor said. 'There is more need than there is money,' she added. Taylor made her position on Turner's bill clear; she's unhappy with the proposal that would hurt LSU students, who make up the majority of TOPS recipients in the state. She reminded the committee that while they may want to reward the best and brightest, TOPS was meant to provide an opportunity for all students – not just those with the best ACT scores. 'Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water and jeopardize a program as a whole in order to maybe provide for a few that might not be as contributing to our state as we need,' Taylor said. The committee unanimously advanced Turner's legislation, though only after adding amendments that would partially close the gap for students at LSU's main campus and undergraduate programs at its medical school in New Orleans. Members also lowered the new award amount for high-achieving students from $12,000 to $11,300. House Education Chairwoman Laurie Schlegel, R-Metairie, one of the co-authors on Turner's bill, said she believed the amendments would lower the TOPS cost increase from around $50 million annually to $30 million to $35 million. Because it involves spending state money, the bill must receive a second hearing in the House Appropriations Committee, which oversees the state's budget. Though Appropriations Chairman Rep. Jack McFarland, R-Jonesboro, acknowledged the need to keep the best and brightest in Louisiana, he said it would be very challenging to find the money to fund Turner's bill, especially as lawmakers are digging into couch cushions to find the change necessary to prevent a K-12 teacher pay cut. 'Before we go and we commit ourselves to more, I think we need to address what we currently have in front of us,' McFarland said. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Turner said his bill is meant to address what he sees as inequities among Louisiana colleges in the amount of TOPS assistance available to their students. 'It wasn't fair to give this university more and not the other one,' Turner said in an interview. 'All the institutions would be treated equally.' The bill is being sold as a market solution: the money follows the student, who can make a financial decision about how they would like to use it. But its critics say that choice could potentially disfavor the LSU flagship campus. Currently, LSU students who receive TOPS pay about $5,000 out of pocket annually, while students at Louisiana Tech University, in Turner's district, pay $5,202. If Turner's bill passes, the base-level amount, which approximately half of Louisiana TOPS students receive, would be $6,000 annually. TOPS Performance students, who must have at least a 3.25 GPA and a 23 ACT score, would receive $6,500. TOPS Honors students, with at least a 3.5 GPA and a 27 ACT score, would receive $9,000. The bill's proposed TOPS Excellence award, the new highest amount, would be $11,300 per qualifying student, who must earn at least a 31 on the ACT and a 3.5 GPA. LSU and LSU Health New Orleans students would receive an additional $700 per year on top of whatever award level they earn. That would mean baseline TOPS students would pay out of pocket approximately $5,770 to attend LSU and $4,755 to attend Louisiana Tech. For some schools with lower tuition and fees, the new award amounts would provide some students with an excess. Under present law, that money has to be applied to students' room and board expenses, which typically are paid out of pocket. But under a law the legislature approved last year, schools have complete autonomy to raise their fees, meaning they could increase the cost of attendance to meet the new award amount — and add to their revenues. Increasing the out-of-pocket costs for LSU students came as a bit of a surprise after the House Education Committee held a series of hearings over the past year in which they repeatedly questioned university administrators about why so many Louisiana students were leaving the state — and why LSU was admitting so many out-of-state students. Lawmakers have raised this concern so frequently over the past year that LSU launched new software, LSU Insight, designed to answer questions lawmakers frequently put to the university about where LSU students live and work. They unveiled the new program at a Senate budget hearing earlier this month and with an email to each lawmaker. Legislators frequently raised the issue that students in their community were being offered more money to attend Alabama or Ole Miss. They then asked why LSU couldn't offer more to keep them home — and why LSU offered thousands of dollars in tuition assistance to out of state students at the same time. LSU President William Tate said the university profits only about $500 over four years from an in-state student. But even with a generous financial aid package, the margin for each out-of-state student is so high that it subsidizes the tuition assistants for two Louisiana enrollees. Increasing out-of-pocket costs for Louisianians at LSU could lead more students to accept generous financial aid packages at its competitors, or to go to schools like Louisiana Tech or the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Any loss of in-state students would ultimately lead LSU to seek more out of state students, compounding the problem lawmakers have raised to them for months. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Louisiana lawmakers to consider a flat rate for TOPS scholarships
