RSS Feed

Louisiana lawmakers should dedicate all of the tax proceeds from legal sports betting to early childhood education, a state commission recommends in a new report.
The Louisiana Early Childhood Care and Education Commission is urging the state to immediately invest $85.8 million in educating children from birth through age 3 and continue to increase spending annually by nearly that amount over 10 years for a total cost of $839 million. The commission made the same recommendation in a previous report.
Two state legislators, Rep. Stephanie Hilferty and Sen. Beth Mizell, co-chair the commission, which also includes representation from the executive branch of state government and leaders from the education, business and nonprofit sectors.
If the state were to invest the recommended initial $85.8 million in early care and education now, it would see an economic benefit of $1.8 billion over the next 10 years, the commission’s report said.
If no investment is made, the state could see a compounded economic loss of $12.1 billion over the next 10 years, the commission said.
The federal American Rescue Plan Act dedicates to Louisiana almost $300 million in Child Care and Development Block Grants and more than $475 million for child care stabilization. Combined with previous stimulus grants, Louisiana will receive more than $1 billion to support child care and families, officials said.
The Louisiana Department of Education, however, has to spend all the money by Sept. 30, 2024. State Superintendent Cade Brumley said that while he embraces the short-term solution the stimulus money provides, “Louisiana should consider investment for long-term funding solutions.”
“The flood of new federal funding from recent stimulus packages will provide Louisiana with an opportunity to address some of the immediate challenges raised by the commission,” said Mizell, R-Franklinton. “However, we know that the state must put together a plan now for how it will fund early care and education at the appropriate levels once the stimulus funding runs out.”
Among other measures, the commission recommended committing all revenue raised from sports betting to the Louisiana Early Childhood Education Fund. Voters in 55 of 64 parishes legalized sports betting in their areas last year.
The voter referendum didn’t specify how sports betting will operate in the state or what the tax rates or fees would be, leaving legislators to work out the details this year.
It’s impossible to know how much money sports betting might raise in Louisiana, though a 2019 study might offer a clue.
Louisiana Economic Development hired Spectrum Gaming Group to perform a comprehensive analysis of the state’s gaming sector, which included sports betting revenue projections. Spectrum estimated Louisiana could generate between $237 million and $332 million annually, adding that legalizing digital gaming and allowing betting on professional and college sports was necessary to maximize the return.
The consultants also said sports betting should be taxed “at a reasonable rate – 15% or less – so that gamblers can be offered attractive enough odds to stay in state.”
Using Spectrum’s projections, a 15% tax rate would raise between $35.55 million and $49.8 million per year.
Legal settlements the state receives, such as from lawsuits involving tobacco or opioids, also could be a funding source, the commission said.
The commission also recommends prioritizing early care and education for funding opportunities created during ongoing efforts to overhaul the state’s tax system, though Gov. John Bel Edwards has called for any changes to be revenue neutral, meaning roughly the same amount of money should be raised.
Edwards did not include a spending boost for early childhood care and education in his executive budget proposal, saying he expected the education department to use some of their stimulus dollars for that purpose.

When I was growing up, the word alternative described the pop trends of the day. It has another meaning to me now. Organic, natural pesticides, and fertilizers and native plants are an increasingly popular alternative to synthetic chemicals and fertilizers as well as the heavy use of non-native plants and practices.
How did traditional organic methods become the alternative? Isn’t that the definition of an oxymoron?
With the invention and use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, farmers were able to increase food and crop production to support the world’s increasing population. That’s a good thing, right? Yes. However, the overuse of chemicals has had a negative effect on our pollinators and ecosystems.
Pollinators are responsible for one in every three bites of food we take. They increase our crop quality and values each year by more than $15 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Pollinators, specifically honeybees, have been in serious decline for more than three decades in the United States.
A large variety of pollinating insects make their homes in urban and suburban landscapes. Gardens and landscapes can be designed and managed in an alternative way so that they can support ecosystems rather than harming them.
Landscapes that support a wide array of pollinators help contribute to biodiversity and enhance local ecosystems in so many ways. As you go about your spring gardening this year, please consider using plants that support beneficial insects and pollinators.
There are a couple of strategies to protect pollinators, beneficial insects, local wildlife and their habitats. First, create habitats that include a diversity of plants. Second, keep your plants healthy without exposing the pollinating insects to toxic pesticides. Easy peasy!
There is a huge variety of plants that contribute to biodiversity and support a wide variety of pollinators. However, some of the most commonly used plants in our landscapes are not native to the United States. In fact, in many lawns and gardens, more than 75% of the most commonly used landscape plants are not native plants.
If you pay attention to both common and scientific names, you will notice just how many are not native to North America — Japanese magnolia, Chinese mahonia, Japanese yew, Indian hawthorn, Juniperus chinensis, Camellia japonica, Rosa chinensis (roses), etc. In contrast, native plants have names such as Itea virginica, Callicarpa americana, Clematis texensis, Anise floridanum, Quercus virginicus, Ruellia caroliniensis, Rudbeckia texana and so on. I think you can see the reference.
Non-native plants work fine in our landscapes because we fall on the same latitude as the countries they originate from. However, the pests that come along with those plants can do a real number on our native plants. Our native plants have built-in chemical defenses to ward off native insects because they have evolved together. When non-native plants and their insects make their way here, they upset the local ecosystems.
To help improve the biodiversity of your lawns and gardens, use a mixture of plants. Natives, in addition to those that are not native, are a good idea. Incorporating natives into even the smallest fraction of the smallest gardens can make a huge impact. Natives offer the biodiversity needed to support large ecosystems and all parts of the natural food web. The insects depend on native plants as food sources, and in turn, wildlife, birds and many mammals depend on them. These plants can also stabilize our soils and help conserve water.
As you choose, remember that natives have the benefit of being hardier plants because they are so well adapted to our soils and climates. They have less disease and insect pressures than non-natives. That means we will use less chemicals, insecticides, fungicides and herbicides because natives can stand up to disease and insect pressures naturally.
Here is a quick list of tips for how you can help support pollinators, beneficial insects and wildlife in your landscapes:
—Use a diverse selection of flowers, shapes and plant families.
—Include flowering shrubs, bulbs and trees.
—Use native plant species.
—Plant single-flowered varieties that allow easier access to pollen and nectar.
—Ensure continuous flower bloom and extend the bloom season.
—Plant fewer, larger blocks of flowers.
—Provide nesting places.
—Reduce or eliminate insecticide use.
Many local nurseries and garden centers carry native selections. As consumers begin to demand more natives, the growers and garden centers will strive to carry more.
If you are looking for a good read this summer, let me recommend “Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard” by Doug Tallamy. Every yard counts!

