State Budget

The regular session ended Thursday, and lawmakers approved a $51 billion budget for the coming fiscal year, which starts in July.

A bill that would expand the definition of “coerced abortion” received final passage in the Senate.

The Louisiana House on Thursday passed a budget proposal that includes funds to retain current teacher salaries. The budget still has to clear the Senate Finance Committee before it goes before the upper chamber.

Gov. Jeff Landry tied public school teacher pay to a constitutional amendment on budget and tax policies that failed spectacularly at the polls Saturday.

Gov. Jeff Landry’s top budget and tax officials presented a plan for the coming fiscal year to a joint committee of the Legislature on Thursday, despite growing uncertainty over how potential federal funding cuts could affect the state's finances.

Louisiana is projected to have tens of millions of extra dollars to spend after the state ended its last budget year with a $590 million surplus, according to the latest calculation.

Louisiana lawmakers passed a final budget and several other items earlier this week, bringing the regular session — the third legislative session this year — to a close. See what passed.

Lawmakers gave final approval to a judicial budget with one-time stipends for judges and brought this year’s session to a close just minutes before the 6 p.m. deadline.

Lawmakers are one step closer to wrapping up this year’s session after the House passed the bulk of a state budget with some mixed results for education efforts.

Lawmakers in the Senate are expected to consider the state budget proposal on Friday, making it unlikely the session will end ahead of schedule.