Landrieu looking to participate in La. education reform conversation

Sen. Mary Landrieu says private school vouchers should not be the “centerpiece” for education reform in Louisiana. She says private schools don’t have room for the 388,000 students who in theory would be eligible under Gov. Bobby Jindal’s current voucher proposal. “But [vouchers] used in a strategic and limited way might be helpful” in certain parishes, she says. Landrieu says the state should look into tweaking its funding model in an effort to even out total public education spending across parishes. She expects to have some influence on the education reform conversation happening at the state level, she says, possibly by helping to bring together opposing sides or providing information about what works in other states. “This isn’t a Republican or a Democratic issue,” she says. “This is a reform issue.” Public charter schools are producing impressive results in some cases, she says, but it’s important to make sure only high-quality operators are given charters.
In her remarks today to the Baton Rouge Press Club and afterward, Landrieu also:
—Says she will run for re-election, adding she doesn’t expect the unpopularity in Louisiana of fellow Democrat and President Barack Obama will harm her chances, citing her support for the oil and gas industry and work on coastal erosion and protection, among other issues.
—Defended her vote against the “Blunt amendment,” which would have allowed employers to refuse to cover certain health care services [such as contraception], saying that the amendment was overly broad and that “contraception helps prevent abortions.” A few people from Baton Rouge Right to Life protested outside the event to draw attention to her lack of support for the amendment. —David Jacobs