Louisiana Budget Project Director Jan Moller will be one of the featured panelists Thursday at the monthly luncheon hosted by League of Women Voters of Baton Rouge. The discussion will center on the effects of tax cuts, exemptions and rebates … Read more…

A report making the rounds this week gave several reasons – all of them misleading – for why Louisiana should not try to set up a competitive marketplace for health insurance. But a new fact sheet from the Louisiana Budget … Read more…

By: Tim Mathis

A new fact-sheet on state financial aid programs released this week by the Brookings Institution paints a sobering picture for low-income Louisiana college students by confirming what we already knew: Louisiana does not provide nearly enough support … Read more…

Louisiana Allows Lenders to Charge up to 1,043% APR

LBP releases a payday lending fact sheet with key statistics about the impact of predatory lending on working families. Louisiana has one of the highest concentrations of payday lenders in the … Read more…

By Jan Moller

The sullen look on Rep. Jim Fannin’s face on Tuesday evening told the story better than the numbers ever could.

Fannin, the chairman of the budget-writing House Appropriations Committee, offered little except shoulder shrugs and gallows humor … Read more…

Privatizing a state-run prison in Avoyelles Parish might save the state some money, but it would come at a steep cost to state workers and public safety, according to a new commentary by the Louisiana Budget Project. Still, the Legislature … Read more…

LBP’s Jan Moller speaks against the proposed retirement plan at the Capitol.

Watch a clip from WAFB or read an article from The Advocate.

 … Read more…

By Jan Moller

With the April 17 tax deadline looming, it’s a good time look not just at what we pay to the government each year but what we all get in return. Because while no one especially enjoys paying … Read more…

Today’s analysis of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s “cash balance” plan shows that there is no need to switch to a new retirement system for future teachers and state employees.  The analysis showed that the new system would add to the state’s … Read more…

(Baton Rouge – April 4, 2012) While most other states exempt working-poor families from the income tax, Louisiana is one of a small number of states that continue to levy an income tax on working families living in poverty. By … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project has been cited in the news weighing in on various important debates such as the school voucher plan, the health insurance exchange, state pensions and health care reform.

In February, LBP received a great deal of … Read more…

Watch LBP’s Jan Moller on Louisiana Public Square’s “Redefining State Retirement” piece and see why everyone will ultimately be affected by the state pension systems’ UAL (Unfunded Accrued Liability), even if you are not a state worker.

Here is an … Read more…

View “Louisiana Budget Basics” where LBP Director Jan Moller explains why health-care and education always seem to get hit hard during state budget cuts.

Watch “Louisiana Budget Basics” here.

View “Payday Lending in Louisiana” where LBP … Read more…

With the two-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act this week, the Louisiana Budget Project has released a fact sheet reminding Louisiana legislators and other interested parties that several important policy decisions and milestones lie ahead as the state and … Read more…

By Jan Moller

The first week of the 2012 Legislature was unlike any opening weeks that had come before. In the span of two days of marathon hearings, the education committees in the House and Senate approved a massive overhaul … Read more…

“Louisiana Budget Basics” by Jan Moller

“Payday Lending in Louisiana” by Tim Mathis… Read more…

By Jan Moller

It didn’t get much attention, but last week Gov. Bobby Jindal made what appears to be a dramatic policy shift. Speaking to WWL-TV in New Orleans on the day that President Obama released a plan to cut … Read more…

By Jan Moller
Special to The Political Desk

Twenty-two years ago, back when bipartisanship was still possible on Capitol Hill, the U.S. Congress passed a bill that required all packaged food to be labeled with detailed nutritional information.

With the … Read more…

… Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project finds that Gov . Bobby Jindal’s plan to dramatically expand the state’s private school voucher program is lacking the strong accountability and transparency requirements that parents need to make informed decisions about … Read more…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, February 09, 2012
Contact:
KAREN MILLER
225.929.5266, x220
JAN MOLLER
225.929.5266 x224
225.819.7715 (cell)

STATEMENT FROM LOUISIANA BUDGET PROJECT ON THE GOVERNOR’S EXECUTIVE BUDGET

“This is an unbalanced budget that would kill jobs, raise payroll taxes … Read more…

LBP appeared in a segment on Louisiana Public Broadcasting’s “Louisiana: The State We’re In” discussing Governor Jindal’s proposal for a statewide voucher program for education. Watch the full segment here.… Read more…

By: Jan Moller

Gov. Bobby Jindal will release his 2012-13 budget plan in less than a week, and that’s when we’ll find out how he proposes to close the $895 million shortfall. But so far it looks like more of … Read more…

By: Steve Spires

The 2012-13 budget shortfall: $895 million.

That’s what Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration told the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget  last Friday when the “continuation budget” was released. The continuation budget represents what it would cost to … Read more…

While Gov. Bobby Jindal has focused on education, his administration has been conspicuously quiet on another issue that’s sure to grab headlines in the months ahead: the state budget.

But the calendar doesn’t lie. In less than four weeks the … Read more…

Louisiana’s Medicaid program is more than a critical source of health care for families, pregnant women, children and people with disabilities. It also plays a key role in creating jobs and building a strong economy, according to a new report… Read more…

A few notable stories before Louisiana heads into a frenzied weekend of football and inauguration activities.

- The U.S. economy added 200,000 jobs in December, capping a year that saw the economy add 1.9 million private-sector jobs – the … Read more…

By: Steve Spires

When Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration presented its mid-year budget cuts to the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget last month, Commissioner of Administration Paul Rainwater assured lawmakers that neither Medicaid providers nor LSU hospitals were being affected.… Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

While Gov. Bobby Jindal has sought to make government transparency a hallmark of his administration, a new report finds that Louisiana asks for little in return when it comes to corporations receiving multi-million dollar subsidies.

The … Read more…

It is hardly a secret that Louisianans, on average, are poorer and less healthy than other Americans. But Louisianans would be even worse off without assistance from Medicaid, the federal-state program established to expand access to medical care.

As Louisiana’s … Read more…

With Louisiana facing a $12.7 billion backlog of unmet construction needs on its roads, bridges and ports, a new report finds that the purchasing power of the state’s gasoline tax is at a 20-year low.

The report by the Institute … Read more…

Dozens of America’s largest and most profitable corporations paid little or no state income taxes during a recent three-year period, according to a new report by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

The report found that some of America’s … Read more…

On November 17th, The Advocate published “Group Raps La. Tax On Poor,” a front page article highlighting a report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

The article gives statements from Gov. Bobby Jindal’s spokeman, Kyle Plotkin, and director … Read more…

In an era when state policymakers have given generous tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy, a new report finds that Louisiana remains one of the few states that continue to tax the incomes of the working poor.

Although Louisiana … Read more…

A proposed constitutional amendment on Louisiana’s November 19 statewide ballot to prohibit taxes on the sale of homes or businesses would damage the ability of state and local governments to provide revenue needed to support health care, education, and other … Read more…

Posted by: Steve Spires

An article in the Wall Street Journal earlier this week highlighted the importance of SNAP (which stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps) to Louisiana families. The article noted that, in August, … Read more…

A new study commissioned by the Louisiana Board of Regents provides evidence that Go Grants work by improving retention rates for low-income students. The study adds further support to a report by Louisiana Budget Project that argued for increased spending … Read more…

LBP has added a temporary tab to our website entitled Constitutional Amendments. Here you will find LBP’s position and recommendations for two of the five proposed Constitutional Amendments to be voted on in the upcoming October 22nd election.

Polls … Read more…

A recent commentary by the Louisiana Budget Project urges voters to approve Amendment No. 4 on the October 22nd primary ballot. The measure is sound fiscal policy that will both strengthen the Rainy Day Fund and allow for greater flexibility … Read more…

A new article by the Louisiana Budget Project summarizes a recent report by the Louisiana Hospital Association. The article looks specifically at Medicaid’s important role in Louisiana’s health care system and in the state’s economy. The article explains why Medicaid … Read more…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Contact:
KAREN MILLER
225.929.5266, x220
EDWARD ASHWORTH
225.929.5266 x224
225.907.3035 (cell)

LEADERSHIP TRANSITION AT LOUISIANA BUDGET PROJECT ADVANCES MISSION, BUILDS ON MOMENTUM 

(Baton Rouge – October 4, 2011) Edward Ashworth, Director of the … Read more…

Posted by: Steve Spires

Louisiana ranked 8^th highest in per capita funding received from the federal government last year, according to a new report from the Census Bureau. In FY2010, Louisiana’s state and local governments received $13.4 billion in … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project urges Louisianans to vote against Amendment 1 in the upcoming October 22nd election. It analyzes the ill effects of using the constitutionally-protected Millennium Trust Fund to free additional dollars in the state … Read more…

Failure to Take Balanced Approach to Address Revenue Shortfall Will Worsen Trends

 (Baton Rouge – September 22, 2011) Poverty rose significantly in Louisiana last year, highlighting the widespread impact of the recession and the need for Louisiana to protect this … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) seeks to hire a full-time Outreach Coordinator.

LBP, a project of the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations, provides independent, nonpartisan research, analysis, and advocacy on budget, tax, and other fiscal issues in Louisiana with an … Read more…

By: Steve Spires

A recent report by the Legislative Auditor’s Office calls into question the wisdom of Governor Jindal’s proposal to privatize the state’s Office of Group Benefits (OGB), which currently administers the life and health insurance plans of nearly … Read more…

Posted by: Steve Spires

One out of every five people filing for bankruptcy in the last two years listed medical debt as a “primary cause,” according to CredAbility, a non-profit credit counseling based in Atlanta. Two years ago that number … Read more…

A guest column by Louisiana Budget Project director, Edward Ashworth, published in the August 21, 2011 edition of The Times-Picayune, entitled “Louisiana lets payday loans flourish,” explains how payday lenders are taking advantage of people in need, specifically in … Read more…

Louisiana’s sales tax holiday, scheduled to occur on the first Friday and Saturday in August, is one of the most generous in the nation. According to a policy brief by the Institute on

Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), a non-partisan … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project exposes the predatory lending industry.

