Louisiana

Louisiana higher education seeks budget increase — but some lawmakers call for restraint

Published

4 months ago

March 17, 2026

Louisiana higher education seeks budget increase — but some lawmakers call for restraint

Louisiana higher education leaders asked legislators on Monday to consider giving them more money as many regional universities struggle financially — but some lawmakers argued it’s time for those schools to take a hard look at whether budget cuts are necessary instead.

“We have hundreds of programs that we’ve closed,” Commissioner of Higher Education Kim Hunter Reed said during a Senate Finance Committee meeting. “But if you say to us, we’re not going to be able to provide additional dollars, and you have to flourish within your means — not just survive within your means — then we have to do a couple of things.”

“It will be extremely tight,” she said.

Officials with the Board of Regents say that the current budget is $869 million short of what it considers full funding for higher education in Louisiana. The board is requesting $119 million in additional state general fund money for fiscal year 2026-27.

Reed said enrollment fluctuations, growing athletics department budgets and inflation have contributed to strained resources at some institutions, but did not specify which schools are faring the worst.

She called the circumstances a “perfect storm” for many schools.

“Regional institutions are generally seeing enrollment shifts, population declines and challenges of that sort,” Reed said. “Not going to sugarcoat it, we definitely have some institutions that are struggling.”

If the Legislature does not award the requested higher education funding, Reed said, the Board of Regents will be working with university systems to evaluate which programs can be cut and how they can specialize as institutions. She said leaders could trim degrees that are offered at multiple schools in the same system, for example.

“That is the kind of exercise that we would have to step through if we’re not able to get there,” Reed said.

Some lawmakers said that kind of change may be necessary.

“I think that time is now, I really do,” Sen. Gerald Boudreaux, D-Lafayette, said. “I think that’s where we are.”

Some lawmakers pressed Reed about budget crises at Louisiana’s smaller public universities, referencing shaky finances at the University of New Orleans — which led the school to be reintegrated into the Louisiana State University system — and the University of Louisiana at Monroe. Some argued they were caught off guard by the scale of the problems.

“We find out our colleges are not just struggling; they’ve been struggling,” Sen. Glen Womack, R-Harrisonburg, said.

Reed said quarterly financial reports submitted by each institution will help keep the Legislature and the public abreast of the financial situations at Louisiana’s colleges and universities.

“When the situation happened with UNO, we had no knowledge of the information, and we looked to the systems to say, we’ve got to do a better job of having real-time data,” Reed said.

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Louisiana

Meta’s Louisiana Data Center to Surpass $250 Billion Price Tag

Published

2 hours ago

July 13, 2026

Press Room

Meta’s Louisiana Data Center to Surpass 0 Billion Price Tag

Meta Platforms Inc. has committed to spending an additional $40 billion on its sprawling data center campus in Louisiana, pushing its total expected investment beyond $250 billion for the site as it continues to grow its artificial intelligence computing footprint.

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Louisiana

DeRidder man found dead in Sabine River

Published

14 hours ago

July 12, 2026

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NEWTON COUNTY, Texas. (KPLC) – A DeRidder man reported missing was found dead in the Sabine River Sunday morning, according to the Newton County Sheriff’s Office.

Newton County Sheriff Colton Havard said Jordan Jamal Allen was located around 7:50 a.m. on July 12 with help from Texas Parks and Wildlife game wardens, the Beauregard Parish Sheriff’s Office, and 409 Search and Rescue.

Authorities say the body was recovered not far from where Allen went under Friday night near the U.S. 190 bridge east of Bon Wier at the Texas-Louisiana state line.

The sheriff said that Allen and a woman were said to be wading across the river Friday when the current began pulling the woman.

The sheriff said Allen tried to help her, but went under around 8:45 p.m. and wasn’t seen again. He said the woman made it back to land safely.

We will have more in this story as it develops.

