Melinda Deslatte
October 18, 2018
Gov. John Bel Edwards and several legislators have said that pay raises for public school teachers and support workers is a top priority in 2019. But the exact size of that raise is likely to be the subject of heated debate in the coming months - a skirmish that started Wednesday when a state task force began reviewing the annual state funding formula for public schools.
Number of the Day
$12.2 million - Savings this fiscal year as a result of 2017 criminal justice reforms that have reduced Louisiana’s prison population. (Source: AP)September 26, 2018
Louisiana has seen the largest increase in food insecurity in the last decade, with 1 in 6 households struggling each year to afford a consistent, healthy diet, according to a new report from the United States Department of Agriculture.
Number of the Day
23,400 - Number of jobs Louisiana is predicted to add in 2019, a 1.2 percent increase. (Source: Baton Rouge Advocate)September 24, 2018
President Donald Trump is proposing to make life much harder for legal immigrants to the United States. A new federal rule - long anticipated but filed late Saturday night - would make it more difficult for people to stay in the country if they use “non-cash” forms of public assistance such as housing vouchers, food benefits or Medicare drug benefits.
Number of the Day
24,197 - Number of people on a waiting list for affordable housing vouchers in New Orleans in 2017-18. Overall, the New Orleans area saw a decrease in availability of affordable housing over the past year (Source: HousingNola, 2018 Report Card)September 17, 2018
By most conventional measures, America’s economy is booming. But for millions of Americans, it doesn’t feel like a boom.