[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6097907,"mediaKeyId","2826251-4df1d0d5395e926af15748c13c9c1185","parentId",2826251,"title","Agriculture and Forestry seeks $5 million for wildfire gear as soil-and-water payments lag","audioSeconds",2576,"startMs",109000,"endMs",2685000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2826251-4df1d0d5395e926af15748c13c9c1185&start=109&end=2685","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2826251-4df1d0d5395e926af15748c13c9c1185/thumbnail_109000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6097907/Louisiana/Agriculture-and-Forestry-seeks-5-million-for-wildfire-gear-as-soil-and-water-payments-lag","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6097907-a665c07a7be309132d108b92b8d8f3d8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770527385&Signature=OBAog0UA6LfT~1mhLEC9rGM4BkgHZp7MZ6c4IJ~Ar96agRXBbRei7izSnmxp~lO4gnHNXQRiHoADu9Sf8weoLNo8tb-oZzRHLD8K0qAFCS82pPYiQ~2rvmD05ZPJdxzBELcKa5EvVVzhmFrSbvk4o5insWcNDL0x3KVQRx5-yZjBHVshiBwPZg9SVFThK65yTeTYHuMmBhd5tIqIILzVz7fivHe5ROpeSlcGVoFdmufBxDo6q9zIERO2q~iWu0NBtyHPwZtulNIqV0IMeINwk16eamX5eMQPN3-0wOiXyFIjAs79k-dn2O87Erjvte2vMrJtymi3FmAdpiW-W4V0pQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Louisiana Legislature","date","2025-03-31T00:00:00Z","article","The Department of Agriculture and Forestry told the House Appropriations Committee on Monday that its FY26 executive budget recommendation totals about $95.9 million and includes an annual operating request and several targeted additions, most notably a $5 million ask for additional fire suppression equipment.

House Fiscal analyst Paige Filia presented the department's executive review, saying the agency's recommended FY26 budget is about $95,900,000 and that funding sources include statutory dedications (about 40.5 percent) and state general fund (about 36.8 percent). Filia said the department has 586 authorized TO positions and that the largest program share goes to management and finance.

Commissioner Mike Strang told the committee the department 'wears many hats' and stressed the importance of replacing aging firefighting equipment acquired years ago. 'In the budget we will be asking for an additional $5,000,000 for fire suppression equipment,' he said, noting purchases take one to two years to be delivered and many existing units require cannibalizing parts to stay operational.

Why it matters: the department described firefighting as a high-cost, surge operation. Strang said large wildfire responses can cost millions per day and that some one-time costs in FY25 (including wildfire reimbursements) have reduced federal carryforward into FY26, changing the budget picture. He and staff also stressed the need for mechanics to keep the fleet operational and are seeking additional T.O. positions for fleet mechanics.

Officials told the panel the department currently advances roughly $145,000 per month to local soil and water conservation districts and has not been reimbursed by the Natural Resources Conservation Service for three months. Strang said that lapse could affect about 80 soil-and-water personnel and the federal reimbursement stream covers roughly $100'$140 million in program activity per year.

The committee's members pressed about operational details and seafood safety testing. Strang said the department is sampling crawfish and shrimp and has completed 59 of 79 planned tests; 'The test samples that we have have been negative for these 3 antibiotics,' he told the committee while noting testing capacity is limited by available funding (roughly $131,000 per year in the current mix of task force and industry dollars).

Other details: Filia's presentation showed a $19.5 million drop in 'other charges' largely tied to one-time wildfire-related expenses in FY25, and the department reported 19 vacancies as of Dec. 30, 2024. Commissioner Strang said the department budgets about 66.2 percent of expenditures for salary and related benefits and that forestry staffing includes 181 TO positions.

The hearing produced no formal committee action. Members said they will continue follow-up on the soil-and-water reimbursement issue and staffing requests.

