Brandi Thomas-Dobbs
February 17, 2016
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
February 18, 2016
The Bayou Region’s newest lawmakers – and their veteran colleagues – say they are prepared for the challenge of steering Louisiana away from a desperate fiscal crisis, during a specially called session that will likely see some type of tax increases along with cuts in services.
They also say as a group that they are ready and able to look past party labels and differences, as they carefully study bills filed earlier this week designed to address a budget hole that Gov. John Bel Edwards told them has grown to $940 million.
But they do not, individually or as a group, indicate that they are prepared to support wholesale tax raises or reductions in tax credits unless cuts to spending are proven to be inadequate. And despite party affiliation, they don’t appear to be accepting at face value the hardline rejection of tax increases voiced last week by Treasurer John Kennedy.
“Still no specifics on cuts to the parts of state government that have not seen cuts in the last eight years,” said Sen. Bret Allain,
R-Franklin, noting that Edwards has the right and authority to make 5 percent across the board cuts “that would lessen the amount of revenue we would need to raise. I am looking forward to working on a solution.”
State Sen. Norby Chabert, R-Houma, said he is continuing to scrutinize proposed fixes, and acknowledged that when it’s all over, a lot of people may be unhappy for a lot of different reasons.
“Everything is on the table,” he said.
In an address to lawmakers of both chambers meeting in a joint session at the Sunday opening of what is officially called an “Extraordinary Session,” Edwards reiterated a desperate scenario that he related to voters in a television address Thursday.
“As I see it, how you, how I, how we respond to this call will determine the course of Louisiana’s future,” Edwards said. “Real leadership is required, leadership that will be present, not absent, leadership that will be involved, not detached. I promise you this. I will roll up my sleeves to work with you, not from some other state and not while pursuing some other position.”
The last comment was one of a number during the speech that appeared directed at his predecessor, Bobby Jindal, who was engaged in an aggressive but unsuccessful bid for a presidential run last year. Jindal’s fiscal policies, which included plugging budget holes with one-time revenues the state had collected, were carried out – if grudgingly – by the Legislature. During Sunday’s speech, Edwards addressed head-on criticism of his call for new taxes by Kennedy.
“There are some who will tell you that we merely have a spending problem,” Edwards said. “We cannot just cut our way out of this crisis and it simply isn’t possible to always do more with less, because if it were, one day you could do everything for nothing and life doesn’t work that way.”
The worst-case scenario envisioned by Edwards could include closure of universities in the state system; already schools have been cut off from receiving the state’s TOPS program financial aid. Student athletes who could receive incomplete grades due to closures would not be able to play football, meaning the LSU team would have to shut down, according to the scenario.
On social media pages belonging to people living in the Bayou Region, anger toward Edwards was palpable concerning the latter potential. While few appeared to be distressed by cuts to actual education and programs for the poor, particularly medical assistance, the possible threat to LSU football made blood boil.
Bills filed Sunday include an increase in taxes on cigarettes by 20 cents, elimination of a tax credit alcohol and tobacco dealers get for filing their excise tax collection paperwork on time, and elimination of the credit families can take on their state income taxes for the amount they paid in a year for federal taxes.
Rep. Jerome Zeringue, R-Houma, was grated by what he saw as an unnecessarily harsh message, what he described as a “Doomsday theory” indicating that only through added taxes could programs like TOPS be saved.
Rep. Beryl Amedee, R-Houma, acknowledged that Edwards mentioned cuts the administration is specifically; ready to support, but that she will need more information.
“I want to see those details,” said Amedee, who wants to see sunset provisions for any tax increases that do result from the session. “He did mention sunset plans on his sales tax increase proposal. Good thing. I probably will not be able to vote for a sales tax increase but I will be watching and amending every proposal I can so that every proposal to increase a tax includes a sunset.”
A sunset is a provision in law that requires its reconsideration on a certain date, usually a few years down the road from when it is enacted.
Rep. Tanner Magee, R-Houma, said he recognizes the problem outlined by Edwards as realistic, but he also recognizes that there is no single path to fiscal rescue, and he is preparing to study all of them.
“There will be alternatives,” Magee said.
Gov. John Bel Edwards enters the House of Representatives Chamber at the state capitol Sunday. Edwards addressed a joint meeting that began an Extraordinary Session to deal with the Louisiana’s looming deficits.
Classrooms and football fields are among the places where budget cuts may be felt. Gov. John Bel Edwards says tax increases are needed to stave off disaster.
