The Governor’s Executive Budget for the 2016-2017 fiscal year will be presented to lawmakers Saturday. Michelle Southern has a preview…:(starts with cut)
CUT 1 (29) “I’m Michelle Southern”
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Governor John Bel Edwards says severe budget cuts could mean no LSU football next fall. Jeff Palermo reports…:
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The Governor’s Executive Budget for the 2016-2017 fiscal year will be presented to lawmakers Saturday. The adopted economic forecast projects the next deficit is around $2 billion dollars. Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says they don’t plan to sugarcoat the facts..:
CUT 3 (06) “completely recovered”
Dardenne says if lawmakers want to spend only the money that they think is coming in to Louisiana in FY-17, here’s the budget and it’s not pretty. He says this is not what they want…:
Dardenne says legislators and the public aren’t going to like it, but they will be given the honest truth…:
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In a special televised address Governor John Bel Edwards said there is a possibility there will be no LSU football next fall unless legislators resolve the state’s budget deficit. Political analyst Clancy Dubos does not think Edwards wants to make these cuts, but the governor’s hands are tied unless taxes are raised.
The state’s budget deficit is $940 million for this fiscal year, and almost $2 billion for the next fiscal year. Dubos says this kind of scare tactic is common among government officials who seek to raise taxes.
Dubos said former four-term Governor Edwin Edwards used scare tactics effectively to raise revenue.
A special legislative session to address the state’s budget begins Sunday.
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The Americans for Prosperity releases a poll that shows a majority of Louisiana residents oppose Governor John Bel Edwards’ proposals to increase sales and personal income taxes to address the state’s budget deficit. A-F-P state director Phillip Joffrion says these increases are disrespectful to the people of Louisiana.
Joffrion says the sales tax increase would put Louisiana at the highest combined local and state sales tax in the country. Americans for Prosperity also released an online ad criticizing the governor’s proposals. Joffrion says their goal is to educate the people of Louisiana about these proposed tax hikes.
Joffrion says their poll shows the citizens of Louisiana were more accepting of the increase of cigarette and alcohol taxes. But he says ultimately more taxes are not the solution to our state’s budget crisis and citizens who oppose higher taxes need to speak up…
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Louisiana’s Longest Know Married Couple of 2016 has been announced by the Louisiana Family Forum. For the second year in a row, Lawrence and Varrie Player have been the married the longest in Louisiana, tying the knot 81 years ago. L-F-F President Gene Mills says Lawrence is 101-years-old and Varrie is 97.
Mills says the Player’s are unable to travel to the special reception honoring the top 10 longest married couples at the Governor’s Mansion today, so a celebration will be hosted at their home in Benton. He says this couple is a model for Louisiana families.
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Governor John Bel Edwards says TOPS students will not get a tuition bill this semester, despite money troubles with the popular taxpayer funded program. Edwards says if the state is unable to pay a TOPS recipient’s tuition, colleges will absorb those costs…
cut 14 (06) “current semester”
Edwards says not enough money was appropriated for the TOPS program this year. He says they are about 28-million dollars short and it will be up to each individual or college to pick up the rest of the costs
Edwards says while TOPS students will have their scholarships fully paid for this year, next school year is a different story, if the state doesn’t raise revenue to help pay for this government program and others