A photo of Keeny Hall at Louisiana Tech University from September 2016. (Creative Commons license) The Louisiana Legislature will consider creating a flat rate for TOPS program scholarships, regardless of what school students attend. It would increase the out of pocket costs for LSU and University of New Orleans students. Currently, the state sets the TOPS award amount that each university receives. House Bill 77 by Rep. Chris Turner, R-Ruston, would decouple those rates from university tuition, meaning students would have to pay more out of pocket to attend more expensive universities but pay less at regional universities such as Nicholls and McNeese. It would create a significant decrease in revenue for LSU and UNO. Turner's bill would also create a new award level that would provide additional money to students who earn at least a 3.5 grade point average and a 31 out of 36 on the ACT college admissions test. If Turner's bill passes, the base-level amount, which approximately half of Louisiana TOPS students receive, would be $6,000 annually, TOPS Performance students, who have at least a 3.25 GPA and a 23 ACT score, would receive $6,500. TOPS Honors students, who have at least a 3.5 GPA and a 27 ACT score, would receive $9,000. The bill's proposed TOPS Excellence award, the new highest amount, would be $12,000. Because the current base TOPS level is above $6,500 at LSU and UNO, both institutions could lose millions in state funding under Turner's plan, while most other schools in the state would see a boost. LSU's nursing programs would also see a funding loss under the bill. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Turner said he and coauthor, House Education Chairwoman Rep. Laurie Schlegel, R-Metairie, worked with some of the state's universities and the Board of Regents on the bill, which he said was intended to create fairness between the universities and to help keep high-performing students in the state. 'It wasn't fair to give this university more and not the other one,' Turner said in an interview. 'All the institutions would be treated equally.' The Taylor Opportunity Program for Students, more commonly known as TOPS, is a merit-based scholarship program that helps Louisiana students attend in-state schools. Turner said he believed the bill would hurt LSU on the lower end, but that it would make up its loss through the new Excellence award amount. But LSU's main campus has nearly 10,000 students who would lose TOPS funding under the bill and only a small number of students who would qualify for Excellence. Any potential loss in funding would hit UNO particularly hard as it grapples with a budget crisis and looks to cut millions from its budget. Students currently enrolled at LSU and UNO would begin to pay more out of pocket for the fall semester if the bill passes in its current form. The proposal is expected to face staunch opposition, because of its impact on LSU and UNO and an overall cost increase for TOPS. Gov. Jeff Landry has pushed for a standstill budget after voters rejected Amendment 2 in the March 29 election. It would have moved hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue from state savings accounts into Louisiana's general fund for lawmakers to spend. For some schools with lower tuition and fees, the new award amounts would create an excess for students. Under present law, that money would be applied to students' room and board expenses, which typically are paid out of pocket. But under a new law the legislature approved last year, schools have complete autonomy to raise their fees, meaning they could increase the cost of attendance to meet the new award amount — and increase their revenues. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
CBS News
05-02-2025
- Health
- CBS News
Two state lawmakers in Allegheny County working on legislation to require restaurants to add allergy warnings
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Two Pennsylvania lawmakers who serve Allegheny County are trying to advance a proposed bill that would require restaurants to add allergy warnings for customers and employees. The State House could vote on the legislation as soon as Wednesday. State Rep. Arvind Venkat, (D)-30th District, the only physician in the state legislature, is hoping the bill becomes law so it can help prevent serious trips to the emergency room and save lives. If you're one of the more than 33 million Americans who have a food allergy, you know how a sudden allergic reaction can quickly ruin a night out to eat. "Food allergies are an epidemic in our community," Rep. Venkat said. "Nearly half of the food allergy exposures that result in emergency department visits are from restaurants," Venkat said. Also, According to the CDC, one in three people with food allergies report having a reaction in a restaurant. A piece of legislation on the table in Harrisburg aims to minimize those risks. State Rep. Venkat is an emergency physician with Allegheny Health Network who has seen people end up in intensive care because of food allergens. He sponsored House Bill 77 with state Rep. Natalie Mihalek. He said the bill would order restaurants and other food establishments to display food allergen warnings on menus or written clearly on something else for customers to read and add allergy awareness posters in food prep areas for employees to remember. "So that customers are aware of the possibility of exposure to food allergens, that they can notify their servers or whoever's selling them their food about whatever food allergies they may have. As well as to make sure that in food preparation, people are well aware of the dangers of cross-contamination," Venkat said. The legislation would also require food allergy safety training for restaurant employees. Venkat said he introduced the bill after he spoke with a Franklin Park woman whose son tragically died from exposure to peanuts at a restaurant several years ago. "I have treated more than my share of food allergy patients; they can be quite critically ill. It's something that I take very seriously, both as a physician as well as the representative in my community," he said. The state Department of Agriculture would oversee the program. Venkat said he believes restaurants are very aware of this issue, and doing what they can to help. But he said more could be done to put people at ease, and this bill passing would be a step in the right direction. "Most food retail establishments, I think, are trying to do this. I see menu notifications quite frequently. But whether that is also occurring in the food preparation areas. And making it something that is done systematically is really important," Venkat said. "To advance this legislation is something that I take great pride in," he added. An early version of the food allergy bill passed the state house late in the last session and did not make it to the state senate for a vote. It recently passed a House committee. A House vote on the measure is expected on Wednesday.