Payday lenders promise predominantly poor and working-class clients quick cash with minimum documentation requirements. However, this “easy money” comes at a high financial cost to the borrowers … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project is pleased to announce Steve Spires as its new policy analyst specializing in health care issues.

He is a graduate of American University’s School of Public Affairs.  His experience in Washington D.C. includes a variety of… Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project reviews the state budget for the new FY2012 fiscal year, a budget that does little to address Louisiana’s standing as one of the unhealthiest, least educated, and poorest states in the nation.… Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project analyzes comparable state-to-state data to inform the recent debate concerning whether Louisiana has too many public employees.

The report finds that, contrary to statements made by a number of public officials, overall … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

This week, the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana and Council for a Better Louisiana joined Louisiana Budget Project by opposing Senate Bill 259 proposing to phase out personal income taxes over a ten-year period. The … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project cautions that three tax-related bills now moving through the State Legislature, if enacted, would cost Louisiana $3 billion annually in desperately needed revenue.

On June 10^th, The Times-Picayune published “Tax elimination measures are folly,” … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

On May 17, 2011, the House Appropriations Committee unanimously approved a package of 312 amendments to House Bill 1, adding another $138.5 million in spending reductions for health care, education, and social services. Once again, Louisiana … Read more…

Thank you for supporting Better Choices for a Better Louisiana and making our Rally Day a success! Pictures of the speakers are below. More pictures of the BCBL Rally can be found on our Facebook page.

Master of Ceremonies

Melissa … Read more…

… Read more…

Join us on the steps of the State Capitol May 4th at noon to share BCBL’s legislative agenda to create better choices for a better Louisiana. Together we can demonstrate that the people of Louisiana want a balanced approach to … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) has released the final paper in the series of six revenue proposals aimed at offering balanced, transparent solutions to Louisiana’s fiscal crisis. The report  proposes applying Louisiana’s income tax to Social Security to generate $104 … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project has released a new paper that discusses expanding the services that are subject to Louisiana’s 4 percent tax. Louisiana’s sales tax does not apply to personal services such as cable television, gardening services and landscaping, pet … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

Governor Jindal’s FY2012 Executive Budget recommends slashing $2.4 million from School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs), clinics that provide access to health care in schools for lower-income students. That’s a 100 percent cut from the State General … Read more…

Louisiana has a lopsided tax loophole that costs the state $643 million a year in lost income tax revenue, an amount equal to more than 40 percent of the $1.6 billion deficit projected for the upcoming fiscal year. That loophole … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project reviews and analyzes Governor Bobby Jindal’s proposed Fiscal Year 2012 Executive Budget.

Despite Louisiana’s $1.6 billion shortfall in revenue projected for this year, the governor again refuses to consider increasing revenues, either … Read more…

This week Edward Ashworth, Director of the Louisiana Budget Project, gave a presentation at LANO’s 2011 Public Policy Institute. During his presentation entitled “Louisiana’s Fiscal Crisis: The Current State We’re In” he discussed how Louisiana got in the crisis, what … Read more…

This report addresses how Louisiana’s cigarette tax directly relates to the state’s poor health record and extremely high smoking rate.… Read more…

The Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations (LANO) will host a two-day institute in Baton Rouge, April 6-7, featuring local and national experts in public policy, advocacy and coalition building for nonprofit groups.

The event will take place at the Louisiana … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

A new report from Good Jobs First, a national policy center that promotes corporate and governmental accountability in the area of economic development, placed Louisiana at the top of the list for having one of the … Read more…

This report proposes a solution that will limit cuts to crucial services. By creating new brackets and raising rates for the highest-income households, the state would be able to sustain its investments in education, health care, public safety, and other … Read more…

A guest column by LBP Director, Edward Ashworth, published in the March 2, 2011 edition of The Shreveport Times, entitled “Playing Louisiana for a patsy,” explains how Louisiana is losing millions in revenue by allowing big, multi-state corporations to … Read more…

This month the Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) has made news all across the state. LBP’s firm stance—that Louisiana has a revenue problem, not a spending problem—has sparked a statewide debate.

• On March 20^th, The Advertiser in Lafayette published

… Read more…

Louisiana is in a deep fiscal crisis and needs a more balanced approach than a cuts-only strategy.  Louisiana loses over $100 million of revenue each year due to a loophole in Louisiana’s income tax forms. Filers who itemize not only … Read more…

An article in the Baton Rouge Business Report on March 8^th discusses repealing, or at least pausing some tax breaks and incentives that are costing the state hundreds of millions of dollars in lost tax revenue. Here is an … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

A new report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities examines the impact of H.R. 1, a proposal passed by the Republican-controlled House in Congress that would cut 2011 non-security discretionary funding by 13.8 … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

This month, a bill was presented before the Missouri Senate that proposes to reform, sunset, or permanently repeal 61 tax credit programs which cost the state $521.5 million last year alone. The bill is a product … Read more…

An article in the Times-Picayune in New Orleans on February 19th cited recent efforts by the Louisiana Budget Project and the grassroots movement Better Choices for a Better Louisiana to curb tax exemptions that drain state funding for education, health … Read more…

An editorial was published in The Shreveport Times on February 18th that cited LBP research on TOPS and Go Grants, Louisiana’s higher education financial aid programs. Here is an excerpt:

Louisiana’s college scholarship program TOPS is in the cross hairs … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

Since its creation in 1974 by Congress, the Housing Choice Voucher Program has become the largest federal low-income housing assistance program in the country. The Housing Choice Voucher Program, commonly known as “Section 8,” is … Read more…

Lanny Keller’s Inside Report in the February 17^th edition of The Advocate in Baton Rouge described the stubborn politics in Louisiana that stymies progress on TOPS and Go Grants. Here is an excerpt:

The [recent Louisiana Budget Project] study… Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

The Louisiana Budget Project is spurring a statewide debate on TOPS, the state’s merit-based financed aid program.

On Sunday, The Times-Picayune in New Orleans published an article summarizing the recent report and highlighting our policy recommendations … Read more…

A letter by Steve Monaghan, president of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT), published in the February 11, 2011 edition of The Advocate highlighted a growing awareness of Louisiana’s “hidden budget” of tax exemptions. Over 440 exemptions cost our state … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

A new report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities presents recommendations about why and how states should strengthen their Rainy Day Funds. Louisiana’s Rainy Day Fund, created in 1990 and formally called the … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a federal and state tax credit for working families. Low-and-moderate-income working families that qualify for federal EITC are automatically eligible for Louisiana’s EITC. In 2008, Louisiana became the … Read more…

For Louisiana to grow and prosper, we need more people to attain the skills needed to participate in a competitive economy. Those skills generally require some form of a postsecondary education, whether at a technical college, community college, or a … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

Payday loans deepen poverty for many low-income families in Louisiana by turning a one-time financial relief into a long-lasting financial ordeal. Small loan lenders, or payday lenders, provide loans of $100 to $350 so that families … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

Social Security remains one of the nation’s most successful, effective, and popular federal programs since its creation in 1935. Over 770,000 individuals and families in Louisiana receive monthly Social Security benefits. Social Security creates a … Read more…

A guest column by LBP Director, Edward Ashworth, published in the January 28, 2010 edition of The Times-Picayune, entitled “TOPS shift a way to get to the general fund,” criticizes Governor Jindal’s proposal to reallocate Millennium Trust monies … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

As families in Louisiana and across the country begin to sit down and fill out their tax returns, a few will benefit more than everyone else. According to the nonpartisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

A new report by six national organizations including the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities presents recommendations for states for successfully implementing the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the federal health reform law that was signed … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

According to a recent report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Medicaid costs less and offers more benefits than private insurance companies. For example, Medicaid costs 27 percent less for children and 20 … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

Louisiana is not alone in its struggle to provide for the needs of families and communities affected by an anemic national economy. With federal stimulus funds coming to an end, states are preparing to weather yet … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

Last week, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released an analysis of H.R. 2, a bill entitled Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act, estimating that it would add $230 billion to the deficit over the next … Read more…

Louisiana faces a $1.6 billion shortfall in the next fiscal year due to the largest tax cuts in the state’s history and back-door spending that remains unaccounted for. To restore fiscal responsibility, legislators ought to follow Congress by enacting a … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

A guest column by LBP Director Edward Ashworth, published in the December 25, 2010, edition of the Lafayette Advertiser, entitled “Revenue should be part of fix for LA colleges,” reviews Louisiana’s fiscal crisis … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

For the first time since its creation in 1996, Congress has reduced funding for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. TANF, popularly known as welfare, is administered on the state level by the … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

Friday’s Senate Finance Committee Meeting provided further evidence that state budget cuts will have far reaching effects in Louisiana. Right now, Louisiana has the highest incarceration rate and is number one in violent crime in the … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

A new study by Good Job First, evaluates how well states are disclosing information about their economic development subsidies. Good Job First rated each state’s economic development website on the availability of information in areas … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

A recent letter to Senator Mary Landrieu, written by LBP Director Edward Ashworth, called for a long-term extension of federal emergency unemployment insurance benefits.

Last week, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that unemployment rose … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

A new report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities calls film tax credits “a Hollywood fantasy,” pointing out that they don’t live up to their fanciful economic promises. Louisiana is one of 43 states … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

Last week, the Jindal administration announced that it plans to reallocate $147 million in federal funds from the Education Jobs Fund Program (called EduJobs) to offset state budget cuts, including $68 million in cuts to higher … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

House Republican leaders in Congress recently presented a proposal to cut non-security discretionary spending by over 20 percent in Fiscal Year 2011. In their “Pledge to America” campaign document, House Republican leaders presented their proposal … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

A guest column by LBP Director Edward Ashworth, published in the November 16, 2010, edition of the Times-Picayune, entitled “In Louisiana, doing less with less,” reviews Louisiana’s ongoing fiscal crisis and how the budget shortfall … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

With federal unemployment insurance programs set to expire November 30, voters across the country have expressed a unified voice for the need to continue this economically vital measure.

