As expected, the Senate Finance committee rejected a proposal to increase Louisiana’s minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $8.50 an hour by 2019. Supporters say it will help those living in poverty, but Metairie Senator Conrad Appel argued the proposal would harm businesses….
cut 11 (08) “…to have”
The bill was rejected on a seven to three vote. Governor Edwards issued a statement expressing his disappointment by saying the Legislature had the opportunity to actively value families, but it failed.

House debate on a 17-cent gas tax hike propsal has been delayed until next week. Baton Rouge Representative Steve Carter told NOLA.com he’s a considering a change to the legislation so that the gasoline tax would gradually increase.

With only two weeks left in the legislative session, lawmakers are not close to agreeing on a budget for next fiscal year and addressing the loss of over a billion dollars in temporary taxes set to expire in July 2018. That’s according to Jeremy Alford of LaPolitics.com…
Cut 28 (08) “in full”
Alford says the majority in the House despise creating new taxes to solve a looming budget deficit, while the majority in the Senate and the governor believe that is the solution. He says there is no clear path for where this session will end.
cut 29 (11) “to happen”
On the House floor Thursday, democrats mustered enough votes to prevent the passage of a construction financing bill in the hopes that it will lead to serious negotiations on tax reform.