Sources and evidence spans: opening budget presentation by House Fiscal; Commissioner Strang's remarks and members' questions about equipment, mechanics, soil-and-water reimbursements, and seafood testing were recorded during the Department of Agriculture and Forestry segment of the Appropriations Committee hearing on March 31, 2025.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Appropriations Mar 31, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Department of Agriculture and Forestry told the House Appropriations Committee on Monday that its FY26 executive budget recommendation totals about $95.9 million and includes an ask for $5 million more for fire suppression equipment.","taxTitle","Appropriations, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative, Louisiana","taxId",20967,"location","Louisiana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6097891,"Department of Insurance outlines Fortified Homes spending, expands anti-fraud staff amid mixed premium trends",1796,9821000,11617000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2826251-4df1d0d5395e926af15748c13c9c1185&start=9821&end=11617","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2826251-4df1d0d5395e926af15748c13c9c1185/thumbnail_9821000.jpg","/articles/6097891/Louisiana/Department-of-Insurance-outlines-Fortified-Homes-spending-expands-anti-fraud-staff-amid-mixed-premium-trends","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6097891-c3044e64bf4dec22999f79fc4f812a55/orig.mp4?Expires=1770527385&Signature=gmgd~r4nlKH2X-jG6MXl3qeNqlQSh0ID9dQqCQStKGwRQFZiXLHAm2mfMVSCKbCeWeCclWkS~4VwG7-8XqYSSXfFFL0dqIa3qRxeU9avIoGdmiwZtfGYVm0Lz312cVWPdBe6sp8IsazV6ojoSEPeAuHCgYApNy64NOpaYvO3c7SuLEcEzPKNtXAQt9-2Qiqxiv-eGCPws~qSmV-s~6n8jJc7l~ZNqjqz7kZS2UpRg6Qt6WoxwETi5wjD~S3xa8uEafkwrLU6HLMDNYbgWayoE-bC~a8twRfzp08A-nL-rnG8lpIaYQ8SgBD-h--5dTUk5CEwVNKES~5NbMWyF-4nwg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Department of Insurance told the House Appropriations Committee it is seeking a $56.8 million FY26 appropriation while continuing work on market regulation, fraud prevention, and the Louisiana Fortified Homes program.

House Fiscal presented the budget overview: the department's FY26 recommendation is about $56.8 million, with fees and self-generated revenue (insurer assessments, licenses and fees) expected to cover roughly 72 percent of the total. Statutory dedications include the Fortified Homes Fund; House Fiscal noted a $19.7 million decrease in other charges to align authority with the Fortified Homes Fund's projected balance and expected expenditures.

Commissioner (unnamed in the transcript) told members the department will continue consumer-outreach and 'insurance ready' education work and said the agency is collecting more and better data from the market to identify what is working and what is not. He said the department has prioritized anti-fraud work and consumer education as part of its FY26 resource allocation.

Fraud and Fortified Homes: department staff said the fraud unit budget was increased by $1.9 million and that the fraud unit now has 13 employees and a $2.8 million budget to investigate insurance fraud and coordinate with state police and the attorney general where appropriate. Officials said the department added anti-fraud IT and investigative capacity in the FY26 request.

On the Fortified Homes program, officials said: $21.9 million has been paid out to date, approximately $23 million remains in the fund, and about $18.8 million of applications are pending. Department staff noted that the program has completed roughly 2,100'2,200 fortified roofs in about 18 months and that the program is being observed by other states as a scalable model.

Committee members asked about rate trends, the department's regulatory role on rates, the effect of federal flood mapping and NFIP changes on premiums, and how the department can improve plain-language policy documents for consumers. Deputy undersecretary Lance Herring explained a recent federal grant change (Ship/SHIP) to align FY26 authority with the incoming five-year grant award and said the department reduced its FY26 federal request accordingly.

No formal vote was taken. Members asked for follow-up data: the department agreed to provide more detail on fraud caseloads and outcomes, Fortified Homes payout status and geographic distribution, and any analyses that link fortified upgrades to premium reductions.