Today, the Half in Ten Campaign and … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

Louisiana’s Food Stamp Program enables over 800,000 low-income residents in Louisiana to avoid hunger and malnutrition.  The cost of the Food Stamp benefits, formally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is paid by the … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

Since the beginning of the recession in 2007, there has been an increase in the unemployment rate in Louisiana due to individuals facing job loss and having difficulties finding employment. According to the Bureau of … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

In spite of the remarkable progress in restoring disaster damaged property, urban blight continues to plague New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina left city neighborhoods scarred with thousands of decaying homes. Residents have been struggling to deal with … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

In response to Louisiana’s current fiscal crisis, Governor Jindal has admonished his executive branch leaders to “do more with less.”  The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals recently proposed $20.8 million in cuts to the … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

A new report from Citizens for Tax Justice reveals the steady erosion of the estate tax, a part of the tax system at least a century old. This is due to revisions since 2001 that have … Read more…

Louisiana’s home-grown companies often compete for business against large, multistate, and multinational corporations whose size and wealth give them significant advantages. One is their ability to capitalize on the way Louisiana law is written to avoid paying millions of dollars … Read more…

LBP’s new report Income Tax Cuts Costing State Millions Needed for Services finds that Louisiana’s fiscal chickens are coming home to roost.  The state no longer generates sufficient revenues to fund necessary services.  This problem is due in part to … Read more…

In his Letter to the Editor “Levine estimates miss the mark,” published in the June 30, 2010, edition of the Baton Rouge Advocate, LBP Director Edward Ashworth corrects Louisiana’s Secretary of Health and Hospitals’ inflated estimate of the … Read more…

A guest column by LBP Director Edward Ashworth, published in the June 22, 2010, edition of the Lafayette Daily Advertiser, entitled “Reversing Stelly hikes was mistake,” reviews Louisiana’s current fiscal situation and how undoing the Stelly Plan by … Read more…

The May 30, 2010 edition of the Baton Rouge Advocate’s lead editorial “A State Break in Drilling” focused on the Louisiana Budget Project’s recently released research paper on the state’s expenditures on tax breaks, Louisiana’s Hidden State Budget… Read more…

Louisiana Budget Project Advises Balanced Approach to Address Shortfall, Save Campuses

Louisiana Board of Regents officials warned the Senate Finance Committee today that eight higher education campuses may close as a result of planned cuts to the state budget.

On March 26, 2010 the Shreveport Times published “Louisiana Needs a More Equitable Approach,” an opinion editorial by the Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) Director, Edward Ashworth.

The paper describes the increased need for state services, during a time when there are major budget cuts in state spending. The article acknowledges that the state’s fiscal issues are not due to out-of-control state spending. Revenues are insufficient to pay for the state’s growing needs, due in significant part to two of the largest state tax cuts in Louisiana history. The projected five-year cost of these tax cuts totaled $2.2 billion, including $583 million this fiscal year and $619 million next fiscal year.

The March 25, 2010 Advocate’s Inside Report, “Another View of State Needs and Cutbacks,” focused on the Louisiana Budget Project’s recently released research paper, Louisiana’s Fiscal Crisis.

In his article, the author notes that “it’s helpful to remember—despite the protestations of the current leadership—that [Louisiana’s current fiscal crisis] is not caused just by reckless spending . . . .” The article then highlights LBP’s findings that there are insufficient state revenues to meet the state’s growing needs and that the state’s loss of revenue is exaggerated by previous cuts in income taxes, Louisiana’s large number of tax exemptions and tax breaks to businesses, and reductions in federal aid.

In Louisiana’s Fiscal Crisis, the Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) reviews Governor Jindal’s recently released 2011 Executive Budget. The report finds that the Administration’s stated budgetary goal to “realign the size and cost of government to more sustainable, pre-Katrina levels” does not reflect the expansion of post-Katrina demand for government services.

While LBP agrees that reduced spending is necessary for responsible budgeting in a tight economy, LBP analysts highlight missed opportunities to balance budget cuts with new or recovered tax revenues that would better address the state’s fiscal crisis.

The Louisiana Budget Project’s latest report, Scary Movies-Louisiana’s 2011 Budget, previews the Governor’s Executive Budget, to be released on Friday.

The Budget Project projects that the Governor’s budget for the next year will rely almost entirely on deep spending cuts to make up for shortfalls in revenues. Departments facing cuts include Health and Hospitals, Social Services, Corrections, and possibly higher education. While popular with some audiences, LBP analysts warn that a slasher film approach to Louisiana’s budget will represent real and difficult reductions in services for Louisiana families and children.

In a letter to Louisiana’s Secretary of the Department of Social Services, Kristy Nichols, and Louisiana’s Commissioner of the Division of Administration, Angele Davis, and a press release the Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) and the Kingsley House, strongly urge that the state use new federal money to provide additional resources to the state food stamp program. These additional resources will help ensure that applicants of the state food stamp program do not have to wait for interviews and applications are reviewed in a timely manner.

On January 17, 2009 the Advocate published an editorial entitled “Think Beyond the Recession,” that featured the recent comments of Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) director, Edward Ashworth to the Baton Rouge Press Club.

The editorial agreed with Mr. Ashworth that budget cuts as a sole solution to the state’s fiscal crisis would further the negative effects of the recession in Louisiana. It suggested that failing to utilize a combination of budget cuts and revenue increases to balance Louisiana’s budget would compromise services for the poor, the sick, and the elderly and would eliminate or reduce education programs.

Edward Ashworth, Director of the Louisiana Budget Project (LBP), spoke to the Baton Rouge Press Club, on Monday January 11, 2010. His presentation, Louisiana At The Crossroads:Responsible Responses to Louisiana’s Fiscal Crisis, explains the fiscal issues facing the state, … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project has joined more than 750 nonprofit groups and individuals across the nation in calling on President Barack Obama and Congress to support strong affordability and coverage provisions in final health reform legislation.

Three days before Christmas, Governor Jindal issued an executive order instructing agency heads to implement an across-the-board reduction of $247.9 million, including $108 million from the Department of Health and Hospitals, $84 million from Higher Education and $14 million from the Department of Social Services.

These cuts come at a time when many department budgets, particularly those in human services and higher education, have already experienced significant reductions. The Louisiana Budget Project notes that the magnitude of Louisiana’s fiscal crisis requires a more balanced approach to solving what is, in reality, a revenue crisis.

The Louisiana Commission on Streamlining Government is preparing to issue its initial report this week. The commission has looked at ways to cut spending, however it has neglected to consider raising revenue. In the New Orleans Times Picayune article Edward … Read more…

LBP Director, Edward Ashworth was featured in the New Orleans Times Picayune op ed section on Thursday November 26, 2009. In the article, Mr. Ashworth argues that the state needs to take a more balanced approach to solve its estimated $2 billion budget shortfall. Rather than relying exclusively on spending cuts, the state needs to consider new sources of revenue.

Low‐ and middle‐income families in Louisiana pay a far higher share of their income in state and local taxes than do the richest families in Louisiana, according to a new national study by the Washington DC‐based Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy (ITEP).

The main reason for the unfairness of Louisiana taxes is the state’s reliance on sales and excise taxes, which fall disproportionately on the most vulnerable families, and the state’s reliance on property taxes. Because lower income households tend to spend a higher percentage of their income on purchases, they end up paying a higher share of their income in taxes too. The exception is the state income tax, where rates rise with income. It’s the only tax based on the ability to pay, but Louisiana doesn’t rely on its income tax enough to make up for the impact of the other taxes on low‐ and middle‐income households.

In a letter to Louisiana’s nine-member Congressional delegation, the Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) and its parent organization, the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations (LANO), warn a combination of economic and legislative conditions is set to decimate the safety net for Louisiana’s most vulnerable populations.

According to the LBP and LANO, Louisiana will lose an estimated $1.3 billion in federal Medicaid funding in state fiscal years 2011 and 2012, with an on-going, annualized reduction of $900 million.

But time is critical and Congress needs to act now. Louisiana’s budget for fiscal year 2011 is being drafted now and will be finalized in February 2010 for presenting to the Legislature in March.

The Louisiana Healthier Families Act has been re-introduced as House Bill 889 which will increase the tax on cigarettes by 50 cents. This measure was heard by the House Ways and Means Committee on Monday June 8, 2009 and was reported favorably with an eight “yea” and seven “nay” vote. House Bill 889 is co-sponsored by 18 legislators; including Senate President, Senate President Pro Tempore, and 3 Republican Representatives.

Several bills introduced in the current regular legislative session would eliminate Louisiana’s state income tax, without mandating any replacement revenues. Adoption of any of these measures would be detrimental to the state’s future.

The Louisiana Healthier Families Act has been re-introduced as House Bill 889 which will increase the tax on cigarettes by 50 cents. House Bill 889 is co-sponsored by 18 legislators; including Senate President, Senate President Pro Tempore, and 3 Republican Representatives.

The Louisiana Budget Project formally endorses the plan “Investing in Early Childhood: A Road Map to Success for Louisiana.” This Road Map outlines the steps Louisiana can take to ensure that the children of this state become successful … Read more…

Louisiana Budget Project has released a new report, ”Tobacco Tax Increase: Raise the Tax or Bear the Burden” which analyzes House Bill 75. House Bill 75 proposes significantly raising tobacco taxes in Louisiana.  The goals of this legislation … Read more…

LBP has released a new report, “Federal Stimulus Dollars for Louisiana,” which briefly describes the most significant spending and tax provisions affecting low- and moderate-income citizens and provide current estimates of what Louisiana expects to receive.

Thousands of dollars in tax credits could be available to Louisiana residents who don’t earn enough money to require a federal tax return. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a refundable tax credit for low-income working families and individuals and is the federal government’s largest program benefiting lower-income workers. It is time to inform Louisiana’s eligible citizens about this valuable tax break and to let them know what they need to do to claim it.

Several states have created websites that track how the state is spending their stimulus dollars. However, Louisiana is using its preexisting LATrac, under the Department of Administration, to monitor how Louisiana is spending its money from the ARRA.

The recently signed bill gives LaCHIP a total of $207 million in funding, providing an additional 82,100 children in Louisiana health coverage.

