like to call to order the uh legislative and governmental affairs committee. Uh I'll call the meeting to order. May I have a roll call, please? >> Okay. Mr. Pal, Mr. Pal is present. Dr. Armstrong >> here. Dr. Armstrong. Mr. Burkin. Mr.
Burkin present. Mr. Castile >> M. Castile present. Mine >> here. >> Shan present. Clark. Dr. Clark is present. Mr. Harris here. Mr. Harris present. Mr. Hollis. Mr. Hollis is not present. Miss Holloway. >> Miss Holloway is present. Miss Meerine.
Melerine is present. Mr. Mars here. >> Mr. Mars is present. You have a poll. >> Thank you. Um, may I have the first item, please? >> Yes. Your first item starts on page two, which is item 2.1, consideration of the Louisiana Department of Education
implementation plan regarding education legislation enacted during the 2025 regular legisl legislative session. The recommendation is to receive. >> Okay. Do I have a motion, Mr. Burkin? A
motion seconded by Mr. Appel. Okay. Um, just a couple of points here. I want to thank the staff for this. Uh you've already as a committee and Conrad's committee, we've we've adopted most of these or all of these changes, but I
want to point out that if you'll look at this, what's in your folder is the uh list of bills that came across last year and then they've changed it to the act numbers now. And also you have on there
where um the changes that we had to make what bulletin it's in. So this is a nice cross reference for if you have some questions about uh what did y'all do on Act 409. You can refer to this and you can see what bulletin it is in case you
need to go to. So I want to point that out. But I do want to commend the staff for this. This is a very helpful and and uh we looked at this a whole lot. I know last legislative session. So, thank y'all for what y'all do on that. And uh it'll be hard to improve, but I'm sure
we will next year. Uh we do have a motion in second, but before we go to that, uh President Morris asked me to address uh some things in the legislative committee concerning the 8G and what's
going to happen in April. So, uh, I want to kind of map out what we need to do as a board and as a committee as we go forward into next year in case this particular uh, fund goes away, which we
know that is in the constitutional uh, uh, amendment and it's a fact that it's there. It's going to be voted on in April of there's probably a very good chance that it passes. So, uh, what I think we should do, and and I've I've
talked to some leadership and both the administration and also, uh, over at the capital, we need staff, uh, Tvar and his staff to put together exactly the impacts
uh, to Bessie, to all of our programs, to um, you know, staffing, everything, the exact ramifications of that fund going away and we need dollar values assigned to it. So in other words, yesterday you
talked in the retreat uh Mr. Executive Director talking about four positions were eliminated. We need to know what positions those are. Why do we need them? We have to justify them if we if we go into the budgeting process. Then
we need to know what programs like this uh lady came just a moment ago to speak about early childhood. You know, those funds are not going to be there if 8 G is not there. We need to know how many children we want to serve. Maybe even
pick up the waiting list that she was talking about. Something that we can go to the legislature, to the executive branch, uh to the commissioner as they're putting the budget together and say, "Look, we're losing these 1500 slots for early childhood at four year
olds." And then we need to pitch it to them that it's a 18 to 20%, you know, return on investment. So, we need that ASAP. Uh, Mr. Walker, uh, as soon as you can get it to me. What I would like to do is send it to each member of the
board and then you look at it and then highlight those things that you think should be a priority for us. We're not going to get everything, but those things that you think should be a priority for us and the state and the kids of Louisiana and send it back. We'll compile that
information. We need to start this process as soon as possible. So, we know that the administration will start putting their budget together in October. Uh, we put ours together in October. So do the other departments.
I think it would behoove us and I think it would be prudent for some of us uh to go visit some people with that in hand at the end of September, middle of October, go on through November and December and then take it right on into
the legislative process. Uh Mr. Appel, Senator Appel was on the finance committee for years over in the Senate. I was on appropriations seemed like forever and those that work the situation early on are the ones that
usually uh can be funded in the end. So, we're losing some some pretty significant resources for Bessie. And I I want to remind everyone that uh the secretary of revenue said that he was going to
backfill for us uh at the table as did I think the governor mentioned that. So we have all of that at at our disposal when we go talk to them. But we need to know exactly what we want. We need to know what those figures are and that's what
we need to go ask for. So Mr. Mars, I hope that answered your question. Uh that we we have a plan. So >> yes, sir. Thank you. I'm sure Mr. Walker got the message. Uh now it's just a matter of when we'd expect that deliverable from Mr. Walker.
