The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana on Monday released its commentary on the nearly $48 billion state budget that was approved by the Louisiana House of Representatives last week.
While PAR “appreciates that Gov. Jeff Landry and House leaders are budgeting with an acknowledgement of next year’s fiscal cliff,” the organization is “disheartened” to see that the budget proposes cuts to early childhood education and contains no new funding for coastal protection.
“The state would pay for nearly 2,000 fewer children to access early learning programs,” PAR writes.
PAR is also concerned that only some public school teachers would receive short-term raises under the proposal, all while state troopers and many of Landry’s cabinet secretaries would receive permanent pay hikes. The organization is likewise disappointed by the roughly $50 million that would “flow to legislative earmarks that received no public discussion or vetting,” as well as the budget’s inclusion of “yet another round of pet projects.”