The first of 2009 initiates is the Stelly tax repeal. The Stelly Plan eliminates sales tax on food, drugs and household utilities, and replaces them with income tax. The Stelly Plan was approved by voters in 2002. During the 2008 legislative session the Stelly Plan was repealled, which reduced the two highest income brackets to the level they were prior to the implementation of Stelly.

Thanks to a stable unemployment trust fund balance and the passage of Act 169 in Louisiana’s 2008 regular legislative session, as of January 1, 2009, Louisiana unemployment weekly benefits have risen and its unemployment insurance taxes have been lowered.

Governor Jindal intends to cut the budget to try and prepare for the projected budget shortfall. In Jindal’s budget cut breakdown the Department of Health and Hospitals will have the largest cuts.

The Jindal administration has gotten approval from both the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget and the Health and Welfare Committee to seek approval from the federal government, concerning Medicaid reform.

Several states have created websites that track how the state is spending their stimulus dollars. However, Louisiana is using its preexisting LATrac, under the Department of Administration, to monitor how Louisiana is spending its money from the ARRA.

LBP has released a new report, “Federal Stimulus Dollars for Louisiana,” which briefly describes the most significant spending and tax provisions affecting low- and moderate-income citizens and provide current estimates of what Louisiana expects to receive.

The Louisiana Healthier Families Act has been re-introduced as House Bill 889 which will increase the tax on cigarettes by 50 cents. House Bill 889 is co-sponsored by 18 legislators; including Senate President, Senate President Pro Tempore, and 3 Republican Representatives.

Several bills introduced in the current regular legislative session would eliminate Louisiana’s state income tax, without mandating any replacement revenues. Adoption of any of these measures would be detrimental to the state’s future.

The Louisiana Healthier Families Act has been re-introduced as House Bill 889 which will increase the tax on cigarettes by 50 cents. This measure was heard by the House Ways and Means Committee on Monday June 8, 2009 and was reported favorably with an eight “yea” and seven “nay” vote. House Bill 889 is co-sponsored by 18 legislators; including Senate President, Senate President Pro Tempore, and 3 Republican Representatives.

In a letter to Louisiana’s nine-member Congressional delegation, the Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) and its parent organization, the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations (LANO), warn a combination of economic and legislative conditions is set to decimate the safety net for Louisiana’s most vulnerable populations.

According to the LBP and LANO, Louisiana will lose an estimated $1.3 billion in federal Medicaid funding in state fiscal years 2011 and 2012, with an on-going, annualized reduction of $900 million.

But time is critical and Congress needs to act now. Louisiana’s budget for fiscal year 2011 is being drafted now and will be finalized in February 2010 for presenting to the Legislature in March.

LBP Director, Edward Ashworth was featured in the New Orleans Times Picayune op ed section on Thursday November 26, 2009. In the article, Mr. Ashworth argues that the state needs to take a more balanced approach to solve its estimated $2 billion budget shortfall. Rather than relying exclusively on spending cuts, the state needs to consider new sources of revenue.

Three days before Christmas, Governor Jindal issued an executive order instructing agency heads to implement an across-the-board reduction of $247.9 million, including $108 million from the Department of Health and Hospitals, $84 million from Higher Education and $14 million from the Department of Social Services.

These cuts come at a time when many department budgets, particularly those in human services and higher education, have already experienced significant reductions. The Louisiana Budget Project notes that the magnitude of Louisiana’s fiscal crisis requires a more balanced approach to solving what is, in reality, a revenue crisis.

Edward Ashworth, Director of the Louisiana Budget Project (LBP), spoke to the Baton Rouge Press Club, on Monday January 11, 2010. His presentation, Louisiana At The Crossroads:Responsible Responses to Louisiana’s Fiscal Crisis, explains the fiscal issues facing the state, … Read more…

On January 17, 2009 the Advocate published an editorial entitled “Think Beyond the Recession,” that featured the recent comments of Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) director, Edward Ashworth to the Baton Rouge Press Club.

The editorial agreed with Mr. Ashworth that budget cuts as a sole solution to the state’s fiscal crisis would further the negative effects of the recession in Louisiana. It suggested that failing to utilize a combination of budget cuts and revenue increases to balance Louisiana’s budget would compromise services for the poor, the sick, and the elderly and would eliminate or reduce education programs.

The Louisiana Budget Project’s latest report, Scary Movies-Louisiana’s 2011 Budget, previews the Governor’s Executive Budget, to be released on Friday.

The Budget Project projects that the Governor’s budget for the next year will rely almost entirely on deep spending cuts to make up for shortfalls in revenues. Departments facing cuts include Health and Hospitals, Social Services, Corrections, and possibly higher education. While popular with some audiences, LBP analysts warn that a slasher film approach to Louisiana’s budget will represent real and difficult reductions in services for Louisiana families and children.

In Louisiana’s Fiscal Crisis, the Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) reviews Governor Jindal’s recently released 2011 Executive Budget. The report finds that the Administration’s stated budgetary goal to “realign the size and cost of government to more sustainable, pre-Katrina levels” does not reflect the expansion of post-Katrina demand for government services.

While LBP agrees that reduced spending is necessary for responsible budgeting in a tight economy, LBP analysts highlight missed opportunities to balance budget cuts with new or recovered tax revenues that would better address the state’s fiscal crisis.

The March 25, 2010 Advocate’s Inside Report, “Another View of State Needs and Cutbacks,” focused on the Louisiana Budget Project’s recently released research paper, Louisiana’s Fiscal Crisis.

In his article, the author notes that “it’s helpful to remember—despite the protestations of the current leadership—that [Louisiana’s current fiscal crisis] is not caused just by reckless spending . . . .” The article then highlights LBP’s findings that there are insufficient state revenues to meet the state’s growing needs and that the state’s loss of revenue is exaggerated by previous cuts in income taxes, Louisiana’s large number of tax exemptions and tax breaks to businesses, and reductions in federal aid.

On March 26, 2010 the Shreveport Times published “Louisiana Needs a More Equitable Approach,” an opinion editorial by the Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) Director, Edward Ashworth.

The paper describes the increased need for state services, during a time when there are major budget cuts in state spending. The article acknowledges that the state’s fiscal issues are not due to out-of-control state spending. Revenues are insufficient to pay for the state’s growing needs, due in significant part to two of the largest state tax cuts in Louisiana history. The projected five-year cost of these tax cuts totaled $2.2 billion, including $583 million this fiscal year and $619 million next fiscal year.

Louisiana Budget Project Advises Balanced Approach to Address Shortfall, Save Campuses

Louisiana Board of Regents officials warned the Senate Finance Committee today that eight higher education campuses may close as a result of planned cuts to the state budget.

A guest column by LBP Director Edward Ashworth, published in the June 22, 2010, edition of the Lafayette Daily Advertiser, entitled “Reversing Stelly hikes was mistake,” reviews Louisiana’s current fiscal situation and how undoing the Stelly Plan by … Read more…

Louisiana’s home-grown companies often compete for business against large, multistate, and multinational corporations whose size and wealth give them significant advantages. One is their ability to capitalize on the way Louisiana law is written to avoid paying millions of dollars … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

A new report from Citizens for Tax Justice reveals the steady erosion of the estate tax, a part of the tax system at least a century old. This is due to revisions since 2001 that have … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

In response to Louisiana’s current fiscal crisis, Governor Jindal has admonished his executive branch leaders to “do more with less.”  The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals recently proposed $20.8 million in cuts to the … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

A guest column by LBP Director Edward Ashworth, published in the November 16, 2010, edition of the Times-Picayune, entitled “In Louisiana, doing less with less,” reviews Louisiana’s ongoing fiscal crisis and how the budget shortfall … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

House Republican leaders in Congress recently presented a proposal to cut non-security discretionary spending by over 20 percent in Fiscal Year 2011. In their “Pledge to America” campaign document, House Republican leaders presented their proposal … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

Last week, the Jindal administration announced that it plans to reallocate $147 million in federal funds from the Education Jobs Fund Program (called EduJobs) to offset state budget cuts, including $68 million in cuts to higher … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

A new report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities calls film tax credits “a Hollywood fantasy,” pointing out that they don’t live up to their fanciful economic promises. Louisiana is one of 43 states … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

A recent letter to Senator Mary Landrieu, written by LBP Director Edward Ashworth, called for a long-term extension of federal emergency unemployment insurance benefits.

Last week, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that unemployment rose … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

Friday’s Senate Finance Committee Meeting provided further evidence that state budget cuts will have far reaching effects in Louisiana. Right now, Louisiana has the highest incarceration rate and is number one in violent crime in the … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

For the first time since its creation in 1996, Congress has reduced funding for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. TANF, popularly known as welfare, is administered on the state level by the … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

A guest column by LBP Director Edward Ashworth, published in the December 25, 2010, edition of the Lafayette Advertiser, entitled “Revenue should be part of fix for LA colleges,” reviews Louisiana’s fiscal crisis … Read more…

Louisiana faces a $1.6 billion shortfall in the next fiscal year due to the largest tax cuts in the state’s history and back-door spending that remains unaccounted for. To restore fiscal responsibility, legislators ought to follow Congress by enacting a … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

Last week, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released an analysis of H.R. 2, a bill entitled Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act, estimating that it would add $230 billion to the deficit over the next … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

Louisiana is not alone in its struggle to provide for the needs of families and communities affected by an anemic national economy. With federal stimulus funds coming to an end, states are preparing to weather yet … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

According to a recent report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Medicaid costs less and offers more benefits than private insurance companies. For example, Medicaid costs 27 percent less for children and 20 … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

As families in Louisiana and across the country begin to sit down and fill out their tax returns, a few will benefit more than everyone else. According to the nonpartisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, … Read more…

A guest column by LBP Director, Edward Ashworth, published in the January 28, 2010 edition of The Times-Picayune, entitled “TOPS shift a way to get to the general fund,” criticizes Governor Jindal’s proposal to reallocate Millennium Trust monies … Read more…

For Louisiana to grow and prosper, we need more people to attain the skills needed to participate in a competitive economy. Those skills generally require some form of a postsecondary education, whether at a technical college, community college, or a … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

A new report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities presents recommendations about why and how states should strengthen their Rainy Day Funds. Louisiana’s Rainy Day Fund, created in 1990 and formally called the … Read more…

A letter by Steve Monaghan, president of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT), published in the February 11, 2011 edition of The Advocate highlighted a growing awareness of Louisiana’s “hidden budget” of tax exemptions. Over 440 exemptions cost our state … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

The Louisiana Budget Project is spurring a statewide debate on TOPS, the state’s merit-based financed aid program.

On Sunday, The Times-Picayune in New Orleans published an article summarizing the recent report and highlighting our policy recommendations … Read more…

Lanny Keller’s Inside Report in the February 17^th edition of The Advocate in Baton Rouge described the stubborn politics in Louisiana that stymies progress on TOPS and Go Grants. Here is an excerpt:

The [recent Louisiana Budget Project] study… Read more…

An editorial was published in The Shreveport Times on February 18th that cited LBP research on TOPS and Go Grants, Louisiana’s higher education financial aid programs. Here is an excerpt:

Louisiana’s college scholarship program TOPS is in the cross hairs … Read more…

An article in the Times-Picayune in New Orleans on February 19th cited recent efforts by the Louisiana Budget Project and the grassroots movement Better Choices for a Better Louisiana to curb tax exemptions that drain state funding for education, health … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

This month, a bill was presented before the Missouri Senate that proposes to reform, sunset, or permanently repeal 61 tax credit programs which cost the state $521.5 million last year alone. The bill is a product … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

A new report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities examines the impact of H.R. 1, a proposal passed by the Republican-controlled House in Congress that would cut 2011 non-security discretionary funding by 13.8 … Read more…

An article in the Baton Rouge Business Report on March 8^th discusses repealing, or at least pausing some tax breaks and incentives that are costing the state hundreds of millions of dollars in lost tax revenue. Here is an … Read more…

Louisiana is in a deep fiscal crisis and needs a more balanced approach than a cuts-only strategy.  Louisiana loses over $100 million of revenue each year due to a loophole in Louisiana’s income tax forms. Filers who itemize not only … Read more…

This month the Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) has made news all across the state. LBP’s firm stance—that Louisiana has a revenue problem, not a spending problem—has sparked a statewide debate.

• On March 20^th, The Advertiser in Lafayette published

… Read more…

A guest column by LBP Director, Edward Ashworth, published in the March 2, 2011 edition of The Shreveport Times, entitled “Playing Louisiana for a patsy,” explains how Louisiana is losing millions in revenue by allowing big, multi-state corporations to … Read more…

This report proposes a solution that will limit cuts to crucial services. By creating new brackets and raising rates for the highest-income households, the state would be able to sustain its investments in education, health care, public safety, and other … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

A new report from Good Jobs First, a national policy center that promotes corporate and governmental accountability in the area of economic development, placed Louisiana at the top of the list for having one of the … Read more…

The Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations (LANO) will host a two-day institute in Baton Rouge, April 6-7, featuring local and national experts in public policy, advocacy and coalition building for nonprofit groups.

The event will take place at the Louisiana … Read more…

This report addresses how Louisiana’s cigarette tax directly relates to the state’s poor health record and extremely high smoking rate.… Read more…

This week Edward Ashworth, Director of the Louisiana Budget Project, gave a presentation at LANO’s 2011 Public Policy Institute. During his presentation entitled “Louisiana’s Fiscal Crisis: The Current State We’re In” he discussed how Louisiana got in the crisis, what … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project reviews and analyzes Governor Bobby Jindal’s proposed Fiscal Year 2012 Executive Budget.

Despite Louisiana’s $1.6 billion shortfall in revenue projected for this year, the governor again refuses to consider increasing revenues, either … Read more…

Louisiana has a lopsided tax loophole that costs the state $643 million a year in lost income tax revenue, an amount equal to more than 40 percent of the $1.6 billion deficit projected for the upcoming fiscal year. That loophole … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

Governor Jindal’s FY2012 Executive Budget recommends slashing $2.4 million from School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs), clinics that provide access to health care in schools for lower-income students. That’s a 100 percent cut from the State General … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project has released a new paper that discusses expanding the services that are subject to Louisiana’s 4 percent tax. Louisiana’s sales tax does not apply to personal services such as cable television, gardening services and landscaping, pet … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) has released the final paper in the series of six revenue proposals aimed at offering balanced, transparent solutions to Louisiana’s fiscal crisis. The report  proposes applying Louisiana’s income tax to Social Security to generate $104 … Read more…

Join us on the steps of the State Capitol May 4th at noon to share BCBL’s legislative agenda to create better choices for a better Louisiana. Together we can demonstrate that the people of Louisiana want a balanced approach to … Read more…

… Read more…

Thank you for supporting Better Choices for a Better Louisiana and making our Rally Day a success! Pictures of the speakers are below. More pictures of the BCBL Rally can be found on our Facebook page.

Master of Ceremonies

Melissa … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

On May 17, 2011, the House Appropriations Committee unanimously approved a package of 312 amendments to House Bill 1, adding another $138.5 million in spending reductions for health care, education, and social services. Once again, Louisiana … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project cautions that three tax-related bills now moving through the State Legislature, if enacted, would cost Louisiana $3 billion annually in desperately needed revenue.

On June 10^th, The Times-Picayune published “Tax elimination measures are folly,” … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

This week, the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana and Council for a Better Louisiana joined Louisiana Budget Project by opposing Senate Bill 259 proposing to phase out personal income taxes over a ten-year period. The … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project analyzes comparable state-to-state data to inform the recent debate concerning whether Louisiana has too many public employees.

The report finds that, contrary to statements made by a number of public officials, overall … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project reviews the state budget for the new FY2012 fiscal year, a budget that does little to address Louisiana’s standing as one of the unhealthiest, least educated, and poorest states in the nation.… Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project is pleased to announce Steve Spires as its new policy analyst specializing in health care issues.

He is a graduate of American University’s School of Public Affairs.  His experience in Washington D.C. includes a variety of… Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project exposes the predatory lending industry.

Payday lenders promise predominantly poor and working-class clients quick cash with minimum documentation requirements. However, this “easy money” comes at a high financial cost to the borrowers … Read more…

By: Steve Spires

A recent report by the Legislative Auditor’s Office calls into question the wisdom of Governor Jindal’s proposal to privatize the state’s Office of Group Benefits (OGB), which currently administers the life and health insurance plans of nearly … Read more…

Failure to Take Balanced Approach to Address Revenue Shortfall Will Worsen Trends

 (Baton Rouge – September 22, 2011) Poverty rose significantly in Louisiana last year, highlighting the widespread impact of the recession and the need for Louisiana to protect this … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project urges Louisianans to vote against Amendment 1 in the upcoming October 22nd election. It analyzes the ill effects of using the constitutionally-protected Millennium Trust Fund to free additional dollars in the state … Read more…

Posted by: Steve Spires

Louisiana ranked 8^th highest in per capita funding received from the federal government last year, according to a new report from the Census Bureau. In FY2010, Louisiana’s state and local governments received $13.4 billion in … Read more…

A new article by the Louisiana Budget Project summarizes a recent report by the Louisiana Hospital Association. The article looks specifically at Medicaid’s important role in Louisiana’s health care system and in the state’s economy. The article explains why Medicaid … Read more…

A recent commentary by the Louisiana Budget Project urges voters to approve Amendment No. 4 on the October 22nd primary ballot. The measure is sound fiscal policy that will both strengthen the Rainy Day Fund and allow for greater flexibility … Read more…

LBP has added a temporary tab to our website entitled Constitutional Amendments. Here you will find LBP’s position and recommendations for two of the five proposed Constitutional Amendments to be voted on in the upcoming October 22nd election.

Polls … Read more…

A new study commissioned by the Louisiana Board of Regents provides evidence that Go Grants work by improving retention rates for low-income students. The study adds further support to a report by Louisiana Budget Project that argued for increased spending … Read more…

Posted by: Steve Spires

An article in the Wall Street Journal earlier this week highlighted the importance of SNAP (which stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps) to Louisiana families. The article noted that, in August, … Read more…

A proposed constitutional amendment on Louisiana’s November 19 statewide ballot to prohibit taxes on the sale of homes or businesses would damage the ability of state and local governments to provide revenue needed to support health care, education, and other … Read more…

In an era when state policymakers have given generous tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy, a new report finds that Louisiana remains one of the few states that continue to tax the incomes of the working poor.

Although Louisiana … Read more…

Dozens of America’s largest and most profitable corporations paid little or no state income taxes during a recent three-year period, according to a new report by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

The report found that some of America’s … Read more…

With Louisiana facing a $12.7 billion backlog of unmet construction needs on its roads, bridges and ports, a new report finds that the purchasing power of the state’s gasoline tax is at a 20-year low.

The report by the Institute … Read more…

It is hardly a secret that Louisianans, on average, are poorer and less healthy than other Americans. But Louisianans would be even worse off without assistance from Medicaid, the federal-state program established to expand access to medical care.

As Louisiana’s … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

While Gov. Bobby Jindal has sought to make government transparency a hallmark of his administration, a new report finds that Louisiana asks for little in return when it comes to corporations receiving multi-million dollar subsidies.

The … Read more…

By: Steve Spires

When Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration presented its mid-year budget cuts to the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget last month, Commissioner of Administration Paul Rainwater assured lawmakers that neither Medicaid providers nor LSU hospitals were being affected.… Read more…

A few notable stories before Louisiana heads into a frenzied weekend of football and inauguration activities.

- The U.S. economy added 200,000 jobs in December, capping a year that saw the economy add 1.9 million private-sector jobs – the … Read more…

While Gov. Bobby Jindal has focused on education, his administration has been conspicuously quiet on another issue that’s sure to grab headlines in the months ahead: the state budget.

But the calendar doesn’t lie. In less than four weeks the … Read more…

By: Steve Spires

The 2012-13 budget shortfall: $895 million.

