March: In the News

The Louisiana Budget Project has been cited in the news weighing in on various important debates such as the school voucher plan, the health insurance exchange, state pensions and health care reform.

In February, LBP received a great deal of press on our position regarding the governor’s school voucher plan and March was no exception. LBP was cited in articles in the following papers: The Times-Picayune, The Advocate, and The Daily Comet. Last week, LBP was cited in a letter published in The Advocate mentioning our opinion that the voucher plan lacks accountability and transparency.

In early March, LBP director Jan Moller was featured in a story about the state retirement system that aired on Louisiana Public Broadcasting’s “Louisiana Public Square.” In the segment Jan explains why the debts in the state’s pension plan affects everyone. Watch the segment here. (For a brief overview, watch the backgrounder or read the handout.)

The Baton Rouge Business Report wrote about LBP’s health insurance exchange fact sheet. The fact sheet served as a reminder to Louisiana legislators and other interested parties that several important policy decisions and milestones lie ahead as the state and federal government move to set up a new health insurance exchange.

The American Press cited LBP’s opinion on state tax breaks and loopholes in the tax code. Here is an excerpt:

Jan Moller, director of the Louisiana Budget Project, said Louisiana’s tax code is full of costly loopholes that benefit large, profitable corporations. 

“It is at the expense of job-creating investments in education, transportation, public safety and other building blocks of a strong economy.” 

Last week, The Shreveport Times published an op-ed by LBP analyst Steve Spires discussing several benefits of health care reform, in light of the two-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act.

LBP has a new tab on our website entitled LBP Presents. We will begin posting audio-enhanced visual presentations on various budget-related topics. Our first two presentations, “Louisiana Budget Basics” and “Payday Lending in Louisiana” are online now. Share these short, informative videos with your friends and on your social media outlets.

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