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 says this kind of scare tactic is common among government officials who seek to raise taxes.
The state’s budget deficit is $940 million for this fiscal year.
The adopted economic forecast projects the next deficit is around $2 billion dollars. Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne says legislators and the public aren’t going to like it, but they will be given the honest truth…:
The Governor’s Executive Budget for the 2016-2017 fiscal year will be presented to lawmakers Saturday.
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. AFP also released an online ad criticizing the governor’s proposals. . AFP state director Phillip Joffrion says their goal is to educate the people of Louisiana about these proposed tax hikes.
Joffrion says the sales tax increase would put Louisiana at the highest combined local and state sales tax in the country.
Governor John Bel Edwards says TOPS students will not get a tuition bill this semester, despite money troubles with the popular taxpayer funded program. 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 not enough money was appropriated for the TOPS program this year.