>> Soon. We need it soon. So, >> okay. >> Yeah. I just wanted to second exactly what you were saying and I think it's really important uh to get that meeting with the uh division administration perhaps and the governor's staff that's
going to be doing the executive budget as soon as possible. But it also means integrating uh what the what the superintendent's thoughts are uh so that we all talking together. >> Oh, absolutely. >> Um but I I'd suggest strongly that we
try to have a meeting ASAP with those figures. >> Yeah. sooner we get the get the figures, we'll we'll go right to work on it and we'll put them in. >> I'll concur completely because that's if you're in the executive budget, you have a better chance, not a great chance, but
a better chance of being something at the end of the day. That's all I'm saying. >> And look, and and as you're visiting with people, remind them that they said they would backfield some of this. So, uh it which I'm telling y'all I'm already doing. So, uh everybody's aware
of it. And I think uh if we do a concerted unified effort along with Dr. Brumley, we're going to be okay. >> Thank you for that. And I think Mr. Walker's acknowledged that 30 days seems to be a reasonable amount of time. Uh so we'll we'll look for that within the next 30 days. >> Okay. All right. Any other discussion?
Okay. Um >> yeah. Uh Mr. Chair, thank you. Um I just want to take this opportunity again to thank staff uh Ashley Townson and Ben Leo. I just think they did a fantastic job. So appreciate uh um everything that they bring to that conversation. Very
responsive, great relationships with legislators and whatnot and put us in a good position. So I just want to thank those folks, acknowledge that work. Um and then the other thing was u to board members. Uh you know, obviously some folks on this board have been here what a year and a half now and uh you've been
exposed to this process twice. So, I'm just wondering, you know, board members, you know, if you think about your reflection, if you have any comments on the process. We we've talked about this at regular board meetings before, but here's another opportunity, you know, if if you have any comments about the the
process we have in place today, you know, for for Bessie to engage with legislators, legislation, uh, with Mr. Harris's, uh, committee. Um, you know, I think here's a great opportunity to do that. We're always looking for ways to improve. Um, so I just want to put that
out there. Um, Dr. Armstrong, you had you had something? >> No, I just want to say as far as the process, I sincerely appreciate the way Mr. Harris kept us updated. And I did have questions, a lot of questions, but I knew that I could call him or I could
call Ben and say, "Okay, tell me about this. What does this mean?" And that helped a lot. >> Great. That's great feedback. Thank Thank you for that. Any any other thoughts from any other members on this one? Everybody's happy with the process. No suggestions. Okay, Mr. Harris, double
bingo there. >> Okay. >> Um, the only other thing I had before we close out was I'd mentioned it earlier, but I'm just wondering if uh, you know, as members do uh, come across um, initiatives that that they're interested in, they think maybe should be given
legislative consideration. if maybe we should start uh building that list with you and sort of put a placeholder, you know, in your spreadsheet and and that way we've got a placeholder for that. We can come back to it and see if they still want to follow up on it when it comes time or what is the appropriate
time. But I'm I'm just wondering if maybe that's something we ought to think about and and give uh members uh that opportunity. >> Oh, absolutely. If you've got something that you feel like Bessie needs to put through the legislature, send it to me.
Well, I I'll open up a a little mind map on it and we'll track it and we'll uh date it and see if it's something that we want to come to, find an author uh and we'll get get it put together and and I'm sure we'll be hearing from uh
Dr. Brumley and his staff on things that they need to go through and put on the list. But definitely uh that's why we put this committee together. Uh so those kind of concerns and those things we need to be charting and look it's never too soon trust me
just get it in we can get get started with it. So anything else? Okay. Uh is there any objection on the motion? Hearing none motion is pass. Next item >> that concludes the agenda.
>> Okay. Thank