Berwick's Spring Fling on the Riverfront is underway and will run through April 3.

Left on Red is schedule to play 7-9 p.m. Saturday, and The Chris LeBlanc Band will play 4-6 p.m. Sunday.

All-day wristbands are available for $25 for Mac's Carnival rides.

The entrance to the fair is at Utah Street. You can bring your own lawn chairs and beer, but no glass bottles are allowed.

The Daily Review/Bill Decker

A state initiative came to Morgan City on Saturday to persuade African Americans that COVID-19 is safe and effective.

Louisiana National Guard troops and representatives of the Louisiana Department of Health set up a makeshift vaccination clinic in the gym of the Siracusaville Recreation Center and Park, offering free shots. The final count says 102 people were vaccinated.

The vaccination effort was one response to one of the coronavirus pandemic's ironies: African American people were hit harder by COVID-19 than their white neighbors, yet the early signs were that blacks were more hesitant to receive COVID vaccinations, and they were more difficult to reach when vaccine was available.

Meanwhile, the race is on to vaccinate people of all ethnicities before more virulent and more easily spread COVID variants have a big impact here. The Department of Health already lists St. Mary as a high-risk parish because the average weekly positivity rate on COVID tests has risen above 10%.

In St. Mary, African Americans make up about 32% of the population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. But 46% of the first 123 COVID-related fatalities were among blacks. Among the first 3,435 people who tested positive for COVID, 41% were black, according to Louisiana Office of Public Health statistics.

There are signs attitudes are changing. An NPR-PBS News Hour-Marist poll earlier this month found that African Americans were actually more likely to have received a COVID shot or to have plans to get vaccinated (73%) compared to whites (70%).

One key may have been uncovered by a study at California's Loma Linda University. It found that blacks are more likely to seek vaccination when there's a link to a church.
That was the case with the Sleeves Up event at the Siracusaville Recreation Center.

"We initiated it," said the Rev. Charles Oatis, pastor at New Mount Esther Baptist Church, 1211 James St. in Morgan City. "We did it because of the community and concern about public health.

"Every community leader needs to step up at a time like this to eradicate the worst pandemic of our time."

Other leaders answered that call Saturday. Among the people who came by the center were state Rep. Vincent St. Blanc, R-Franklin; Dr. Chip Riggins, medical director of Louisiana Department of Health Region 3, which stretches east from St. Mary to St. John the Baptist Parish; and St. Mary Parish Councilman Mark Duhon of Amelia.

The Louisiana state government and Southern University are among the government entities that have launched initiatives to reassure African Americans that the COVID-19 is safe and that it works.

Oatis said he's seen the vaccine hesitancy among members of the black community. Some of that reluctance comes from confusion over reports about the effectiveness of one vaccine over another.

"The message is clear, but it's also convoluted," Oatis said. "The potency of the vaccine has been a mixed message. That confusion brought about some resistance."

But Oatis wants to press on with the effort.

"We're familiar with the disproportionate impact on the African American community," he said. "We're trying to keep the African American community safe, strong and alive."

Friday's Office of Public Health report on Louisiana COVID cases put the number of confirmed positives at 398,816 since the pandemic began, with another 64,253 probable cases. The pandemic death toll is now at 9,258 confirmed with 829 probable.

St. Mary's case count is 3,514 confirmed with 936 probable. The parish has had 113 confirmed COVID-related fatalities with 15 probably COVID-related.

St. Martin has had 4,544 confirmed positives with 437 probable. The death toll there is at 104 confirmed with 11 probable.

Assumption Parish has had 1,552 confirmed positives with 580 probable. Twenty-nine confirmed COVID-related deaths have been reported along with six probable.

Statewide, 378 COVID-positive people were in hospitals Friday, and 62 were on ventilators.

Nearly 17% of people in Region 3 have received at least one COVID shot, according to the Office of Public Health.

On Monday, vaccine eligibility was expanded to include all Louisiana people over 18, and over 16 for the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.