With two weeks still left in the session, the Legislature approves a record 38 billion dollar spending plan for the fiscal year starting in July.
Senate President Page Cortez said because of federal assistance there were a lot of things they could accomplish so lawmakers didn’t argue about the little things.
“First and foremost is that there’s been a huge effort of cooperation in the spirit of cooperation between the House of Representatives and the Senate,” Cortez said.
Despite frequent talk of increasing early childhood education funding, no additional dollars were allocated to it.
Cortez highlighted a few of the major investments they were able to make thanks to the American Rescue Act Assistance, including infrastructure.
“We put 563 million dollars towards roads and infrastructure and another 300 million towards water infrastructure in many of the rural water lines and sewer lines,” Cortez said.
The state also paid down 400 million dollars of a one billion dollar outstanding payment we owe to the federal government over the 12 billion dollar New Orleans levee system built after Hurricane Katrina. The unemployment trust fund was also replenished with 490 million dollars. After paying back some money owed to the feds that put the fund at a net of 300 million dollars.
Also included was an 800 dollar teacher pay raise and a roughly two and a half percent higher education faculty pay raise. Cortez said they may be reoccurring costs, but it’s a priority that’s worth it.
“Will there be bad times, there always are in the future, and you just got to make the cuts when times come but for now if we can help get our state more in line with other states with regards to teaching and education salaries we want to do that,” Cortez said.
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