Economic Opportunity
The Covid-19 pandemic caused tremendous hardship in 2020. But timely federal aid and safety net programs dampened the blow and effectively kept millions of Americans out of poverty, according to the latest U.S. Census data. Louisiana, though, has suffered through a string of natural disasters in addition to the pandemic.… Read more...
Federal pandemic relief dollars lessened the pressure on the state budget and allowed the Legislature to make important new investments in education, including a much-needed boost to the Go Grants program that will make college more affordable for low-income students and the creation of the M.J.… Read more...
Too often women are forced to make an impossible choice between a healthy pregnancy and providing for their families. Louisiana lawmakers have an opportunity to support women, their families and businesses through Senate Bill 215 by Sen. Regina Barrow. This bill requires companies with 25 or more employees to provide reasonable accommodations for pregnant and postpartum workers unless it causes undue hardship for the business. … Read more...
Long before the Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on our state’s economy, Louisiana workers who lost their jobs through no fault of their own were stuck with some of the lowest unemployment benefits in the country.
Louisiana’s maximum weekly benefit of $247 is the third lowest in the nation, behind Mississippi and Arizona.… Read more...