LA BUDGET COMMITTEE ACTION- Today is Day four of the special Louisiana Legislative Session, called by Gov John Bel Edwards to get lawmakers to hash out some plans to address a Billion-Dollar Fiscal Cliff when the temporary one-cent sales tax expires July 1st. Committees are in session but budget negotiations seem to have already stalled---Representative Stephen Dwight, a Republican from Lake Charles presented a bill to keep a portion of the temporary sales tax which would make the state sales tax 4.25 percent… it would also change which industries get a break on that tax and how much. " This is not a bill that I necessarily wanted to bring, but I felt like I needed to bring, because I think this is an option for this state going forward that fills some of that fiscal cliff that we're facing"
explained Dwight. But the bill seemed to have hit a wall as GOP-led House has said any money raised in this special session must come from spending reforms. So Rep. Clay Schexnayder (R-Gonzales) attached the bill to others that address Medicaid work requirements, the state's spending limit and a transparency website, the much talked about 'Louisiana Checkbook' — making Dwight's bill a package deal. But even with all these attachments, Representative Dwight urged the committee to advance his bill to the house floor. "I think this is the only option to go forward," he said. But Rep. Ted James (D-Baton Rouge), says that's not the case. "We have other bills that can help us get to an amount that we’re all comfortable with. We need as many options as possible," said James. He said he'd consider keeping a fraction of the
increased sales tax. But it would have to be tied to other tax measures that don't adversely affect low-income populations, like reducing the amount of federal itemized deductions residents can claim on their state taxes. "We need to have some equity there," he explained, "and until we have that equity, I just can’t support anything that’s out there right now that they're presenting." In the Ways and Means Committee, some Republicans oppose any tax measures, even though they haven't offered any ideas for how to make $994 million in cuts. To get a tax bill out of the committee, even one sponsored by a Republican, will take some Democratic support. The Special Session is to conclude March 7th before the regular session convenes March 12th.
