Latest news with #LouisianaSenate
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Louisiana Senate will reduce funding for Gov. Landry's private school vouchers, chamber leader says
Senate President Cameron Henry, left, speaks with Sen. Pat Connick in the Louisiana Senate on May 27, 2025. (Wes Muller/Louisiana Illuminator) The Louisiana Senate president said his chamber will dramatically scale back funding for the new private school voucher program from what Gov. Jeff Landry and the House of Representatives have pledged. Sen. Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, has said for weeks that the Senate will only fund the new program with $50 million for 2025-26, its first school year. The governor and House lawmakers have allocated considerably more – $94 million – for LA GATOR in their own budget proposals. At $50 million, LA GATOR would only be able to cover the private school tuition costs of 6,000 students in Louisiana's existing school voucher program for the 2025-2025 school year. Landry has pushed to expand private school assistance to 5,300 more children by spending $44 million more. Yet Henry has expressed skepticism about the new voucher initiative and said the Senate voted last year to set up LA GATOR on the condition it would be rolled out cautiously. Senators agreed to cover education expenses for longstanding voucher students in its first year, but no more than that, he said. 'We originally agreed there would be $50 million, and we're going to stick with that,' Henry said in an interview with reporters Tuesday. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX LA GATOR will use state tax dollars to pay for private school student expenses, including tuition, uniforms, after-school tutoring and computers. Those who homeschool could also use LA GATOR to cover their education costs. Eventually, the program is meant to have no income restrictions – meaning students from wealthy, middle-class and poor families could all qualify for the publicly funded private school assistance. In the first year of the program, however, it was expected to be confined mostly to low-income students and children with disabilities because of the limited slots available. Landry touts LA GATOR as one of his signature initiatives and has put public pressure on Henry to dedicate more money to the program. Earlier this month, the governor attended a rally near the State Capitol in support of LA GATOR with more than 100 students from New Orleans-area private schools. Landry led the students in a chant of 'Please support GATOR scholarships!' in the courtyard of the Pentagon Barracks, the dormitory for state lawmakers during the legislative session. Louisiana homeowners might get option to insure their properties for 'stated value' Conservative groups aligned with Landry have also launched advertising campaigns in recent weeks that promote the LA GATOR scholarship and that urge Henry and other senators to 'fully fund' the program. But on Tuesday, Henry appeared unfazed by the political pressure. 'Not all conservative Republicans agree with what the governor wants to do,' he said. Instead of spending an extra $44 million on LA GATOR, Henry said the Senate would put the money toward a tutoring program for kindergarten to third-grade students that launched last year but is currently unfunded in the budget. The extra money could also be used to cover pay increases for public school teachers who work in hard-to-fill positions such as special education, math and science. Some of the money could also go to local sheriffs who house state prisoners, Henry said. The senator's primary concern over LA GATOR is the long-term impact on state finances. He worries the program could potentially become so expensive as it expands that it would become harder for the state to pay for infrastructure projects, higher education and other priorities. Similar private education voucher programs have caused money problems in other states. The Texas voucher program is expected to cost $1 billion per year when it starts in 2026. The Florida program, started in 2023, costs $3.9 billion, or one out of every $13 of that state government's general fund, according to the Associated Press, A large chunk of voucher funding in Florida and Arizona goes to wealthy families. Over two-thirds of the students drawing down the grants in Florida already went to private school before receiving the voucher, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Henry would like to prevent a similar situation in Louisiana, wherein the state finds itself subsidizing private education for families who would pay for it otherwise. He fears LA GATOR would result in the state not only having to pay for public schools, but also private schools it doesn't currently support. 'We also don't want this to turn into where people are just creating schools just for [LA GATOR],' Henry said. 'The point is to have established schools or programs that are helping these kids move from where they are to where they want to be.' University of New Orleans transfer to LSU System expected to cost $23 million this year The same education advocates pushing for LA GATOR also pressed for Louisiana's current voucher program, set up under former Gov. Bobby Jindal in 2012. That initiative, which is focused exclusively on low-income families, has failed to live up to its promises, Henry said. Students enrolled in the Jindal voucher program have performed worse on standardized tests than their peers in public schools, according to The Times-Picayune, despite the state spending a half a billion dollars on their private education over the past decade. Voucher advocates deserve skepticism after they promoted a program that performed poorly, according to Henry. 'If the voucher program was doing so well, we wouldn't be changing it,' he said. The Senate is expected to unveil its markup of the budget next week and will have to reach a compromise with the Louisiana House over the final product by June 12. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Louisiana Senate rejects bill for new trials on Jim Crow juries