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Louisiana

Check out the Outdoors calendar for fishing events

Published

1 day ago

July 12, 2026

Press Room

Check out the Outdoors calendar for fishing events

MONDAY

RED STICK FLY FISHERS PROGRAM: 7 p.m., Bluebonnet Regional Library, 9200 Bluebonnet Blvd., Baton Rouge. Open to the public. Email Brian Roberts: roberts.brian84@gmail.com. Website: rsff.org

WEDNESDAY

FLIES & FLIGHTS: 7-9 p.m, Rally Cap Brewing, 11212 Pennywood Ave., Baton Rouge. Casual fly tying. Open to public. Email Chris Williams: thefatfingeredflytyer@gmail.com

THURSDAY

ACADIANA FLY RODDERS PROGRAM: 6 p.m., Pack and Paddle, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette. Open to public. Email Darin Lee: at cbrsandcdc@gmail.com. Website: acadianaflyrodders.org

FRIENDS OF NRA/SOUTHWEST LA BANQUET: 6 p.m., Riverside Bar & Grill, 3748 Louisiana 3059, Lake Charles. Call Brack Cole 337-912-1620. Email: jbcoleair@yahoo.com

ONGOING

STATEWIDE TOURNAMENT & ANGLERS RODEO/S.T.A.R.: Through Sept. 7, Coastal Conservation Association’s summer-long fishing event. Tagged redfish, coastal/offshore species categories & youth division. CCA membership required. Website: ccalouisiana.com/star

LOTTERY HUNTS

DOVE/TEAL: July 27 application deadline for dove hunt on Elbow Slough Wildlife Management Area and teal hunt on White Lake Wetlands Conservation Area. Website applications only on Wildlife & Fisheries/Louisiana Outdoors License, Permits and Tags webpage. Fee $8.50. Details: dove hunt, David Hayden at dhayden@wlf.la.gov; teal hunt, Lance Ardoin at lardoin@wlf.la.gov

AROUND THE CORNER

JULY 21 — LAFAYETTE KAYAK FISHING CLUB MEETING: 6 p.m., Pack and Paddle, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette. Call 337-232-5854. Website: lafayettekayakfishing.com

JULY 21-22 — GULF COUNCIL SHRIMP COMMITTEE MEETING: Gulf Council office, 4107 W. Spruce St., Tampa, Florida. In conjunction with Scientific and Statistical committees. Website: gulfcouncil.org

JULY 23 — ACADIANA BUGS & BREWS: 6 p.m., Pack and Paddle, 601 E. Pinhook, Lafayette. Casual fly tying and local beers provided. Open to the public. Email Darin Lee: cbrsandcdc@gmail.com. Website: packpaddle.com

JULY 23-25 — International Grand Isle Tarpon Rodeo, Grand Isle Marina & Otto Candies Pavilion, Grand Isle. Website: tarponrodeo.org

JULY 24-25—BASSMASTER JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP: Kentucky Lake, Paris, Tennessee. Website: bassmaster.com

JULY 26 — SOUTH LOUISIANA HIGHPOWER CLUB MATCH: 8:30 a.m., Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Range, St. Landry Road, Gonzales. NRA XTC & F-Class match rifle or service rifle, 200-yard/50-rounds match course. Fee $15 members, $20 nonmembers, $5 juniors. $25 annual club (first match free) and Civilian Marksmanship Program membership (allows purchases from CMP). Call Mike Burke, 337-380-8120. Email: SouthLAHighPower@hotmail.com

FISHING/SHRIMPING

SHRIMP: Spring inshore season closed except for Breton/Chandeleur sounds; all outside waters open.

OPEN RECREATIONAL SEASONS: Private recreational red snapper; gray triggerfish; flounder; lane, blackfin, queen and silk snappers and wenchmen among other snapper species; all groupers except closed for goliath and Nassau groupers in state/federal waters.

CLOSED SEASONS: Greater amberjack; bluefin tuna; gag, goliath and Nassau groupers in state/federal waters. Commercial greater amberjack season closed.