BATON ROUGE, La.— Louisiana lawmakers return Monday to the state Capitol for their first full-length regular session since the pandemic began and with far more topics than the coronavirus on the agenda.
Republican legislative leaders are pushing a wide-ranging overhaul of Louisiana’s tax structure. Gov. John Bel Edwards wants to give pay raises to public school teachers and college faculty in a budget that, for once, isn’t riddled with holes.
Annual discussions about whether to legalize recreational marijuana use, loosen gun laws and raise the minimum wage will return. New arguments are planned about curbing police tactics, regulating social media and redesigning Louisiana’s election system. The two-month session must end by June 10.
