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Louisiana is ranked 49th in the nation for the overall well-being of its children and 50th for their economic well-being, according to a new report.
Agenda for Children, a New Orleans-based nonprofit, created the report with support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
“Despite all appearances to the contrary, this is not yet another report about Louisiana being at the top of every bad list and at the bottom of every good list,” the report says.
The report offers policy suggestions that Agenda for Children believes could improve Louisiana’s showing on each of the report’s 16 indicators.
Many of the proposals would raise costs for taxpayers or the private sector, and some changes already have been rejected by state lawmakers.
For example, the report recommends establishing a state minimum wage that’s higher than the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour, and indexing the state minimum to rise with inflation. Research shows a higher minimum wage can reduce child poverty, the report’s authors say.
Agenda for Children further suggests allowing local jurisdictions to set their own minimum wages above the state level.
But despite urging from Gov. John Bel Edwards, the Louisiana Legislature repeatedly has declined to establish a state minimum wage. Skeptics say raising the minimum wage actually could hurt the poor by driving up product costs and making it more expensive to hire and retain low-skilled workers, leading to job and benefit cuts and hour reductions.
Other proposals include:
—Expanding Louisiana’s Earned Income Tax Credit.
—Establishing 12 weeks of paid family leave for all employees.
—Offer incentives to employers who hire people who have been unemployed for a long time or have disabilities or criminal records.
—Increase subsidies for affordable housing.
—Increase funding for need-based scholarships.
—Expand access to apprenticeship and GED programs.
—Establish programs to improve job skills and connect young people to employment.
—Boost funding for early childhood care and education. This goal seems to have bipartisan support at the State Capitol.
—Invest more in teacher preparation and raise teacher pay. Teachers got a $1,000 state-funded raise last year, though average pay remains well below the southern regional average.
Edwards has pledged to work toward raising teacher pay at least to the regional average. His current budget proposal doesn’t dedicate money to raises, though it does call for almost $40 million in new K-12 education spending that districts could spend on salary increases.

Staff Report
A Patterson man was arrested Tuesday on multiple charges in a domestic abuse case, Sheriff Blaise Smith reported.
—Anthony Lee Brooks, 39, of Catherine Street in Patterson, was arrested at 11:27 a.m. Tuesday on a Patterson Police Department warrant on the charges of domestic abuse aggravated assault, reckless operation of a vehicle and aggravated criminal damage to property. He was jailed with no bail set.
Smith also reported these arrests:
—Milton Burley Green Jr., 33, of Willow Street in Franklin, was arrested at 12:22 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant for failure to appear on the charge of simple criminal damage to property. He was released on a summons to appear May 18.
—Bethany Michelle Tatum, 27, of Aucoin Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 1:35 a.m. Wednesday on a warrant for failure to appear on the charge of resisting an officer. She was jailed with no bail set.
—Dennis Driskill, 47, of River Road in Berwick, was arrested at 4:01 a.m. Wednesday on a warrant for failure to appear on the charge of illegal possession of stolen things between $1,000 and $5,000 and illegal possession of stolen things $25,000 or more. He was jailed with no bail set.
Morgan City Police Chief James F. Blair reported these arrests:
—Natasha Sylvester, 26, of James Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 9:07 p.m. Wednesday on a charge of theft under $1,000.
Officers were called to a local business about a shoplifter. Officers were advised by management that they witnessed Sylvester concealing merchandise in her purse.
Officers located several items of merchandise valued at $19.58 in Sylvester’s purse. She was jailed
Blair also reported that the Morgan City Police Department responded to 41 calls of service and the following arrests were made:
—Reginald Deshaun Webb, 36, of Orange Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 10:20 p.m. Tuesday on warrants for two counts failure to appear.
Webb was turned over to the Morgan City Police Department by a fugitive recovery agency on active warrants held by the City Court of Morgan City and jailed.
—Martine Nicole Minor, 38, of Sixth Street in Berwick, was arrested at 11:50 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant for failure to appear. Minor was turned over to the Morgan City Police Department by a fugitive recovery agency on active warrants held by the City Court of Morgan City. She was jailed.
Patterson Police Chief Garrett Grogan reported the following arrest:
—Anthony L. Brooks, 39, of Live Oak Street in Patterson, was arrested at 5:02 p.m. Tuesday on charges of domestic abuse aggravated assault, reckless operation of a vehicle and aggravated criminal damage to property. He was jailed with no bond set.

September 18, 1938 — February 10, 2020
Frances Maude Whitney, 81, passed away on February 10, 2020, after a brief illness. Her memorial service will be held at First Baptist Church in Berwick, Louisiana on Saturday, February 15, 2020, at 1 p.m.
Born on September 18, 1938 in St. Francisville, Louisiana, Frances grew up in Berwick, Louisiana. She graduated from Morgan City High School in 1956, graduating in the top 10 percent of her class. She worked for many years at Oceanic Butler in Bayou Vista until she moved to Atlanta in the late 1980’s after the oil industry experienced a downturn. While in Atlanta, she worked in both the banking and medical fields. Her last job was as executive secretary to the CEO of Georgia Cancer.
Frances had an innate ability to form extraordinary relationships. While most people are lucky if they have one life-long friendship, Frances had many friendships that spanned decades. She travelled extensively in the US and Canada with these life-long friends.
She will be sorely missed by her family. She was truly the hub that kept them together. She doted on her nieces, nephews, great-niece and great-nephews. She holds a special place in all of their hearts.
In 2017, Frances returned to the Morgan City area and resided at Maison Jardin at the time of her death. She was preceded in death by her parents, Howard and Pearl Whitney, and her nephew, Jerry Whitney. She is survived by her brother, Howard Whitney and his wife Connie Whitney of Lawrenceville, Georgia; her brother, Leroy Whitney and his wife Elizabeth Whitney of Berwick, Louisiana; her brother, Gerald Whitney and his wife Doris Whitney of Slidell, Louisiana; her niece, Denise Bertaut and Jerry Bertaut (husband) of Prattville, Alabama; her niece, Alycia McWilliams and Steve McWilliams (husband) of Esko, Minnesota; her nephew, David Whitney of Thibodaux, Louisiana; her nephew, James Whitney of Lawrenceville, Georgia; her great-niece, Darien Clayton of Prattville, Alabama; her great-nephew, Braden Bertaut of Atlanta, Georgia; her great-nephews, Caleb Whitney and Blaine Whitney, both of Slidell, Louisiana; her great-niece, Bella Whitney of Slidell, Louisiana; her great-nephews, Evan Whitney, Jack Whitney, Max Whitney and Aiden Whitney, all of Esko, Minnesota; her great-great-niece, Arya Whitney; and her soon-to-be, already doted on great-great-niece, Avery Clayton.

Barbara Blackburn, 53, a resident of Patterson, died Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2020, at Franklin Foundation Hospital.
Jones Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements, which are incomplete at this time.