BATON ROUGE, La. (KTAL/KMSS) — A segment of people in Louisiana prisons have lost their chance to appeal their cases. Proposed bill in Texas would prohibit minors from using social media. Learn tips for managing child's online activity The Louisiana Senate failed to pass Senate Bill 218, which Senator Royce Duplessis introduced and would have allowed people convicted by 'Jim Crow Juries' to receive new trials. In 1898, Louisiana adopted the split jury convictions during a constitutional convention. This allowed white majority juries to convict black people without coming to a unanimous decision. Louisiana House advances state budget in 2025 legislative session The practice of non-unanimous convictions continued in Louisiana until 2018. In 2020, the Supreme Court ruled that the practice violated the right to an impartial jury, a right guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment. Oregon, the other state that allowed split decisions, granted new trials to hundreds of people. SB 218 would have given people in Louisiana jails the same relief. SB 218 failed on a 9-26 vote, completely along party lines. Republican lawmakers were concerned with overburdening courts with additional trials and the possibility of witnesses being dead or evidence being lost. Supporters countered that district attorneys would ultimately decide whether to hold new trials and that transcripts of testimony from old trials are already used in cases. DOJ dismisses investigations of civil rights violations by Louisiana State Police New Orleans Democrat Senator Royce Duplessis, who authored the bill, said, 'If we choose to vote down this bill, we're saying that justice has an expiration date. We have an opportunity in Louisiana to remove this stain, because right now we are the only ones wearing it.' The lopsided nature of the vote, with only one month left in this year's Legislative Session, makes it unlikely that the bill will have another chance at this session despite the fact that 65% of voters surveyed supported it. For now, an estimated 1,000 men and women in Louisiana prisons, despite the jury not being unanimous, are waiting for a path out. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Louisiana House passes bill that would further cut state's new income tax rate
BATON ROUGE–The House of Representatives voted 86-13 Wednesday to approve a bill that might further cut the state's new flat individual income tax rate and create a tax break for seniors starting in 2027. But the changes could occur only if voters were to pass a constitutional amendment allowing the state to shift hundreds of millions of dollars from reserve funds into the state general fund. Wednesday's vote was just the first step in a lengthy process. Under the bill that the House passed, Louisiana's personal income tax rate would decrease to 2.75% from 3% beginning Jan. 1, 2027, if voters approved the constitutional amendment. In addition, the bill, House Bill 667, calls for residents 65 and older would be eligible for an extra income tax deduction equal to the standard deduction for single filers, currently $12,500, effectively doubling their deduction under existing law. But the Louisiana Senate still needs to consider the bill, and both chambers would need to pass a separate bill creating the constitutional amendment. Voters rejected a much more complicated amendment in March, and they would need to approve a stripped-down version by sometime next year for the changes to happen by 2027. Late last year, Gov. Jeff Landry signed a bill changing the state's personal income tax to a flat 3% rate from a tiered system with the highest rate of 4.25%. According to the Legislative Fiscal Office, the bill would substantially impact Louisiana's budget. The income tax rate reduction alone is projected to reduce state general fund revenue by $54.5 million in 2027, followed by $310.3 million in 2028 and $250.8 million annually in subsequent years. The new deduction for residents aged 65 and older would further reduce revenue by $67.6 million in 2028, $68.6 million in 2029 and $69.7 million in 2030, assuming seniors have enough income to fully claim the benefit. Bill author Rep. Julie Emerson, R-Carencro, said the proposal signals to voters that lawmakers intend to use newly available general fund dollars to offer tax relief, especially for seniors. 'We know that our citizens want to see some relief,' Emerson said. 'This shows them upfront that's what we want to do.' She also argued that Louisiana must keep pace with regional neighbors who are aggressively reducing or eliminating their income taxes. 'We want to continue to lower those rates like the states around us have,' Emerson said. 'Texas being at zero and Florida being at zero and our neighbors in Mississippi are getting on a pathway to zero income tax, I want Louisiana to keep up in order for our economy to continue to grow so we won't be having these conversations about fiscal stability because our economy will continue to grow.' Supporters believe lowering income taxes will make Louisiana more attractive for businesses, retirees and workers, helping to expand the economy. Rep. Matthew Willard, D-New Orleans, who opposed the bill, raised concerns about the timing and long-term fiscal impact. 'The current tax rates haven't even been in effect for half a year,' Willard said. 'Don't you think it would be more prudent to have more data for possibly a year or two?' Willard also questioned whether Louisiana could afford both the tax cuts and maintain commitments like teacher stipends. Emerson responded that the state's Revenue Stabilization Fund, which received over $1 billion last year, would help cover the reductions. 'We feel comfortable with the numbers as they are,' Emerson said. Another layer of uncertainty involves potential budget cuts in Washington. Willard noted that federal policy changes could affect Louisiana's revenue streams from certain federal agencies. 'Is this a good time to make these decisions with so much uncertainty happening at the federal level right now?' Willard asked. Emerson acknowledged the unpredictability but argued the state should not delay. 'Every year we debate these things, and there are always changes at the federal level,' Emerson said. Do you live somewhere 'tax friendly'? Map shows every state's grade She spent 5 hectic days in Vietnam trying to save 100s of babies Trump rips Powell after Federal Reserve holds rates steady: 'FOOL' Ford raises prices on three models amid pressures from Trump tariffs Baton Rouge Soul Food Festival 2025: What to know about schedule, music lineup Fan sues NFL for $100M after Shedeur Sanders' late draft pick Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