Quotation examples from the hearing: House Fiscal presented the budget and the commissioner described education and fraud priorities; deputy undersecretary Lance Herring said the department's SHIP federal decrease reflected aligning the budget to a new five-year grant amount.","At the appropriations hearing the Department of Insurance presented a $56.8 million FY26 recommendation, detailed a $19.7 million statutory-dedication realignment for the Fortified Homes Fund, increased fraud funding and staff, and reported roughly $21.9 million paid so far and about $23 million remaining in the Fortified Homes program.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6097896,"Workforce Commission outlines strategic plan, co-location pilots and warns of federal funding uncertainty",1916,7383000,9299000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2826251-4df1d0d5395e926af15748c13c9c1185&start=7383&end=9299","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2826251-4df1d0d5395e926af15748c13c9c1185/thumbnail_7383000.jpg","/articles/6097896/Louisiana/Workforce-Commission-outlines-strategic-plan-co-location-pilots-and-warns-of-federal-funding-uncertainty","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6097896-46f25d3f75a5c5100e2699144c8bbb2e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770527385&Signature=MOTxNf7ha8qft8eJmEZ5HoZib2YlySVufK431I7~CT59AYeHptPepTwIGooYyd-FvKNdV6IL4yhgTDhNXOI~5943PSyMm8NA~PzXkJ4pyUBopDVNdpG9nru5ayJ-uvEH79VLqwH6B3ssExRKEQxRNflOb3wdULwoB1S-e~D1AHZNUtnUGKimbJ0I80~8wc5LHITkPvJGlWrBc5B5Y1kIm8Pl9ktvgkBoqiRA33lGqjPDVhKCucJ-ci~Oga4a6r~Xr9UXXsg6D3EcWkimmHXNRVIbIK2YnU3TEpWUw5ZSt0wDDDW-sscTitpnKJ52Fn6MCaCzoyA9I6YJ1v9MjMjfQw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Louisiana Workforce Commission presented a FY26 executive budget recommendation of about $300 million to the House Appropriations Committee and described a strategic plan focused on employer-aligned training, moving people from dependence to independence, and improved education alignment.

House Fiscal's review showed the department's funding is dominated by federal grants and statutory dedications; federal funds make up the largest share of the $300 million recommendation and the Office of Workforce Development uses roughly 51.8 percent of the department's budget. The department has 868 TO positions and reported 102 vacancies as of Dec. 30, 2024.

Secretary (unnamed in transcript) told the committee the agency's three goals are: drive economic growth through business workforce solutions, move people from dependence to independence, and align K'12 and higher-education outputs to job demand. She described pilot integration and co-location projects, including a pilot that places Department of Children and Family Services staff inside American Job Centers in a 10-parish East Baton Rouge area, with cross-training so case managers can build direct pathways to employment.

Deputy-level staff said the state currently leaves federal Rehabilitation Services (LRS) matching funds unclaimed. Officials said roughly half of a recent federal allotment has not been drawn down for several years; the department receives about $3.69 in federal funding for every $1 of state match and officials said an additional roughly $8,000,000 in state general fund would be needed to pull down the full federal allotment in the current year.

Why it matters: workforce funding and program alignment are central to converting LED's project pipeline into local hires. Committee members asked about vacancies (about one-third of the open positions are in Unemployment Insurance and another third in Workforce Development), employer-facing portals, call-center surge staffing, and rule reductions to reduce administrative friction.

