Louisiana
How big is Louisiana’s budget deficit next year? It depends on teacher pay. • Louisiana Illuminator
Louisiana’s official state budget deficit estimate for the next fiscal year has shrunk from $558.8 million to $338.9 million, but mostly because stipends for school teachers and support staff have been left out of the more recent calculation.
The $338.9 million projection assumes Gov. Jeff Landry and state lawmakers will not renew a $2,000 stipend for public school teachers and $1,000 for school support staff that they have received for the past two years. In the current budget cycle, the stipends cost a total of $199 million.
It also doesn’t factor in money for differential pay bumps for teachers with hard-to-fill jobs in math, science and at schools serving predominantly low-income families. Funding for tutoring programs state Education Superintendent Cade Brumley supports has also been excluded.
If those extra schools expenses are added back, the budget deficit for the fiscal year that starts July 1, 2025, is much higher — $587 million — state budget director Ternisa Hutchinson said at a legislative budget hearing Friday.
Legislative leaders indicated they will still look at renewing the teachers pay stipend, even if it isn’t part of the official budget estimate.
“Those items will factor into budget discussions moving forward,” according to a press release sent out from House Speaker Phillip DeVillier, R-Eunice, and Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, after Friday’s budget meeting.
State budget officials had to leave the education programs out of their projection by law because legislators chose to fund them on a temporary basis this year, Hutchinson said. Anticipating a budget shortfall, lawmakers have been reluctant to turn the stipends into permanent raises, which would make them harder to cut if needed.
But the omission also affects estimates for state budget deficits in future years, Hutchinson said.
Without the teacher stipend and other education programs, deficits for budget cycles 2026-27 and 2027-28 are expected to be $370 million and $508.3 million, respectively. If that spending is included, however, the estimates jump to $617 million and $755 million.
Next year’s financial shortfall is largely attributed to Louisiana lawmakers voting in 2018 to automatically cut the state sales tax 0.45% on July 1, 2025. The reduction, which will leave the state sales tax rate at 4%, will cost the state $445 million in the next budget cycle.
DeVillier doesn’t believe there’s enough support from lawmakers to keep the sales tax rate at 4.45%. Two-thirds of legislators in both chambers would have to approve doing so. The conservative House of Representatives is unlikely to vote that way, he has said in recent interviews.
There are other actions lawmakers could take besides budget cuts to significantly shrink the shortfall however.
The legislators could divert $340 million in vehicle sales tax revenue currently dedicated to transportation projects back into the state general fund, which mostly pays for public higher education, health care and prisons. This would give lawmakers more flexibility to handle the shortfall.
Until a few years ago, vehicle sales tax receipts went into the general fund anyway. Legislators passed a law to siphon it off for transportation projects in 2021.
Lawmakers could also continue a 2% tax on business utilities that is supposed to be eliminated in July 2025. If they kept the tax, it would generate $220 million that could be counted against the deficit, according to estimates provided by Louisiana Department of Revenue Secretary Richard Nelson.
Legislators could also remove state spending increases factored into the budget for inflation, which total $34 million.
DeVillier said next year’s budget gap projection takes all of three of the aforementioned tax and spending measures into account.
“But we have options that can be considered that will balance the budget, including finding efficiencies in government and creating a more predictable tax structure for the state,” he said.
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BATON ROUGE (KNOE) – Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming is accusing Governor Jeff Landry of interfering with the state Senate race, which Fleming is a part of.
Fleming took to social media to accuse Landry of working “behind the scenes” to get Congresswoman Julia Letlow elected to the Senate.
According to Fleming, Dr. Ralph Abraham offered him the position of Deputy Director of the CDC shortly before announcing he was stepping down. Fleming said he politely declined.
A week later, news broke that Abraham is now leading Letlow’s Senate campaign.
“We know that Jeff has been heavily lobbying the Trump campaign team for the endorsement, he is pressuring the Republican Party of Louisiana and the Republican Executive Committees to support and endorse Letlow as well,” Fleming wrote on Facebook. “And, he is personally calling his donors to raise big money to save the Letlow campaign.
Landry formally endorsed Letlow for the U.S. Senate on March 4. Letlow also has the endorsement of President Donald Trump.
“We need a warrior who stands with the President to Make America Great. And there’s no greater warrior than a Louisiana mom,” Landry wrote on Facebook.
Fleming continued his commentary, asking when Landry will stop interfering with the state’s Senate race.
“Who is best to decide who represents you in Washington? Jeff Landry, or YOU?” Fleming asked.
Also in the heated race is incumbent Bill Cassidy, M.D.
Party primary elections in Louisiana are set for May 16, 2026.
Copyright 2026 KNOE. All rights reserved.
The Louisiana Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at March 3, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from March 3 drawing
07-21-53-54-62, Mega Ball: 16
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 3 drawing
6-8-3
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 3 drawing
3-6-7-4
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from March 3 drawing
0-8-3-2-0
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Louisiana Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Louisiana Lottery offices. Prizes of over $5,000 must be claimed at Lottery office.
By mail, follow these instructions:
- Sign and complete the information on the back of your winning ticket, ensuring all barcodes are clearly visible (remove all scratch-off material from scratch-off tickets).
- Photocopy the front and back of the ticket (except for Powerball and Mega Millions tickets, as photocopies are not accepted for these games).
- Complete the Louisiana Lottery Prize Claim Form, including your telephone number and mailing address for prize check processing.
- Photocopy your valid driver’s license or current picture identification.
Mail all of the above in a single envelope to:
Louisiana Lottery Headquarters
555 Laurel Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70801
To submit in person, visit Louisiana Lottery headquarters:
555 Laurel Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70801, (225) 297-2000.
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Louisiana Lottery.
When are the Louisiana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5: Daily at 9:59 p.m. CT.
- Easy 5: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.
- Lotto: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Louisiana editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Louisiana
Brother of Louisiana mayor accused of raping 16-year-old has a hauntingly similar criminal past
The brother of Louisiana mayor Misty Roberts — accused of raping her son’s teenage friend — is facing child sex crimes of his own.
Brandon Lee Roberts, 39, was accused of raping a teen girl and assaulting a young woman over the course of several years, KALB reported.
The alleged sexual abuse began when one of the victims was as young as 13, according to Beauregard Parish Sheriff Mark Herford.
He was arrested in October.
That comes years after his big sister – ex-mayor of DeRidder, 43-year-old Misty Roberts – allegedly got hot and heavy with her son’s 16-year-old friend at a drunken party at their home.
Roberts was allegedly caught in the tryst by her own kids.
She was arrested months later, and is currently on trial for rape charges.
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