The House passed the budget which keeps our Required Services and School Lunch salary supplement funded. The budget includes 93 million for the Governor’s priority School Choice program, but it will face scrutiny in the Senate.  Of note, Catholic Schools were the predominant participants by far at the Governor’s GATOR Day in full and highly visible support of this program.

Life and Dignity of the Human Person

SB 156, which provides protection for the IVF industry, is moving forward. LCCB has consistently opposed this legislation at every point.

On a related note, we have been working with LDH and the Louisiana Board of Examiners on a House Study Resolution to provide more information on restorative reproductive medicine and encourage more research into the root causes of infertility.

We worked with Rep. Glorioso, as a result of the Legislative Luncheon with the Archbishop, to provide more supportive services for girls who have been trafficked. Rep. Glorioso was able to get $300,000 for Metanoia House because of HB 671 instead of a tax credit which was the original request.

Call to Family Community and Participation

Several priorities related to supporting Catholic education are moving, including SB 27, which will allow stacking of the Tuition Donation Tax Credit onto the Education Saving Account.

We stopped HB 243, which would have required private schools to adhere to public school accountability measures and supported the delay in the implementation of the Computer Science requirements HB 372.

We are working on amending SB 41, which has impacts on our day care centers related to licensing, bathrooms, and civil liability for sexual abuse on school property.

Option for the Poor and Vulnerable 

We held meetings with the Governor’s Office expressing concerns about SB 196, which would criminalize homelessness, and testified to approach this in a more comprehensive way through the existing Louisiana Interagency Council on Homelessness.

SB 104 will streamline the legislative intent and structure to address poverty.

We are also working on HB 619 to discourage homeless encampments and instead provide holistic services for housing and support services.

Dignity of Work and Rights of Workers

We testified to increase the Minimum Wage SB 206 to $10 per hour, citing our long tradition of Catholic social teaching, but this failed along party lines.

We testified on HB 133, which would have increased the Earned Income Tax Credit as one strategy to reduce poverty and this was deferred.

Solidarity in Restorative Justice

LCCB continued to support SB 218, which would allow those in prison, under the now unconstitutional non-unanimous jury, to have their cases reviewed for a new trial.

Care for God’s Creation

Major legislation using carbon sequestration was debated.  We used the principle of subsidiarity, which allows the local community to decide according to HB 4. This did not pass.

LCCB is working on a House Resolution to study the impact of air quality on maternal outcomes. We met with the new President of the Louisiana Chemical Association to establish a relationship.

Other

We held a successful Catholic Faithful Citizenship Day with 180 participants. Eight Catholic high schools from the Diocese of Alexandria, Archdiocese of New Orleans, Houma-Thibodaux, and the Diocese of Baton Rouge. Students interacted with legislators and attended a Governor’s Briefing at the end of the day.

We held our first Adoration at the Capitol in the Meditation Room. We had 5 new adorers while we had staff to ensure that the Blessed Sacrament was not left alone. We will have the 2nd Adoration toward the end of the month.

A commendation from the Louisiana House of Representatives acknowledging the election of Pope Leo XIV was read into the record on Monday, May 19, 2025, with the whole House of Representatives as Co-authors.