By Kyle Roberts
Talk with any faculty or student at a Louisiana university and you’ll likely hear about old campus buildings that are beginning to show their age in unappealing ways, from leaky ceiling tiles, mold, and dilapidation.
Enter State Representative Chris Turner (District 12) and House Bill 940 with the goal addressing these campus issues by performing the needed deferred maintenance on buildings within the Louisiana State University system, the University Louisiana System, Southern University and the Louisiana Community and Technical College system.
To put into perspective, 70 percent of state-owned buildings in Louisiana are on college campuses.
And Turner understands that neglecting these needed repairs are likely keeping Louisiana students and faculty from keeping their home state their preferred choice.
“This is the perfect way to start showing how we can take pride in our state, in the property of our state, and keep people in Louisiana,” Turner said. “Colleges have come a long way over the years. They’re not just schools anymore — they’re trying to figure out their own forms of revenue. This gives them a kind of kickstart to do that — to get their buildings looking better, get air conditioners working, and fixing leaks.”
House Bill 940 has seen tremendous bi-partisan support, passing unanimously in both the state house and senate on May 31, 2024, in ACT 751.
The goal is the yield $2 billion in cash to address the deferred maintenance back log through selling bonds, which will allow projects to begin more quickly than waiting on funding solely on capital outlay plans. These projects will include needs related to roofing, HVAC/MEP systems, utility infrastructure, drainage, streets, sidewalks and site infrastructure.
Turner was quick to thank Louisiana governor Jeff Landry for his support, along with Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives Phillip DeVillier, ULS president Dr. Rick Gallot and LCTCS president Dr. Monty Sullivan.
“Governor Landry’s support has been very strong,” Turner said. “He’s all about fixing our state and making it better. If it’s something that he thinks will make Louisiana better, he’s trying to do it.”
Additionally, Turner also said that $97 million has been put toward deferred maintenance for this year, which will mean that some projects can begin in as soon as early 2025 and lauded the collaboration with Gallot and Louisiana Tech president Dr. Jim Henderson for putting together their respective maintenance needs.
Turner also reiterated that this will not cause any tax increase to citizens because it will not use money from the general fund or affect Louisiana’s bond rating.
See below for each university’s allocation:
ULS System
Louisiana Tech University – $52,600,000
Grambling State University – $79,863,000
McNeese State University – $35,833,520
Nicholls State University – $41,886,580
Northwestern State University – $29,435,287
Southeastern University – $60,467,000
UL-Lafayette – $117,016,900
UL-Monroe – $46,519,500
University of New Orleans – $58,792,264
LSU System
Louisiana State University – $668,691,340
LSU-Alexandria – $5,061,000
LSU-Eunice – $24,505,907
LSU-Shreveport – $9,185,000
LSU-AgCenter – $29,000,000
LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans – $247,952,236
LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport – $30,090,000
LSU Pennington Biomedical Research Center – $9,937,400
LCTCS – $256,000,000
Southern University – $56,000,000
