Post by pavel on Mar 1, 2016 5:02:11 GMT -6
Louisiana House puts off voting on alcohol, cigarette, other tax hikes -- again
The Louisiana House of Representatives put off voting on several tax bills -- including alcohol and cigarette tax hikes -- for the second time Monday (Feb. 29), including some measures that Gov. John Bel Edwards and Senate leadership consider essential to closing a $900 million budget deficit this year.
"What's going on? That's a good question," said Rep. Kenny Cox, D-Natchitoches, who pulled his two bills to raise alcohol taxes from the House agenda Monday. He said didn't have the votes to get them through yet.
The Louisiana Legislature only has until March 9 to solve the state's current financial crisis, and the House hasn't moved many of the potential tax increases that were discussed as solutions to the state's fiscal problem for the last few weeks. It also hasn't come up with enough cuts to solve the problem.
The Senate can't write its own tax bills under the Louisiana Constitution, so it is completely dependent on the lower chamber to move those tax hike measures.
Read more: www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/02/louisiana_house_puts_off_votin.html
The Louisiana House of Representatives put off voting on several tax bills -- including alcohol and cigarette tax hikes -- for the second time Monday (Feb. 29), including some measures that Gov. John Bel Edwards and Senate leadership consider essential to closing a $900 million budget deficit this year.
"What's going on? That's a good question," said Rep. Kenny Cox, D-Natchitoches, who pulled his two bills to raise alcohol taxes from the House agenda Monday. He said didn't have the votes to get them through yet.
The Louisiana Legislature only has until March 9 to solve the state's current financial crisis, and the House hasn't moved many of the potential tax increases that were discussed as solutions to the state's fiscal problem for the last few weeks. It also hasn't come up with enough cuts to solve the problem.
The Senate can't write its own tax bills under the Louisiana Constitution, so it is completely dependent on the lower chamber to move those tax hike measures.
Read more: www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2016/02/louisiana_house_puts_off_votin.html