We are closing in on the first week of the special legislative session and we are still waiting for our first significant piece of legislation to make it out of the House Ways and Means Committee. The panel has heard testimony all week on various proposals to increase taxes on cigarettes, alcohol, personal income, businesses and there’s a bill to raise the state sales tax by a penny.

There’s still a divide between Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards and republican lawmakers. Edwards is seeking to raise taxes as way to fill a budget deficit that’s anywhere between 850-to-950 million dollars. But republicans are pushing for more cuts to the current budget, before they look at raising taxes.

The budget must be balanced by June 30th and the special session is set to end by March 9th. The House is expected to keep working over the weekend. Governor John Bel Edwards is attending the National Governors Assocation meeting in Washington DC and he’ll return to Baton Rouge on Monday.

cut 15 (11) “…no future”

Dozens of students were on the steps of the state capitol today protesting proposed cuts to higher education. Peter Jenkns, who graduated from LSU and Nicholls, says it’s important that the students’ voices are heard….

cut 14 (10) “…..come out”

Higher Ed Commissioner Joseph Rallo says under the best case scenario, public colleges would receive a 70-million dollar cut this fiscal year.

Invest in a Healthy Lousiaina releases a poll today that shows strong support among Louisiana voters for an increase in the state’s cigarette tax  to address the state’s huge budget shortfall. Pollster Glen Bolger says the poll asked people about three different tax levels and there’s strong support all the way around…

cut 10 (09) “….73-percent”

At this point, lawmakers have only talked about raising the tax on a pack of cigarettes by 22-cents.