Don’t Forfeit Our Future
COVID-19 is triggering state and local budget crises across the nation, especially in Louisiana. Our state and local governments are facing decreased revenue while simultaneously incurring huge new costs as they seek to contain and treat the coronavirus and respond to the virus-induced spike in joblessness and related human needs.
We cannot get back to work, back to school and back to our future without critical investments, and without ensuring workers have a voice in that process. For too long, teachers have been asked to do too much with too little
In April, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the HEROES Act which has the potential to drastically help Louisiana if passed by the Senate and signed into law. Because of decreasing tourism revenue, decreased sales taxes and plummeting oil prices Louisiana’s economy has been hit harder by COVID-19 than any other state in the nation. Before this is over, Louisiana is projected to see 269,477 jobs lost by July as a result of COVID-19, and the unemployment rate is expected to be 18 percent.
The HEROES Act could mitigate some of this damage by providing relief funding to states and local governments. Louisiana would receive $1.5 billion in education funding for public K-12 and public colleges and universities if the Senate passed the HEROES Act. The K-12 portion of these funds would provide Louisiana $981.7 million. That’s enough to save or restore the positions of 6,072 teachers, 1,657 teacher aides and 4,129 other workers. We would also receive $8.6 billion in direct aid to the state and $4.7 in direct aid to local governments to offset the economic damage from the pandemic and $1.9 billion in Medicaid funding.
It's imperitive that teachers, nurses, support staff and other public servents make it clear to our Senators that we need them to pass this funding to save our communities.
Click here to write an email to Senators Cassidy and Kennedy.
Click here to call Senators Cassidy and Kennedy.
Ask them both to support the HEROES Act!