Will Sentell
December 18, 2018
Louisiana spends less on mental health care, per capita, than 43 other states. In the absence of state investment, police are often the first responders for people facing a mental health crisis.
Number of the Day
$6,800,000,000 - Funding lost to Louisiana public schools since the state’s suspended an annual 2.75% inflationary increase in per-student spending, in 2008. (Source: Louisiana Budget Project)November 13, 2018
Homeowners, non-manufacturing businesses and ordinary citizens are the big losers when local and state government give away billions of dollars in property tax breaks for large petrochemical plants. That’s the argument from former Baton Rouge Councilman Ryan Heck, a Republican, who outlined his views about the Industrial Tax Exemption Program in an essay for the far-right blog The Hayride.
Number of the Day
21 - Percentage of Americans that have no money saved for retirement (Source: Northwestern Mutual)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.