The surprise march of marijuana legalization through the Legislature is over for the session after the House rejects a bill that would set the tax rate for recreational pot sales. Mandeville Representative Richard Nelson says his legalization effort would generate a lot of revenue for the state that will now remain in the hands of drug dealers.
The final vote was 47-48 against. The tax legislation requires a two-thirds majority, for approval.
Senator Bill Cassidy advised fellow lawmakers in DC about the flooding and loss of lives in Louisiana this week when as much as 15 inches of rain deluged parts of the state. Cassidy told reporters he’s working on assistance for southwest Louisiana.
Cut 6 (11) “…rebuilding process.”
The Louisiana House approves legislation to increase certain hunting and fishing license fees, raising millions of dollars for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Prairieville Representative Tony Bacala says a fee hike is necessary because LDWF can no longer rely on money from the Conversation Fund.
Cut 3 (10) “…practically depleted”
The measure still needs Senate approval.
Federal assistance and a rosier economic outlook lead the Revenue Estimating Conference to upgrade the state’s revenue projections by 677 million dollars through the end of the next fiscal year. Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says he recommends using these funds only for one-time expenses, although some would like to see the money put towards increasing teacher pay.