The special session is set to go on February 19th to take on the state’s one billion dollar budget gap that hits with temporary sales taxes expire on June 30th. Governor John Bel Edwards, along with the Senate President and House Speaker all say they wanted the session. The governor favors a tax package that may raise taxes for businesses, and people with middle to upper incomes to avoid slashing TOPS, health care, and public safety programs. But Republicans have other ideas like possibly renewing the one cent state sales tax.
Attorney General Jeff Landry filed a lawsuit against the Corps of Engineers alleging that they expanded the Intracoastal Waterway in Vermillion Parish beyond what it agreed to in a 1920s agreement. He’s seeking to force the Corps to roll back the waterway to the limits the state initially agreed to.
Cut 14 (11)”… been lost.”
Landry says the expansion contributed to the decline of Louisiana’s coastline.
Congress approved a spending bill that reopened the federal government after a brief shutdown over the night. Louisiana’s delegation voted three to five against accepting the budget deal. Senator John Kennedy voted against the bill, saying the spending increases are not paid for.
Cut 9 (10) “…new expenses.”
Representative Ralph Abraham voted ‘yes’ and is not happy about increasing the deficit, but he says the predictions for how much the debt will balloon may be overstated.
Cut 12 (11) “…long run”
But as Abraham sees it, the biggest benefit of the legislation is that it should give more federal funding for the United States’ military.