Citing the need to meet the state’s unfunded health care needs, the Senate Education Committee today rejected the financing plan for elementary and secondary education in Louisiana. The move to defer the Minimum Foundation Program resolution likely frees up more than $84 million in funding that the Senate can use to help plug holes in the state’s budget, which has a $1.6 billion shortfall overall.
Lawmakers can only approve or reject the $3.7 billion education spending plan. Today’s vote means the previous year’s MFP formula, without the $84 million increase for inflation and other needs, likely will be used to determine school funding. The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, which draws up the MFP, does not have time to put forth a revised plan before the end of the legislative session, lawmakers say.
Senators argued that this was not the year to increase funding for schools given that some of the state’s major health care needs were left unfunded in the budget plan that recently cleared the House. The Senate has been considering additional revenue-raising measures, such as a higher cigarette tax, to close those gaps.
“I would hope you look at the entire state and the entire budget and say, ‘hey, maybe this is not the time we do an increase,’” said Sen. Mike Walsworth, R-West Monroe. “We can’t just stay in the silo and say there’s no one else that matters.”
The committee voted to defer the resolution without opposition despite pleas from education officials to pass it and work out a deal before the measure reached the Senate floor.
“If kids aren’t important, if schools aren’t important, I don’t know what is,” said Rep. Steve Carter, R-Baton Rouge, sponsor the MFP resolution and the House Education Committee’s chair.
—A bill to set up a tightly controlled medical marijuana distribution program for patients with serious medical conditions won final approval from the House today.
The House voted 70-29 to approve Senate Bill 149 by Sen. Freddie Mills, R-Parks. It heads back to the Senate for approval of changes made in the House, and Gov. Bobby Jindal recently told The Associated Press that he would sign the bill.
The bill states that marijuana could be prescribed for glaucoma, spastic quadriplegia and for patients undergoing cancer chemotherapy treatment.
There would be 10 dispensing pharmacies around the state, and the growing of marijuana would be supervised by the Agriculture Department. The Louisiana Board of Pharmacy would draw up rules for dispensing medical marijuana.
Mills says he worked with the Louisiana Sheriff’s Association to develop a system that also had the support of other law enforcement groups.
Ahead of the vote, LouisianaCannabis.org and Sensible Marijuana Policy for Louisiana released a web video that was circulating around the Capitol this week offering a supportive argument for final passage.
Jeremy Alford and Jeremy Harper will publish a daily update throughout the legislative session on Daily Report PM. Alford reports on Louisiana politics at LaPolitics.com. Follow him on Twitter or on Facebook. He can be reached at JJA@LaPolitics.com.