That’s what Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration told the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget  last Friday when the “continuation budget” was released. The continuation budget represents what it would cost to … Read more…

By: Jan Moller

Gov. Bobby Jindal will release his 2012-13 budget plan in less than a week, and that’s when we’ll find out how he proposes to close the $895 million shortfall. But so far it looks like more of … Read more…

LBP appeared in a segment on Louisiana Public Broadcasting’s “Louisiana: The State We’re In” discussing Governor Jindal’s proposal for a statewide voucher program for education. Watch the full segment here.… Read more…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, February 09, 2012
Contact:
KAREN MILLER
225.929.5266, x220
JAN MOLLER
225.929.5266 x224
225.819.7715 (cell)

STATEMENT FROM LOUISIANA BUDGET PROJECT ON THE GOVERNOR’S EXECUTIVE BUDGET

“This is an unbalanced budget that would kill jobs, raise payroll taxes … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project finds that Gov . Bobby Jindal’s plan to dramatically expand the state’s private school voucher program is lacking the strong accountability and transparency requirements that parents need to make informed decisions about … Read more…

… Read more…

By Jan Moller
Special to The Political Desk

Twenty-two years ago, back when bipartisanship was still possible on Capitol Hill, the U.S. Congress passed a bill that required all packaged food to be labeled with detailed nutritional information.

With the … Read more…

By Jan Moller

It didn’t get much attention, but last week Gov. Bobby Jindal made what appears to be a dramatic policy shift. Speaking to WWL-TV in New Orleans on the day that President Obama released a plan to cut … Read more…

“Louisiana Budget Basics” by Jan Moller

“Payday Lending in Louisiana” by Tim Mathis… Read more…

By Jan Moller

The first week of the 2012 Legislature was unlike any opening weeks that had come before. In the span of two days of marathon hearings, the education committees in the House and Senate approved a massive overhaul … Read more…

View “Louisiana Budget Basics” where LBP Director Jan Moller explains why health-care and education always seem to get hit hard during state budget cuts.

Watch “Louisiana Budget Basics” here.

View “Payday Lending in Louisiana” where LBP … Read more…

Watch LBP’s Jan Moller on Louisiana Public Square’s “Redefining State Retirement” piece and see why everyone will ultimately be affected by the state pension systems’ UAL (Unfunded Accrued Liability), even if you are not a state worker.

Here is an … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project has been cited in the news weighing in on various important debates such as the school voucher plan, the health insurance exchange, state pensions and health care reform.

In February, LBP received a great deal of … Read more…

(Baton Rouge – April 4, 2012) While most other states exempt working-poor families from the income tax, Louisiana is one of a small number of states that continue to levy an income tax on working families living in poverty. By … Read more…

Today’s analysis of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s “cash balance” plan shows that there is no need to switch to a new retirement system for future teachers and state employees.  The analysis showed that the new system would add to the state’s … Read more…

By Jan Moller

With the April 17 tax deadline looming, it’s a good time look not just at what we pay to the government each year but what we all get in return. Because while no one especially enjoys paying … Read more…

LBP’s Jan Moller speaks against the proposed retirement plan at the Capitol.

Watch a clip from WAFB or read an article from The Advocate.

 … Read more…

Privatizing a state-run prison in Avoyelles Parish might save the state some money, but it would come at a steep cost to state workers and public safety, according to a new commentary by the Louisiana Budget Project. Still, the Legislature … Read more…

By Jan Moller

The sullen look on Rep. Jim Fannin’s face on Tuesday evening told the story better than the numbers ever could.

Fannin, the chairman of the budget-writing House Appropriations Committee, offered little except shoulder shrugs and gallows humor … Read more…

By: Tim Mathis

A new fact-sheet on state financial aid programs released this week by the Brookings Institution paints a sobering picture for low-income Louisiana college students by confirming what we already knew: Louisiana does not provide nearly enough support … Read more…

A report making the rounds this week gave several reasons – all of them misleading – for why Louisiana should not try to set up a competitive marketplace for health insurance. But a new fact sheet from the Louisiana Budget … Read more…

Louisiana Budget Project Director Jan Moller will be one of the featured panelists Thursday at the monthly luncheon hosted by League of Women Voters of Baton Rouge. The discussion will center on the effects of tax cuts, exemptions and rebates … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project formally endorses the plan “Investing in Early Childhood: A Road Map to Success for Louisiana.” This Road Map outlines the steps Louisiana can take to ensure that the children of this state become successful … Read more…

The Louisiana Healthier Families Act has been re-introduced as House Bill 889 which will increase the tax on cigarettes by 50 cents. This measure was heard by the House Ways and Means Committee on Monday June 8, 2009 and was reported favorably with an eight “yea” and seven “nay” vote. House Bill 889 is co-sponsored by 18 legislators; including Senate President, Senate President Pro Tempore, and 3 Republican Representatives.

On January 17, 2009 the Advocate published an editorial entitled “Think Beyond the Recession,” that featured the recent comments of Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) director, Edward Ashworth to the Baton Rouge Press Club.

The editorial agreed with Mr. Ashworth that budget cuts as a sole solution to the state’s fiscal crisis would further the negative effects of the recession in Louisiana. It suggested that failing to utilize a combination of budget cuts and revenue increases to balance Louisiana’s budget would compromise services for the poor, the sick, and the elderly and would eliminate or reduce education programs.

In Louisiana’s Fiscal Crisis, the Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) reviews Governor Jindal’s recently released 2011 Executive Budget. The report finds that the Administration’s stated budgetary goal to “realign the size and cost of government to more sustainable, pre-Katrina levels” does not reflect the expansion of post-Katrina demand for government services.

While LBP agrees that reduced spending is necessary for responsible budgeting in a tight economy, LBP analysts highlight missed opportunities to balance budget cuts with new or recovered tax revenues that would better address the state’s fiscal crisis.

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

A guest column by LBP Director Edward Ashworth, published in the November 16, 2010, edition of the Times-Picayune, entitled “In Louisiana, doing less with less,” reviews Louisiana’s ongoing fiscal crisis and how the budget shortfall … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

Last week, the Jindal administration announced that it plans to reallocate $147 million in federal funds from the Education Jobs Fund Program (called EduJobs) to offset state budget cuts, including $68 million in cuts to higher … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

A guest column by LBP Director Edward Ashworth, published in the December 25, 2010, edition of the Lafayette Advertiser, entitled “Revenue should be part of fix for LA colleges,” reviews Louisiana’s fiscal crisis … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

Louisiana is not alone in its struggle to provide for the needs of families and communities affected by an anemic national economy. With federal stimulus funds coming to an end, states are preparing to weather yet … Read more…

A guest column by LBP Director, Edward Ashworth, published in the January 28, 2010 edition of The Times-Picayune, entitled “TOPS shift a way to get to the general fund,” criticizes Governor Jindal’s proposal to reallocate Millennium Trust monies … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

Payday loans deepen poverty for many low-income families in Louisiana by turning a one-time financial relief into a long-lasting financial ordeal. Small loan lenders, or payday lenders, provide loans of $100 to $350 so that families … Read more…

For Louisiana to grow and prosper, we need more people to attain the skills needed to participate in a competitive economy. Those skills generally require some form of a postsecondary education, whether at a technical college, community college, or a … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

The Louisiana Budget Project is spurring a statewide debate on TOPS, the state’s merit-based financed aid program.

On Sunday, The Times-Picayune in New Orleans published an article summarizing the recent report and highlighting our policy recommendations … Read more…

Lanny Keller’s Inside Report in the February 17^th edition of The Advocate in Baton Rouge described the stubborn politics in Louisiana that stymies progress on TOPS and Go Grants. Here is an excerpt:

The [recent Louisiana Budget Project] study… Read more…

An editorial was published in The Shreveport Times on February 18th that cited LBP research on TOPS and Go Grants, Louisiana’s higher education financial aid programs. Here is an excerpt:

Louisiana’s college scholarship program TOPS is in the cross hairs … Read more…

This report proposes a solution that will limit cuts to crucial services. By creating new brackets and raising rates for the highest-income households, the state would be able to sustain its investments in education, health care, public safety, and other … Read more…

The Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations (LANO) will host a two-day institute in Baton Rouge, April 6-7, featuring local and national experts in public policy, advocacy and coalition building for nonprofit groups.

The event will take place at the Louisiana … Read more…

This report addresses how Louisiana’s cigarette tax directly relates to the state’s poor health record and extremely high smoking rate.… Read more…

This week Edward Ashworth, Director of the Louisiana Budget Project, gave a presentation at LANO’s 2011 Public Policy Institute. During his presentation entitled “Louisiana’s Fiscal Crisis: The Current State We’re In” he discussed how Louisiana got in the crisis, what … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project reviews and analyzes Governor Bobby Jindal’s proposed Fiscal Year 2012 Executive Budget.

Despite Louisiana’s $1.6 billion shortfall in revenue projected for this year, the governor again refuses to consider increasing revenues, either … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

Governor Jindal’s FY2012 Executive Budget recommends slashing $2.4 million from School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs), clinics that provide access to health care in schools for lower-income students. That’s a 100 percent cut from the State General … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project has released a new paper that discusses expanding the services that are subject to Louisiana’s 4 percent tax. Louisiana’s sales tax does not apply to personal services such as cable television, gardening services and landscaping, pet … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) has released the final paper in the series of six revenue proposals aimed at offering balanced, transparent solutions to Louisiana’s fiscal crisis. The report  proposes applying Louisiana’s income tax to Social Security to generate $104 … Read more…

Join us on the steps of the State Capitol May 4th at noon to share BCBL’s legislative agenda to create better choices for a better Louisiana. Together we can demonstrate that the people of Louisiana want a balanced approach to … Read more…

… Read more…

Thank you for supporting Better Choices for a Better Louisiana and making our Rally Day a success! Pictures of the speakers are below. More pictures of the BCBL Rally can be found on our Facebook page.

Master of Ceremonies

Melissa … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

On May 17, 2011, the House Appropriations Committee unanimously approved a package of 312 amendments to House Bill 1, adding another $138.5 million in spending reductions for health care, education, and social services. Once again, Louisiana … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project cautions that three tax-related bills now moving through the State Legislature, if enacted, would cost Louisiana $3 billion annually in desperately needed revenue.

