Seven days are left in the special legislative session and lawmakers still are at odds over the best way to address the 940 million dollar budget deficit for this fiscal year. Jeremy Alford of La-politics-dot-com says there have been repeated delays on many tax votes, but there should be some movement this afternoon…
Alford says the governor is worried that if lawmakers can’t come up with a solution, another special session will be needed.
The full House convenes at 1pm this afternoon. The lower chamber was waiting to see what the Senate would do with cuts before voting on tax measures. Senate Finance Chairman Eric LaFleur, a Democrat from Ville Platte, says everyone will know a lot more after today. He says it’s helped that Governor John Bel Edwards has been meeting with many lawmakers on these issues which is something they’re not used to…:
Cut 15 (10) “make it all happen”
Lawmakers have started filing bills for the regular session to change the TOPS scholarship program. Jennings Senator and Senate Education Chairman Blade Morrish says he has filed about a dozen TOPS-related bills, one of which would raise the requirements to qualify for the scholarship.
Cut 5 (09) “to the plate”
Morrish says legislators have looked at raising the GPA requirement for TOPS from a 2.5 to a 2.75 and the ACT score from a 20 to a 21.
A man accused of being a member of the Gremlins street gang turned himself in to police late Wednesday, according to Abbeville Chief Tony Hardy. He says 22-year-old Cody Guidry of Abbeville is one of 17 people indicted in connection with a lengthy multi-agency investigation into gang activity in Louisiana. The gang is accused of operating in Acadia, Lafayette, Vermilion and St. Martin parishes. Five of the suspected members are still at large. Hardy says these men face many charges related to criminal street gang violations…: