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On the rise: Gas prices in Louisiana remain below the national average, with regular gas averaging $2.83 across the state as of June 23—nearly 39 cents cheaper than the national average of $3.22. In the Baton Rouge metro area, prices are even lower, averaging $2.80. Over the past month, Louisiana’s average regular gas price has climbed by about 12 cents, and by roughly 8 cents over the past week. Despite this recent uptick, prices are still nearly 18 cents lower than they were a year ago. See more from the AAA Fuel Prices tracker.
Tax credit debate: More than 100 state and local officials from the Midwest and West are asking the U.S. Senate to eliminate tax credits for carbon capture and sequestration as part of a federal budget reconciliation bill. Established by Congress and then-President George W. Bush in 2008, the 45Q tax credits incentivize companies to capture carbon dioxide from processes such as ethanol production and sequester it underground, so it won’t contribute to climate change by acting as a greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. Opponents say the credits don’t work as intended. Read more from Louisiana Illuminator.
Contract approved: The Louisiana Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget approved on Friday a nearly $2 million contract extension with education technology company Odyssey to continue managing the state’s new LA Giving All True Opportunity to RISE, or LA GATOR, scholarship program through June 2026. The contract, valued at up to $1.93 million, covers operations, account management and technical support services for the program, which provides state-funded education scholarships for eligible K-12 students attending nonpublic schools or using approved education services. Read more from The Center Square.
