THE WATCH
Calcasieu Teachers Take Field Trip to Oppose New Accountability Standards for Louisiana Public Schools
Calcasieu Parish teachers recently took a field trip to Baton Rouge to oppose the adoption of new accountability standards for Louisiana public schools.
Louisiana School Leader Testifies Against Accountability and Misspells Accountability
Louisiana school leader testifying against accountability misspells accountability #lalege #lagov #laed
Has Senate Judiciary A Committee Killed Louisiana’s Best Chance for Auto Insurance Relief?
The wait for relief from Louisiana’s sky-high auto insurance rates continues for hardworking families and small businesses as a result of some politicians in Swampland who continue to choose the status quo over meaningful change.
Education Swamp Fighting Gov. Landry & Parents to Protect their Fiefdoms
Governor Jeff Landry and the Louisiana Legislature are working to pass legislation this Session to establish Louisiana’s first fully-universal school choice program to give parents more control over their children's education-- but education swamp leaders are fighting parents, lawmakers and the governor to try and ensure it never happens.
The Education Swamp’s Complicated Relationship with Basic Math
The Minimum Foundation Program (MFP) proposal recommended by the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) and now under consideration by lawmakers increases funding for the upcoming school year by $71.3 million—bringing the state’s total investment in K-12 education to over $4.3 billion.
US SENATOR JOHN KENNEDY, GOV-ELECT JEFF LANDRY, AND KEY LEGISLATORS DENOUNCE EDUCATION SWAMP LEADERS ON RULE CHANGES TO DESTROY LOUISIANA’S GRADUATION STANDARDS
The Louisiana House Education Committee held a rare oversight hearing today to consider a rule change championed by education swamp leaders to give graduation diplomas to high school students—even if they failed the required graduation exit exam. After nearly five hours of public testimony from outraged state leaders, parents, teachers, and policy experts, the committee voted 8-3 to overturn it.
Louisiana voters reject education swamp, support education freedom
Even though the issue has not received much local media attention, it is clear the school choice wave sweeping across America has finally reached Louisiana—and boy, has it landed in a big way!
Incompetent School Boards Wasting Critical Education Funds
Back in 1897, Mark Twain wrote, “In the first place, God made idiots. This was for practice. Then He made School Boards.” It seems not much has changed since Twain penned these infamous words, as public contempt for the elected bodies that oversee our government-run school systems is stronger than ever.
It’s Christmas in July for Some Non-Profits in Swampland
The Louisiana State Bond Commission approved over $3.6 billion in financing last Thursday for a long slate of capital outlay projects authorized by the Louisiana Legislature during their unprecedented spending spree in Swampland (the Baton Rouge Capitol) earlier this year. This included over $105 million in cash lines of credit and new long-term debt obligations to finance projects for a select group of well-connected non-profit groups.
Headlines You May Have Missed
It’s the dog days of summer, and many Louisianians have been focused on LSU baseball, the missing Titanic sub, and the 4th of July holiday. Here’s a rundown of key headlines that you may have missed.
Lessons from the 2023 Budget Spending Fiasco— This Year’s busted spending cap sets up a future fiscal cliff
The $51 billion bloated budget approved by the Louisiana Legislature in the final moments of the chaotic legislative session was wasteful, reckless, and irresponsible. This amount of spending does not come without consequences. Not only will it cost Louisiana families thousands of dollars and kill quality jobs, but it also sets up a future fiscal cliff that could lead to more taxes. We cannot afford to let that happen.
Lessons from the 2023 Budget Fiasco— Blind budgeting doesn’t work
Lawmakers approved more than $51 billion in government spending in a flurry of chaotic votes that took place in the final moments of a two-month-long legislative session—but most of the members had absolutely no idea what they were voting on.
2023 Budget Spending Fiasco Reveals Underlying Problems that Must Be Fixed for Louisiana to Prosper
The Louisiana Legislature concluded an unprecedented legislative session in June, which pitted the governor, legislative leaders, and some state lawmakers against fiscal conservatives, Swampwatchers, and other reformers in an epic budget battle that will be remembered around the State Capitol for a long time—and not for the good it did.
In the end, limited government, fiscal responsibility, and taxpayers all lost big time.
LA Education Swamp Leaders Move to Water Down High School Graduation Requirements
Thousands of Louisiana seniors graduated high school this summer. They did so by staying in school and working hard to meet a modest set of graduation standards that have been in place for at least 30 years. Now BESE is considering action that will eviscerate the state’s existing graduation requirements and make those diplomas far less valuable.
Tales from the Crypt: Remember that Time Gov. Edwards Told Louisiana to “Say Farewell to College Football”
Back in 2016 Governor John Bel Edwards bullied lawmakers into passing the largest tax increase in the U.S. At the time, Edwards described the state budget situation as “dire” and he predicted massive layoffs of state employees, catastrophic hospital closings and college campuses that would be forced to declare bankruptcy if the legislature didn’t pass his tax increases. Edwards even threatened to cancel LSU football if he didn’t get his way.
House Conservatives Key to Reining in Excessive State Spending and Activating Pro-Growth Tax Cuts During Final Hours of Session Debate
This Legislative Session, Governor John Bel Edwards and the state Senate are putting on a masterclass in excessive government spending. Now it is up to leaders in the conservative-led state House to put a stop to the madness and advance policies that will get Louisiana’s economy back on track.
Shameful Spending of Education Recovery Money Continues in Ouachita Parish
Despite the serious and long-lasting consequences that extended school closures had on student achievement, many public-school districts are throwing recovery money into pet projects that have nothing to do with helping students recover from the pandemic.
Education swamp pushes to kill spending transparency
Louisiana spends over $4 billion a year on K-12 education. Taxpayers and parents have a right to know where that money is going and how it is being spent—but the education swamp is pushing to ensure that never happens.
School Superintendents Against Spending TransparencY
As the debate over public school spending transparency ramps up at the Louisiana State Capitol this Legislative Session, public school superintendents from across the state are working overtime to kill reform efforts that would make it easier for you to find out how they are spending your money.
Louisiana Lawmakers Seeking Plenty of Pork This Session
When the Louisiana House of Representatives passed a $345 million supplemental spending bill last week, they made sure it was loaded with plenty of pork barrel projects.