Kayla Mims

The latest wave of Covid-19 cases is prompting many state and local governments to implement further restrictions on indoor dining and other social gatherings. While these public health restrictions are necessary, the slowdown in economic activity also will reduce tax revenues that support vital services. … Read more...

Two decades after Louisiana adopted strict testing and accountability standards for its public schools, the state continues to languish at or near the bottom of many national rankings. Now state Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley is proposing an overhaul of the system – the first since the late 1990s – with the aim of improving literacy in the earliest grades and closing the achievement gap between white students and students of color.… Read more...

Shell’s decision to close its oil refinery in Convent has turbocharged the debate about Louisiana’s energy economy. As Tyler Bridges reports for The Times-Picayune | Baton Rouge Advocate, the oil and gas industry’s footprint has been declining for years – both in the number of jobs it provides and the revenue it produces for state government. … Read more...

The Covid-19 economic downturn has taken a steep toll on local government finances, especially in tourism-dependent New Orleans. The federal CARES Act was designed to provide some relief by steering aid to states that could then be used to reimburse local authorities for virus-related expenses.… Read more...