Post by pavel on Mar 4, 2016 5:23:55 GMT -6
As House approves cigarette tax increase, Senate panel unveils its budget cutting plan
A Senate budget panel has advanced legislation that would cut funding for state agencies more than Gov. John Bel Edwards has proposed but significantly less than the House has agreed should be cut from the budget that ends June 30.
After days of testimony about the impact cuts could have on state services, the Senate Finance Committee approved its version of House Bill 122 on Thursday -- signaling a potential end to the gridlock that has hit the state Capitol this week as lawmakers attempt to solve the $900 million budget crisis before the special session ends next week.
The latest version of HB 122 now goes to the full Senate for consideration and, because of changes, will eventually send the two chambers into negotiations over the final tally.
The Senate’s version, which was only publicly unveiled shortly before its approval in the Finance Committee, would require the House to agree to $83 million more in tax hikes than has already been approved. Another $34 million would be needed to prevent deeper cuts to health care and higher education.
Read more: theadvocate.com/news/15071412-148/senate-panel-unveils-its-budget-cutting-plan
A Senate budget panel has advanced legislation that would cut funding for state agencies more than Gov. John Bel Edwards has proposed but significantly less than the House has agreed should be cut from the budget that ends June 30.
After days of testimony about the impact cuts could have on state services, the Senate Finance Committee approved its version of House Bill 122 on Thursday -- signaling a potential end to the gridlock that has hit the state Capitol this week as lawmakers attempt to solve the $900 million budget crisis before the special session ends next week.
The latest version of HB 122 now goes to the full Senate for consideration and, because of changes, will eventually send the two chambers into negotiations over the final tally.
The Senate’s version, which was only publicly unveiled shortly before its approval in the Finance Committee, would require the House to agree to $83 million more in tax hikes than has already been approved. Another $34 million would be needed to prevent deeper cuts to health care and higher education.
Read more: theadvocate.com/news/15071412-148/senate-panel-unveils-its-budget-cutting-plan