| Good Morning, The U.S. House is expected later this week to take up the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes global warming protections, reducing the deficit, the ability to negotiate lower prescription drug prices for seniors, and changes taxation for corporations. Republicans uniformly oppose the legislation, but it passed the Senate on a 50-50 party line vote with Vice President Kamala Harris casting the tie-breaking vote during an all-night session. The bill is the latest in a series of legislative wins to further Democratic President Joe Biden’s agenda. Louisiana's two Republican U.S. senators say the state's energy interests will suffer from the Inflation Reduction Act. While the measure expands drilling in the Gulf, the corporate tax changes likely would increase taxes for energy companies, the local oil and gas industry says. Public schools are starting this week all around the state. Public school students showed a partial rebound on key test scores after results plummeted last year amid the coronavirus pandemic. The percentage of students in grades 3-8 who met Louisiana's longtime achievement goal – called mastery – rose by 2 percentage points, to 31%, compared to 34% in 2019, the last time the exams were given in math, English, science and social studies before the pandemic. The rate fell 5 percentage points last year. Scores in math and English rose 3 percentage points each, to 30% and 42% respectively, according to the state Department of Education. Last year math scores dropped by 7 percentage points and English showed a 5-point plunge. Also, a study group for the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education want to change how the ratings for the schools are strengthened so that fewer schools are graded as As and Bs. Local superintendents oppose and have questions about the scope of the overhaul. State Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley and others have repeatedly said it makes no sense for 70% of public high schools to be rated A or B when other academic indicators suggest those grades are far too generous. Critics have noted that only 37% of high school students have achieved the second highest level of achievement on LEAP 2021, called mastery, which tests students on math, English, social studies and science. Meanwhile, 35% of students in grades 3-8 achieved the same level while only 41% of 3-8 schools are rated A or B. Even though 95% of the South is air conditioned, the prisons in most Southern states are not. Louisiana wants off that list and has started installing air conditioning in some parts of the nine prisons statewide. But it’ll be years before the housing dorms and tiers are air conditioned. Legislators released money to do a study but the project could cost between $28 million and $60 million. Eleven of the 13 states without air conditioning in all their prison living areas are in the South. Department of Public Safety and Corrections Secretary James LeBlanc says he wants to move Louisiana off that list and has started using his department’s repair budget to install air conditioning in infirmaries, assisted living units for elderly prisoners, kitchens and cafeterias. As always, check throughout the day for the latest Louisiana political news at theadvocate.com/politics or NOLA.com/politics and on Twitter at @MarkBallardCNB, @tegbridges, @samkarlin, @WillSentell. Here are a dozen articles, commentaries and editorials that will catch you up for the week to come. One last item: Thank you to our subscribers. Your support means a great deal to us. If you're not yet a subscriber, we’ve got a special offer you can check out here. – Mark Ballard | 
