Landry tells teachers it’s ‘back to the drawing board’ after pay raise plan fails

BATON ROUGE, La. (Louisiana First) — Gov. Jeff Landry said it is “back to the drawing board” when it comes to securing a salary increase for teachers in Louisiana.

That message was part of a letter Landry sent to educators this week, following the failure of Constitutional Amendment 2 during the March 29 election. In the letter, he described the amendment as a potential “lasting solution” that would have addressed both teacher compensation and state retirement debt.

Ahead of the election, Landry released a video urging voters to support Amendment 2, calling it a “game changer” for Louisiana. In the address, he promoted the measure as a way to permanently lower income taxes, protect the homestead exemption, double senior tax deductions, and give teachers a permanent raise by using savings from retirement debt reduction. He tied the amendment to his broader goals of lowering crime, reforming education, and eliminating government waste.

Landry said the measure “would have paid off retirement debt and increased your pay with those savings,” outlining a proposed $2,000 annual salary increase for teachers and a $1,000 raise for support staff.

“By eradicating nearly 25% of the total debt in the teacher retirement system, the Amendment not only bolstered the security of your retirement benefits but also saved taxpayers over a billion dollars in interest payments,” Landry wrote in the letter to teachers.

But a majority of Louisiana voters rejected the proposal, with 65% voting against it and only 35% in favor.

“With the setback faced by Amendment 2 – we are back to the drawing board, as no existing alternative recurring resources exist to fund the permanent salary increase you deserve,” Landry wrote.

He emphasized the need for budgeting practices that are both fiscally sound and supportive of educators, stating, “We remain committed to working with stakeholders and the Legislature to ensure we pass a budget that compensates our teachers appropriately and protects the taxpayer.”

A copy of Landry’s full letter to teachers can be found here.

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