Today the Louisiana House of Representatives will vote on multiple tax proposals that Governor John Bel Edwards is pushing to solve the state’s massive budget deficit. Emelie Gunn has more…
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The National Math and Science Initiative College Readiness Program received a $13 million investment from ExxonMobil. Halen Doughty has the story…
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The Public Service Commission rejects Cleco’s attempt to sell the Pineville-based utility company to a private investment group. Jeff Palermo has the story…
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The House of Representatives votes today on several different tax proposals that the governor is pushing for as a way to solve the state’s budget crisis. Up for consideration, is an increase to the state’s sales tax, higher cigarette and alcohol taxes and fewer tax exemptions for businesses. Political Analyst Clancy Dubos says negotiations have been ongoing on which tax bills will pass…
It takes 70 votes for a bill that raises taxes to pass the House and advance to the Senate. Dubos says House Republicans want the governor to commit to long term budget reform, before taxes are raised. And he says they have a good point…
There are 14 days left in the special session and whatever tax bills clean the House, still need to be debated in the Senate. Dubos says the House seems more reluctant to raise taxes than the Senate so there is a lot more negotiating to do….
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ExxonMobil invests $13 million into the National Math and Science Initiative College Readiness Program. NMSI CEO Matthew Randazzo says the College Readiness Program is focused on driving student achievement around rigorous college-level courses and advanced placement. He says students will have access to more AP courses and fee waivers for the AP tests.
Randazzo says the investment will allow NMSI to support educators with the tools they need to be better AP teachers. He says students benefit from high school AP courses…
Four schools in Louisiana already benefit from this program, including Bossier and Parkway High Schools. Last year, students from Parkway and Bossier saw a 215% increase in qualifying math, science and English AP exam scores. Randazzo says this investment will allow NMSI to impact additional schools
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Republican State Representatives sent Governor John Bel Edwards a list of long-term changes they want in the state government as they try to negotiate the governor’s proposed tax increases aimed at fixing the budget deficit. Legislators are interested in pension reform, capital outlay reform and tax reform. Alexandria Representative Lance Harris, who oversaw preparation of the letter, says legislators don’t want to keep having to deal with midyear deficits.
Harris says legislators realize there are structural problems with the way Louisiana conducts its fiscal business. He says these changes might lead Republican House members to approve the governor’s proposed tax increases.
Harris says these and other ideas should get Louisiana to a position where it is not dealing with serious budget issues every year. He says that while some of their proposals will be addressed immediately, many of them will have to wait until next year’s fiscal session.
The letter also asks that any tax increases approved during the special session end once revenue from long term reform is collected. The governor’s office did not have an immediate response to the letter.
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The Public Service Commission has rejected Cleco’s attempt to sell the utility company for 5-billion dollars to a foreign investment group. The deal was rejected by a 3-2 vote. Commissioner Foster Campbell voted against the sale. He says we need stronger regulations on monopolies, not weaker regulations.
Campbell says the sale would have led to less control over a company that has 286-thousand customers throughout Louisiana who depend on Cleco for power. Campbell says the citizens of Louisiana are better off because the deal did not pass.
Cleco representative Jennifer Cahill says Cleco is disappointed with the PSC’s decision not to allow the transaction.
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Cahill says the sale would have been in the best interest of the customers. She says Cleco will review its options regarding this decision.