Louisiana
Louisiana lawmakers have more money to spend with state revenue projections up • Louisiana Illuminator
Louisiana lawmakers have money to spend on teacher pay and other budget priorities after state revenue projections were adjusted upwards through June of 2025.
The state’s revenue estimating conference – made up of lawmakers, a gubernatorial appointee and an economist – adopted a financial forecast that increases the amount of money available to legislators for spending by $197 million in the current budget cycle and $88.6 million in the next.
The additional funding is coming from higher interest earnings on state funding investments, as well as larger corporate and severance tax collections.
The revenue hike makes it less likely public schools teachers will see the pay cut included in the budget plan passed by the Louisiana House last month. An approximately 2,000-seat reduction in early childhood education slots may also be restored, according to interviews with legislative leadership.
Gov. Jeff Landry’s administration would also like to put more money into child welfare programs, which are experiencing chronic staffing shortages, said Commissioner of Administration Taylor Barras, who acts as Landry’s budget chief, in an interview Tuesday.
All of those budget issues must be resolved within the $88 million newly available for the budget year that starts July 1. Legislators are not supposed to use the increase in money for this fiscal year – the additional $197 million – to cover those costs.
If lawmakers are budgeting prudently, the extra $197 million would mostly be reserved for one-time expenses, such as paying off the state’s outstanding debts, covering one-time maintenance projects or fixing roads and bridges.
But there is a catch this year.
Legislators can only spend the entire $197 million in extra cash in the next 13 months if they vote to bust through a constitutionally-imposed spending cap. Otherwise, they will only be able to access $86 million of the $197 million over the next year, according to legislative staff.
Lawmakers have only voted to bust through the cap a few times, in 2007, 2008 and last year, when the action was controversial.
In 2023, outgoing Republican legislative leaders and Gov. John Bel Edwards pushed to remove the cap so they could spend more money on higher education and transportation projects on their way out of office.
Conservatives opposed last year’s cap lift however, painting it as fiscally irresponsible. A few legislators who fought busting the cap in 2023 are now in charge of the Legislature under Republican Gov. Jeff Landry. Now that they are in charge of the money, their viewpoint on cap-busting may change.
Barras said he has not discussed lifting the spending cap with Landry yet, so it’s not clear where the governor might stand on breaching the limit.
“There’s been no discussion about that until today,” he said.
This is a developing story. Please check back later for more details.
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BATON ROUGE, La. (KLFY) — Governor Landry has officially declared Louisiana under state of emergency.
The state emergency declaration covers Avoyelles, Lafourche, Pointe Coupee, St. Landry, St. Tammany and Terrebonne parishes.
The declaration was issued Thursday following the impacts of Tropical Storm Arthur, which brough rainfall and strong storms to parts of the state on June 17 and 18.
Officials said the National Weather Service has confirmed three tornadoes tied to the storm system.
Officials also reported record or near-record rainfall totals in Avoyelles and Pointe Coupee parishes over a 12-hour period.
The order allows the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness to coordinate resources and provide assistance to local governments if needed.
Certain state purchasing and bidding requirements have been temporarily suspended to speed up emergency response efforts.
The declaration took effect immediately and will remain in place through July 18 unless it is lifted or extended.
State officials are urging residents to stay weather aware, avoid flooded roadways and follow guidance from local emergency managers.
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MONROE, La. (KNOE) – The North Louisiana Crime Lab released a June 2026 law enforcement bulletin warning of additional cases tied to cyclorphine, a synthetic opioid the lab says can be significantly more potent than fentanyl.
The bulletin, titled “Cyclorphine Update — Additional Cases & Footprint,” notes that drug evidence submissions testing positive for cyclorphine have been received from multiple parishes in North Louisiana.
What is cyclorphine?
According to the bulletin, cyclorphine is a synthetic opioid in the emerging orphine drug class. The lab said current toxicity data are limited, but laboratory studies indicate cyclorphine may be up to 10 times more potent than fentanyl.
Reported effects
The crime lab said cyclorphine can produce effects similar to other narcotic analgesics, including:
- Central nervous system depression
- Lethargy or stupor
- Respiratory depression with slow, shallow breathing
- Pinpoint pupils
The bulletin said Narcan should be administered to someone suffering from cyclorphine toxicity, and that multiple doses may be needed.
What the bulletin says about trends
The crime lab said national data indicate cyclorphine will likely continue spreading through the region, including becoming more common in seized and submitted drug evidence.
Where cyclorphine has been detected
The bulletin includes a “detection timeline and counterfeit tablet types,” showing evidence submissions tied to specific parishes and dates, including:
- Caddo Parish (Feb. 19; April 14)
- Ouachita Parish (March 18; May 13)
- DeSoto Parish (March 25)
- Natchitoches Parish (May 14)
The lab also noted counterfeit pill types associated with these submissions, including tablets labeled “M30,” “M15,” “K56,” “1259,” and “M367.” Officials warned it may be impossible to know what a pill contains, even if it resembles a known tablet.
The North Louisiana Crime Lab said it will continue tracking trends and sharing updates as additional evidence is submitted.
Copyright 2026 KNOE. All rights reserved.
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