john kennedy
December 6, 2018
A worker in Louisiana earning the minimum wage would have to work 76 hours per week to afford a one-bedroom rental home, according to a new report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition. Louisiana does not have a state minimum wage and relies on the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour. The federal minimum wage has not increased since 2009 and has lost 12.9 percent of its purchasing power since that time. The report also paints a grim picture for affordable housing across the nation.
Number of the Day
$717 - Monthly “fair market” rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Louisiana. A worker would need to make $14.07 per hour to make that affordable - which would require 76 hours per week of work at the $7.25 federal minimum wage (Source: National Low Income Housing Coalition)August 21, 2018
The 2017 Louisiana Health Insurance Survey results released Monday revealed the first substantial drop in the percentage of uninsured adults since LSU researchers began conducting the survey in 2003.
Number of the Day
350,467 - Estimated number of people in Louisiana who did not have health insurance in 2017, including 29,000 children. (Source: 2017 Louisiana Health Insurance Survey)August 14, 2018
Speaking recently on the Senate floor, Sen. John Kennedy said, “I want fewer people to need food stamps. And the best way that we can do that for those who are able to work is to help them get a job." Kennedy is right: when people are able to find good jobs, they’re less likely to need the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which is evidenced by the latest data on SNAP participation and the state’s unemployment rate.