Financial help is on the way for Louisiana communities that frequently have to boil their drinking water to make it safe, and for places where aging sewer systems present a public health risk.
As expected, Gov. John Bel Edwards and Louisiana lawmakers were not on the same page Tuesday about how the state should spend billions of dollars in additional, unexpected revenue.
The House approved the next fiscal year’s 36.4 billion dollar spending plan and found agreement on how to spend 800 million of the 1.6 billion in American Rescue Act funds Louisiana receives this year.
House Appropriations Chairman Jerome Zeringue highlighted the increased investment they were able to put into higher education. 56 million additional dollars are being directed to higher ed to boost institutional funding, grants, and faculty pay. Zeringue also noted they found the funds to double the Governor’s proposed 400 dollar teacher pay raise to 800 dollars.
The total budget for next year sits at 42 billion dollars.
There were a number of smaller increases and new programs financed for next year’s budget, including a boost to foster family assistance.