On June 10^th, The Times-Picayune published “Tax elimination measures are folly,” … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

This week, the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana and Council for a Better Louisiana joined Louisiana Budget Project by opposing Senate Bill 259 proposing to phase out personal income taxes over a ten-year period. The … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project analyzes comparable state-to-state data to inform the recent debate concerning whether Louisiana has too many public employees.

The report finds that, contrary to statements made by a number of public officials, overall … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project reviews the state budget for the new FY2012 fiscal year, a budget that does little to address Louisiana’s standing as one of the unhealthiest, least educated, and poorest states in the nation.… Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project is pleased to announce Steve Spires as its new policy analyst specializing in health care issues.

He is a graduate of American University’s School of Public Affairs.  His experience in Washington D.C. includes a variety of… Read more…

Failure to Take Balanced Approach to Address Revenue Shortfall Will Worsen Trends

 (Baton Rouge – September 22, 2011) Poverty rose significantly in Louisiana last year, highlighting the widespread impact of the recession and the need for Louisiana to protect this … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project urges Louisianans to vote against Amendment 1 in the upcoming October 22nd election. It analyzes the ill effects of using the constitutionally-protected Millennium Trust Fund to free additional dollars in the state … Read more…

Posted by: Steve Spires

Louisiana ranked 8^th highest in per capita funding received from the federal government last year, according to a new report from the Census Bureau. In FY2010, Louisiana’s state and local governments received $13.4 billion in … Read more…

A recent commentary by the Louisiana Budget Project urges voters to approve Amendment No. 4 on the October 22nd primary ballot. The measure is sound fiscal policy that will both strengthen the Rainy Day Fund and allow for greater flexibility … Read more…

LBP has added a temporary tab to our website entitled Constitutional Amendments. Here you will find LBP’s position and recommendations for two of the five proposed Constitutional Amendments to be voted on in the upcoming October 22nd election.

Polls … Read more…

A new study commissioned by the Louisiana Board of Regents provides evidence that Go Grants work by improving retention rates for low-income students. The study adds further support to a report by Louisiana Budget Project that argued for increased spending … Read more…

A proposed constitutional amendment on Louisiana’s November 19 statewide ballot to prohibit taxes on the sale of homes or businesses would damage the ability of state and local governments to provide revenue needed to support health care, education, and other … Read more…

By: Steve Spires

The 2012-13 budget shortfall: $895 million.

That’s what Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration told the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget  last Friday when the “continuation budget” was released. The continuation budget represents what it would cost to … Read more…

By: Jan Moller

Gov. Bobby Jindal will release his 2012-13 budget plan in less than a week, and that’s when we’ll find out how he proposes to close the $895 million shortfall. But so far it looks like more of … Read more…

LBP appeared in a segment on Louisiana Public Broadcasting’s “Louisiana: The State We’re In” discussing Governor Jindal’s proposal for a statewide voucher program for education. Watch the full segment here.… Read more…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, February 09, 2012
Contact:
KAREN MILLER
225.929.5266, x220
JAN MOLLER
225.929.5266 x224
225.819.7715 (cell)

STATEMENT FROM LOUISIANA BUDGET PROJECT ON THE GOVERNOR’S EXECUTIVE BUDGET

“This is an unbalanced budget that would kill jobs, raise payroll taxes … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project finds that Gov . Bobby Jindal’s plan to dramatically expand the state’s private school voucher program is lacking the strong accountability and transparency requirements that parents need to make informed decisions about … Read more…

… Read more…

By Jan Moller
Special to The Political Desk

Twenty-two years ago, back when bipartisanship was still possible on Capitol Hill, the U.S. Congress passed a bill that required all packaged food to be labeled with detailed nutritional information.

With the … Read more…

By Jan Moller

It didn’t get much attention, but last week Gov. Bobby Jindal made what appears to be a dramatic policy shift. Speaking to WWL-TV in New Orleans on the day that President Obama released a plan to cut … Read more…

“Louisiana Budget Basics” by Jan Moller

“Payday Lending in Louisiana” by Tim Mathis… Read more…

By Jan Moller

The first week of the 2012 Legislature was unlike any opening weeks that had come before. In the span of two days of marathon hearings, the education committees in the House and Senate approved a massive overhaul … Read more…

View “Louisiana Budget Basics” where LBP Director Jan Moller explains why health-care and education always seem to get hit hard during state budget cuts.

Watch “Louisiana Budget Basics” here.

View “Payday Lending in Louisiana” where LBP … Read more…

Watch LBP’s Jan Moller on Louisiana Public Square’s “Redefining State Retirement” piece and see why everyone will ultimately be affected by the state pension systems’ UAL (Unfunded Accrued Liability), even if you are not a state worker.

Here is an … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project has been cited in the news weighing in on various important debates such as the school voucher plan, the health insurance exchange, state pensions and health care reform.

In February, LBP received a great deal of … Read more…

By: Tim Mathis

A new fact-sheet on state financial aid programs released this week by the Brookings Institution paints a sobering picture for low-income Louisiana college students by confirming what we already knew: Louisiana does not provide nearly enough support … Read more…

The Jindal administration has gotten approval from both the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget and the Health and Welfare Committee to seek approval from the federal government, concerning Medicaid reform.

Governor Jindal intends to cut the budget to try and prepare for the projected budget shortfall. In Jindal’s budget cut breakdown the Department of Health and Hospitals will have the largest cuts.

The recently signed bill gives LaCHIP a total of $207 million in funding, providing an additional 82,100 children in Louisiana health coverage.

The Louisiana Budget Project formally endorses the plan “Investing in Early Childhood: A Road Map to Success for Louisiana.” This Road Map outlines the steps Louisiana can take to ensure that the children of this state become successful … Read more…

The Louisiana Healthier Families Act has been re-introduced as House Bill 889 which will increase the tax on cigarettes by 50 cents. House Bill 889 is co-sponsored by 18 legislators; including Senate President, Senate President Pro Tempore, and 3 Republican Representatives.

In a letter to Louisiana’s nine-member Congressional delegation, the Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) and its parent organization, the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations (LANO), warn a combination of economic and legislative conditions is set to decimate the safety net for Louisiana’s most vulnerable populations.

According to the LBP and LANO, Louisiana will lose an estimated $1.3 billion in federal Medicaid funding in state fiscal years 2011 and 2012, with an on-going, annualized reduction of $900 million.

But time is critical and Congress needs to act now. Louisiana’s budget for fiscal year 2011 is being drafted now and will be finalized in February 2010 for presenting to the Legislature in March.

The Louisiana Budget Project has joined more than 750 nonprofit groups and individuals across the nation in calling on President Barack Obama and Congress to support strong affordability and coverage provisions in final health reform legislation.

Louisiana Budget Project Advises Balanced Approach to Address Shortfall, Save Campuses

Louisiana Board of Regents officials warned the Senate Finance Committee today that eight higher education campuses may close as a result of planned cuts to the state budget.

In his Letter to the Editor “Levine estimates miss the mark,” published in the June 30, 2010, edition of the Baton Rouge Advocate, LBP Director Edward Ashworth corrects Louisiana’s Secretary of Health and Hospitals’ inflated estimate of the … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

In response to Louisiana’s current fiscal crisis, Governor Jindal has admonished his executive branch leaders to “do more with less.”  The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals recently proposed $20.8 million in cuts to the … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

A guest column by LBP Director Edward Ashworth, published in the November 16, 2010, edition of the Times-Picayune, entitled “In Louisiana, doing less with less,” reviews Louisiana’s ongoing fiscal crisis and how the budget shortfall … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

Friday’s Senate Finance Committee Meeting provided further evidence that state budget cuts will have far reaching effects in Louisiana. Right now, Louisiana has the highest incarceration rate and is number one in violent crime in the … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

Last week, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released an analysis of H.R. 2, a bill entitled Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act, estimating that it would add $230 billion to the deficit over the next … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

Louisiana is not alone in its struggle to provide for the needs of families and communities affected by an anemic national economy. With federal stimulus funds coming to an end, states are preparing to weather yet … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

According to a recent report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Medicaid costs less and offers more benefits than private insurance companies. For example, Medicaid costs 27 percent less for children and 20 … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

A new report by six national organizations including the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities presents recommendations for states for successfully implementing the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the federal health reform law that was signed … Read more…

This report proposes a solution that will limit cuts to crucial services. By creating new brackets and raising rates for the highest-income households, the state would be able to sustain its investments in education, health care, public safety, and other … Read more…

This report addresses how Louisiana’s cigarette tax directly relates to the state’s poor health record and extremely high smoking rate.… Read more…

This week Edward Ashworth, Director of the Louisiana Budget Project, gave a presentation at LANO’s 2011 Public Policy Institute. During his presentation entitled “Louisiana’s Fiscal Crisis: The Current State We’re In” he discussed how Louisiana got in the crisis, what … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project reviews and analyzes Governor Bobby Jindal’s proposed Fiscal Year 2012 Executive Budget.

Despite Louisiana’s $1.6 billion shortfall in revenue projected for this year, the governor again refuses to consider increasing revenues, either … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

Governor Jindal’s FY2012 Executive Budget recommends slashing $2.4 million from School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs), clinics that provide access to health care in schools for lower-income students. That’s a 100 percent cut from the State General … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project has released a new paper that discusses expanding the services that are subject to Louisiana’s 4 percent tax. Louisiana’s sales tax does not apply to personal services such as cable television, gardening services and landscaping, pet … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) has released the final paper in the series of six revenue proposals aimed at offering balanced, transparent solutions to Louisiana’s fiscal crisis. The report  proposes applying Louisiana’s income tax to Social Security to generate $104 … Read more…

Join us on the steps of the State Capitol May 4th at noon to share BCBL’s legislative agenda to create better choices for a better Louisiana. Together we can demonstrate that the people of Louisiana want a balanced approach to … Read more…

… Read more…

Thank you for supporting Better Choices for a Better Louisiana and making our Rally Day a success! Pictures of the speakers are below. More pictures of the BCBL Rally can be found on our Facebook page.

Master of Ceremonies

Melissa … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

On May 17, 2011, the House Appropriations Committee unanimously approved a package of 312 amendments to House Bill 1, adding another $138.5 million in spending reductions for health care, education, and social services. Once again, Louisiana … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project cautions that three tax-related bills now moving through the State Legislature, if enacted, would cost Louisiana $3 billion annually in desperately needed revenue.

