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La. halts EMS hazard pay

The committee didn’t vote on the proposal, and simply put it on hold without any action amid concerns about the price tag

The Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS — The Senate’s budget committee has stalled a proposal that would give Emergency Medical Service workers the same monthly supplement that local law enforcement officers and firefighters receive from the state.

Sen. J.P. Morrell, D-New Orleans, has proposed a constitutional amendment that would add full-time EMS workers to the list to receive a $500 monthly paycheck from the state on top of their local salaries.

The proposal (Senate Bill 285) would cost at least $3.7 million a year and likely more, depending on how many EMS workers qualified, according to legislative fiscal analysts.

“This sends a message to EMS that we hold them as a priority,” Morrell told the Senate Finance Committee.

The committee didn’t vote on the proposal, but simply held it without action Monday amid concerns about the price tag.

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