Overall state aid to colleges and universities was flat this year but lawmakers approved $610 million in construction, with promises of more for future phases of new projects.
They cover issues such as stock market investments, property tax exemptions and freezes for disabled veterans and those who are totally disabled and banning slavery and limiting “involuntary servitude” of prisoners.
Last year’s federal infrastructure bill allotted $62 billion to bolster and update the nation’s electric grid, which could result in $9.2 million annually to Louisiana for the next five years if the state’s application is approved.
Some argue the technology would help bring jobs and tax revenue to the state while removing greenhouse gas out of the air. But others fear the projects would disturb natural environments or become safety risks.
As of July, approximately 440,000 Louisianans have voluntarily left their jobs this year, the highest total for the first seven months of a year since 2000. But experts say mobility signals a healthy economy, albeit a challenging one for employers.
Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne feels confident that the state will, once again, have money remaining from the current fiscal year for use in the next one. But if the state is required to pay for storm damage cleanup costs, that number could change.
The state’s House Ways & Means Committee began to study the possibility of removing individual and corporate income taxes, which would require significant reworking of property, sales or other taxes to offset the loss in revenue.
The state’s trigger law has been blocked twice since the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Experts are concerned about how a court decision could impact the rest of the nation’s reproductive care.
New funding is providing unparalleled opportunities to invest in climate resilience by building natural infrastructure to protect vulnerable communities.
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