State Senate President Cameron Henry said a task force could find money in education budgets for a permanent teacher pay raise in 2027. (Photo by Avery White / LSU Manship School News Service) BATON ROUGE — Despite the failure of a constitutional amendment that would have guaranteed Louisiana public school teachers a permanent $2,000 pay raise, Gov. Jeff Landry said Tuesday he will find the money for stipends. But he left unclear where the money would come from, as lawmaker

State Sen. Glen Womack, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, said a projected drop in state finances prompted budget cuts to several programs. (Photo by Cross Harris / LSU Manship School News Service) BATON ROUGE — After a 30-minute meeting with no debate, a Senate committee voted 9-0 to advance the state budget Thursday, removing the $43.5 million expansion of the school voucher program that had been included in the House and governor’s budgets. The Revenue Estimating Conf

State Sen. Jay Morris said his congressional redistricting plan tracks 2011 and 2022 maps that received “tacit” approval from the U.S. Justice Department and the Supreme Court. (Photo by Cross Harris / LSU Manship School News Service) BATON ROUGE — An amended congressional district map eliminating one of Louisiana’s two majority-black districts was approved by the House and Governmental Affairs Committee in a 10-7 vote down party lines Thursday after a 10-hour hearing highlig

House Speaker Pro Tempore Mike Johnson said local parishes should have more authority in determining whether or not to allow carbon-capture sequestration projects. (Photo by Cross Harris / LSU Manship School News Service) BATON ROUGE — A flurry of bills that would have given broader local control to carbon-capture projects failed Tuesday in a House committee. The House Natural Resources and Environment Committee heard more than a dozen bills and almost five hours of debate

Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter, R-Port Allen, left, and Sen. Gary Carter, D-New Orleans, right, were on different sides of Senate Bill 121. (Photo by Gracie Thomas / LSU Manship School News Service) BATON ROUGE — The Senate voted 27-10 along party lines Thursday to advance to the House a new voting map that favors Republican candidates in five of Louisiana’s six congressional districts. After a contentious, 9 1/2-hour meeting in the Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee that las

U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields, D-La., said the state’s black voters, who represent nearly one-third of the population, demand fair representation. (Photo by U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields Facebook) BATON ROUGE — A 5-1 congressional redistricting map will go before the Senate floor on Thursday, but not without continued pushback from Black legislators and the public. The new map maintains District 1, represented by House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, and District 4, held by Speaker of the Hou