[StBernard] BLANCO TRACK: Session Update for June 19, 2007; Today's progress on Governor Blanco's agenda to stre

Westley Annis westley at da-parish.com
Tue Jun 19 22:00:56 EDT 2007


BLANCO TRACK: Session Update for Tuesday, June 19, 2007;Today's progress on Governor Blanco's agenda to Strengthen Louisiana's Future

BATON ROUGE - With a week left in the 2007 Regular Session, Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco's legislative package continues to advance with several of the following bills moving through the legislature today:

"I am pleased that we have won strong bipartisan support for our budget and the bills that invest one-time surplus dollars in critical areas across this state. For years our people have wanted to see their tax dollars targeted in areas like education, economic development and health care. Today we took a great step forward in making significant investments in these key areas," said Gov. Blanco.

House Concurrent Resolution 10 - FY 2007-08 Expenditure Limit

* Sponsored by Representative John Alario

* This legislation raises the expenditure limit for Fiscal Year FY 2006-2007 to fully fund the expenditures in HB 765.

* Approved by the House of Representatives, heads next to the Senate for committee referral.

House Bill 765 - Supplemental Appropriations

* Sponsored by Representative John Alario

* This bill appropriates the FY 05-06 surplus and the FY 06-07 available revenue for one time purposes including economic development, education, healthcare, roads, ports and recovery initiatives.

* Approved by the House of Representatives, heads to the Senate for committee referral.

House Bill 1 - Operating Expenses of State Government

* Sponsored by Representative John Alario.

* This bill outlines the Governor's executive budget, including the following key components:
Education: Provides a pay increase for Louisiana's teachers to the SREB average, as well as a pay increase for support workers; expands LA4 Early Childhood program for all at-risk children, funds Louisiana's High School Redesign initiative; and invests in education technology including a laptop pilot program for two 6th grade classes in every parish.
Higher Education: Provides 100 percent Formula Funding for higher education institutions, provides for non-formula and over-formula institutions at three percent of their formula amounts, provides a faculty pay increase, establishes Louisiana's first substantial need-based scholarships program, provides targeted funding for hurricane-affected campuses to assist with faculty recruitment, retention and to help restore and recover key research and operational capacity; funds t! he Community and Technical College Development Pool; and funds more workforce training focused on the construction trades, nursing and allied health.
Health Care: Provides funding to increase private and public provider rates, expansion of disability waiver slots, continue uncompensated care pool, funding for health care redesign, and expansion of nursing teaching programs services for behavioral health (mental health and addictive disorders)
Pay Increases: Provides for increased fire and police supplemental pay by $125 per month, a special pay package for correctional officers to reduce high turnover rate - $6,000 per officer (excludes wardens and assistant wardens), and a modest state employee pay raise - $1,500.

* Approved by the Senate, heads next to the House of Representatives for approval of amendments.

House Bill 558-Premium reductions for retrofitting

* Sponsored by Speaker Joe Salter

* This bill mandates that insurance companies provide rate reductions to homeowners complying with the new statewide building codes or hardening their existing structures.

* Approved by Senate, heads next to the House of Representatives for approval of amendments.

Senate Bill 155-Refundable Child Tax Credit

* Sponsored by Senator Lydia Jackson

* This bill provides a state child tax credit that is 10 percent of the federal child tax credit

* Approved by the House Ways and Means Committee, heads next to the full House for further consideration.

Click here for more on the legislative session. <http://www.gov.state.la.us/index.cfm?md=pagebuilder&tmp=home&navID=50&cpID=169&cfmID=0&catID=0>

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Louisiana's Fund for Louisiana's People
www.louisianahelp.org




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