Economic Opportunity

May 12, 2022

Baby Bonds Could Start to Close the Racial Wealth Gap

One in 4 Louisiana children lives in poverty. These children’s families can hardly afford to meet their basic needs, let alone save for the future. To put our state on a path to address this, Rep. Royce Duplessis has introduced House Concurrent Resolution 94, which asks the Department of Children and Family Services to study a policy tool that has gained national popularity in recent years: baby bonds.… Read more...

April 26, 2022

It’s time for Louisiana to raise the wage

As workers struggle to keep up with rising costs, Louisiana continues to be one of only five states without a state minimum wage. This means many workers in our state continue to work for the $7.25 federal minimum wage, which has not been raised since 2009.… Read more...

April 20, 2022

A Recovery Agenda for Louisiana Fact Sheet

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April 14, 2022

Legislature must avoid UI reforms that hurt workers

Louisiana’s unemployment insurance system is supposed to protect workers who lose their job through no fault of their own by providing support to help make ends meet while they look for work or retrain for a new occupation. But Louisiana’s unemployment benefits are notoriously skimpy, with average weekly benefits that are currently the lowest among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.  … Read more...