THE WATCH

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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