No formal committee action was taken on the day's presentation; the department committed to continued work on co-location pilots, fraud prevention and plain-language clarity for unemployment information, and to provide follow-up detail on specific program matches and vacancy-fill plans.","The Louisiana Workforce Commission briefed Appropriations on a FY26 budget centered on federal grants, a $300 million recommended budget, integration pilots co-locating DCFS staff in American Job Centers, and a large unclaimed Rehabilitation Services federal match that could bring downstate funding if not addressed.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6097902,"Louisiana Economic Development requests operating boost as department touts pipeline including Meta and Hyundai projects",851,2737000,3588000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2826251-4df1d0d5395e926af15748c13c9c1185&start=2737&end=3588","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2826251-4df1d0d5395e926af15748c13c9c1185/thumbnail_2737000.jpg","/articles/6097902/Louisiana/Louisiana-Economic-Development-requests-operating-boost-as-department-touts-pipeline-including-Meta-and-Hyundai-projects","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6097902-79388bd4e00628c9c87c90e220ba0b28/orig.mp4?Expires=1770527385&Signature=M5JtDPk5E7Wx5hdesNg-q6j-GMVtERAsHaKVmbmmMLpiXhmpxzORoSUvZuFXtQhZbSK3lbi-oaMDpzg0GcG44N7fgONdFoHtZwXEilO47Ax9UKrk~g0ksRs~4CoQukVvG5pSKt5akm95pvx6gHldVXcRc-ZeFDNVyqKgKGFMFsqlt8QF00UTdEtobSDApqbL4UyIzndpURp3RPYK~cNAeKZPc8ZcZ5vPGuRBxC21YKSJzEorRBjce2sOWKI42PGdPkMacuZt4BG0Zbfcb7EsUVhi99PQYeO8inT-TrA6tJadvx~iw~e3gQ6jMaE-lKl9pdxzlfKzjCLGLsZ30ooM9w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Louisiana Economic Development presented its FY26 executive budget to the House Appropriations Committee on March 31, telling lawmakers the department seeks additional operating capacity to support a record pipeline of potential projects and to bring key functions in house.

House Fiscal analyst Abigail Chasten summarized the department's recommendation at roughly $62.7 million in FY26, with state general fund comprising about $47.5 million of that total and personnel services and other charges among the largest expenditure categories. Chasten said the department has 213 TO positions budgeted and seven vacancies as of Dec. 30, 2024.

Secretary Susan Bourgeois framed LED's budget ask as targeted to business development and innovation work taken on since the department's reorganization, telling the committee the agency is seeking an $11,000,000 operating increase (about $8,000,000 recurring) and additional personnel and marketing to support business recruitment, foreign direct investment, and four pilot regional innovation ecosystems in New Orleans, Lafayette, Baton Rouge and Ruston.

Bourgeois highlighted two high-profile project announcements in recent weeks as evidence of the department's activity: '10,000,000,000 is what's on paper,' she said of the Meta AI center planned for Richland Parish and described Hyundai's announced $6,000,000,000 manufacturing investment in Ascension Parish, adding those projects are emblematic of LED's 'whole of government approach.'

The secretary also explained personnel and structure shifts: 68 positions from the Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) that previously performed Fast Start workforce training will be transferred into LED, producing a net increase in the department's personnel budget and moving those roles from other charges into personnel services. LED said the total department headcount will increase by about 100 TO positions when counting the new and transferred roles.

Why it matters: Bourgeois described a large, growing pipeline of projects (187 active projects in a weekly pipeline report she shared) and argued that additional marketing, CRM tools, and site-development investments will help convert prospects into announced projects. She asked the committee to fund a sites and infrastructure fund in the session to accelerate site readiness as a 'speed-to-market' advantage.

Committee discussion focused on the timing of federal grants (State Small Business Credit Initiative tranches), the mechanics of the Fast Start transfer, and regional distribution of pipeline activity. Deputy Secretary Ann Villa explained some federal grant changes are timing issues that create year-to-year variances rather than reductions in total funding.

No formal committee action was taken; LED staff committed to follow up on specific carryforward and tranche timing questions and to provide further detail on the proposed sites fund and personnel transfers.","LED officials told the Appropriations Committee they are seeking an $11 million operating increase, plan site and technology investments, and are transferring Fast Start positions into LED while touting a pipeline that includes Meta's $10 billion AI center and Hyundai's $6 billion manufacturing project.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Agriculture and Forestry seeks $5 million for wildfire gear as soil-and-water payments lag

Department of Insurance outlines Fortified Homes spending, expands anti-fraud staff amid mixed premium trends

Workforce Commission outlines strategic plan, co-location pilots and warns of federal funding uncertainty

Louisiana Economic Development requests operating boost as department touts pipeline including Meta and Hyundai projects