The state senate voted 39-0 in favor of the bill that allows public school systems to increase teacher pay by $2,000 and support staff pay by $1,000, with savings expected to be pulled from another piece of proposed legislation.

The house had earlier advocated for the reduction of teacher stipends but the senate restored the full amount Governor Jeff Landry had proposed, and the house voted in unison.

In a video message, Landry, said higher teacher salaries were interlinked with his plan to overhaul the state's tax system and make other fiscal changes."We fixed the fiscal cliff by cutting state debt," he said in a video message Friday. "In turn, we were able to give our teachers a permanent pay raise -- a much-deserved win for our unsung heroes."