Deaf Funding Solution Emerges

Rep. Wesley Bishop of New Orleans recently proposed a bill which would require the state to increase funds spent to aid the deaf community. House Bill 75 would cause for an additional one million dollars to be used toward aiding the deaf, hard of hearing, and speech impaired population of New Orleans.

Since the 1980’s Louisianans have been paying a tax on residential lines that goes to the Louisiana Commission for the Deaf. However, with the recent influx of cell phones and decrease in landlines, funding has decreased. This is where Bill 75 can help the large deaf community. The idea for the legislation originated after Governor Jindal objected to increasing the bill for cellphone users in order to gain funds for the deaf community. Instead of increasing taxes, the money will be extracted from a current cellphone tax.

Bill 75 would prove to be extremely helpful as the population of the deaf and blind community in Louisiana is the highest in the nation.

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