On June 10^th, The Times-Picayune published “Tax elimination measures are folly,” … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

This week, the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana and Council for a Better Louisiana joined Louisiana Budget Project by opposing Senate Bill 259 proposing to phase out personal income taxes over a ten-year period. The … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project analyzes comparable state-to-state data to inform the recent debate concerning whether Louisiana has too many public employees.

The report finds that, contrary to statements made by a number of public officials, overall … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project reviews the state budget for the new FY2012 fiscal year, a budget that does little to address Louisiana’s standing as one of the unhealthiest, least educated, and poorest states in the nation.… Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project is pleased to announce Steve Spires as its new policy analyst specializing in health care issues.

He is a graduate of American University’s School of Public Affairs.  His experience in Washington D.C. includes a variety of… Read more…

Posted by: Steve Spires

One out of every five people filing for bankruptcy in the last two years listed medical debt as a “primary cause,” according to CredAbility, a non-profit credit counseling based in Atlanta. Two years ago that number … Read more…

By: Steve Spires

A recent report by the Legislative Auditor’s Office calls into question the wisdom of Governor Jindal’s proposal to privatize the state’s Office of Group Benefits (OGB), which currently administers the life and health insurance plans of nearly … Read more…

Failure to Take Balanced Approach to Address Revenue Shortfall Will Worsen Trends

 (Baton Rouge – September 22, 2011) Poverty rose significantly in Louisiana last year, highlighting the widespread impact of the recession and the need for Louisiana to protect this … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project urges Louisianans to vote against Amendment 1 in the upcoming October 22nd election. It analyzes the ill effects of using the constitutionally-protected Millennium Trust Fund to free additional dollars in the state … Read more…

Posted by: Steve Spires

Louisiana ranked 8^th highest in per capita funding received from the federal government last year, according to a new report from the Census Bureau. In FY2010, Louisiana’s state and local governments received $13.4 billion in … Read more…

A new article by the Louisiana Budget Project summarizes a recent report by the Louisiana Hospital Association. The article looks specifically at Medicaid’s important role in Louisiana’s health care system and in the state’s economy. The article explains why Medicaid … Read more…

A recent commentary by the Louisiana Budget Project urges voters to approve Amendment No. 4 on the October 22nd primary ballot. The measure is sound fiscal policy that will both strengthen the Rainy Day Fund and allow for greater flexibility … Read more…

LBP has added a temporary tab to our website entitled Constitutional Amendments. Here you will find LBP’s position and recommendations for two of the five proposed Constitutional Amendments to be voted on in the upcoming October 22nd election.

Polls … Read more…

A new study commissioned by the Louisiana Board of Regents provides evidence that Go Grants work by improving retention rates for low-income students. The study adds further support to a report by Louisiana Budget Project that argued for increased spending … Read more…

A proposed constitutional amendment on Louisiana’s November 19 statewide ballot to prohibit taxes on the sale of homes or businesses would damage the ability of state and local governments to provide revenue needed to support health care, education, and other … Read more…

It is hardly a secret that Louisianans, on average, are poorer and less healthy than other Americans. But Louisianans would be even worse off without assistance from Medicaid, the federal-state program established to expand access to medical care.

As Louisiana’s … Read more…

By: Steve Spires

When Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration presented its mid-year budget cuts to the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget last month, Commissioner of Administration Paul Rainwater assured lawmakers that neither Medicaid providers nor LSU hospitals were being affected.… Read more…

By: Steve Spires

The 2012-13 budget shortfall: $895 million.

That’s what Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration told the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget  last Friday when the “continuation budget” was released. The continuation budget represents what it would cost to … Read more…

By: Jan Moller

Gov. Bobby Jindal will release his 2012-13 budget plan in less than a week, and that’s when we’ll find out how he proposes to close the $895 million shortfall. But so far it looks like more of … Read more…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, February 09, 2012
Contact:
KAREN MILLER
225.929.5266, x220
JAN MOLLER
225.929.5266 x224
225.819.7715 (cell)

STATEMENT FROM LOUISIANA BUDGET PROJECT ON THE GOVERNOR’S EXECUTIVE BUDGET

“This is an unbalanced budget that would kill jobs, raise payroll taxes … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project finds that Gov . Bobby Jindal’s plan to dramatically expand the state’s private school voucher program is lacking the strong accountability and transparency requirements that parents need to make informed decisions about … Read more…

… Read more…

By Jan Moller
Special to The Political Desk

Twenty-two years ago, back when bipartisanship was still possible on Capitol Hill, the U.S. Congress passed a bill that required all packaged food to be labeled with detailed nutritional information.

With the … Read more…

By Jan Moller

It didn’t get much attention, but last week Gov. Bobby Jindal made what appears to be a dramatic policy shift. Speaking to WWL-TV in New Orleans on the day that President Obama released a plan to cut … Read more…

With the two-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act this week, the Louisiana Budget Project has released a fact sheet reminding Louisiana legislators and other interested parties that several important policy decisions and milestones lie ahead as the state and … Read more…

View “Louisiana Budget Basics” where LBP Director Jan Moller explains why health-care and education always seem to get hit hard during state budget cuts.

Watch “Louisiana Budget Basics” here.

View “Payday Lending in Louisiana” where LBP … Read more…

Watch LBP’s Jan Moller on Louisiana Public Square’s “Redefining State Retirement” piece and see why everyone will ultimately be affected by the state pension systems’ UAL (Unfunded Accrued Liability), even if you are not a state worker.

Here is an … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project has been cited in the news weighing in on various important debates such as the school voucher plan, the health insurance exchange, state pensions and health care reform.

In February, LBP received a great deal of … Read more…

(Baton Rouge – April 4, 2012) While most other states exempt working-poor families from the income tax, Louisiana is one of a small number of states that continue to levy an income tax on working families living in poverty. By … Read more…

By Jan Moller

With the April 17 tax deadline looming, it’s a good time look not just at what we pay to the government each year but what we all get in return. Because while no one especially enjoys paying … Read more…

A report making the rounds this week gave several reasons – all of them misleading – for why Louisiana should not try to set up a competitive marketplace for health insurance. But a new fact sheet from the Louisiana Budget … Read more…

LBP Director, Edward Ashworth was featured in the New Orleans Times Picayune op ed section on Thursday November 26, 2009. In the article, Mr. Ashworth argues that the state needs to take a more balanced approach to solve its estimated $2 billion budget shortfall. Rather than relying exclusively on spending cuts, the state needs to consider new sources of revenue.

The Louisiana Commission on Streamlining Government is preparing to issue its initial report this week. The commission has looked at ways to cut spending, however it has neglected to consider raising revenue. In the New Orleans Times Picayune article Edward … Read more…

A guest column by LBP Director Edward Ashworth, published in the June 22, 2010, edition of the Lafayette Daily Advertiser, entitled “Reversing Stelly hikes was mistake,” reviews Louisiana’s current fiscal situation and how undoing the Stelly Plan by … Read more…

In his Letter to the Editor “Levine estimates miss the mark,” published in the June 30, 2010, edition of the Baton Rouge Advocate, LBP Director Edward Ashworth corrects Louisiana’s Secretary of Health and Hospitals’ inflated estimate of the … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

A guest column by LBP Director Edward Ashworth, published in the November 16, 2010, edition of the Times-Picayune, entitled “In Louisiana, doing less with less,” reviews Louisiana’s ongoing fiscal crisis and how the budget shortfall … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

A guest column by LBP Director Edward Ashworth, published in the December 25, 2010, edition of the Lafayette Advertiser, entitled “Revenue should be part of fix for LA colleges,” reviews Louisiana’s fiscal crisis … Read more…

A guest column by LBP Director, Edward Ashworth, published in the January 28, 2010 edition of The Times-Picayune, entitled “TOPS shift a way to get to the general fund,” criticizes Governor Jindal’s proposal to reallocate Millennium Trust monies … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project cautions that three tax-related bills now moving through the State Legislature, if enacted, would cost Louisiana $3 billion annually in desperately needed revenue.

On June 10^th, The Times-Picayune published “Tax elimination measures are folly,” … Read more…

By Jan Moller
Special to The Political Desk

Twenty-two years ago, back when bipartisanship was still possible on Capitol Hill, the U.S. Congress passed a bill that required all packaged food to be labeled with detailed nutritional information.

With the … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project has been cited in the news weighing in on various important debates such as the school voucher plan, the health insurance exchange, state pensions and health care reform.

In February, LBP received a great deal of … Read more…

By Jan Moller

With the April 17 tax deadline looming, it’s a good time look not just at what we pay to the government each year but what we all get in return. Because while no one especially enjoys paying … Read more…

On January 17, 2009 the Advocate published an editorial entitled “Think Beyond the Recession,” that featured the recent comments of Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) director, Edward Ashworth to the Baton Rouge Press Club.

The editorial agreed with Mr. Ashworth that budget cuts as a sole solution to the state’s fiscal crisis would further the negative effects of the recession in Louisiana. It suggested that failing to utilize a combination of budget cuts and revenue increases to balance Louisiana’s budget would compromise services for the poor, the sick, and the elderly and would eliminate or reduce education programs.

The March 25, 2010 Advocate’s Inside Report, “Another View of State Needs and Cutbacks,” focused on the Louisiana Budget Project’s recently released research paper, Louisiana’s Fiscal Crisis.

In his article, the author notes that “it’s helpful to remember—despite the protestations of the current leadership—that [Louisiana’s current fiscal crisis] is not caused just by reckless spending . . . .” The article then highlights LBP’s findings that there are insufficient state revenues to meet the state’s growing needs and that the state’s loss of revenue is exaggerated by previous cuts in income taxes, Louisiana’s large number of tax exemptions and tax breaks to businesses, and reductions in federal aid.

On March 26, 2010 the Shreveport Times published “Louisiana Needs a More Equitable Approach,” an opinion editorial by the Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) Director, Edward Ashworth.

The paper describes the increased need for state services, during a time when there are major budget cuts in state spending. The article acknowledges that the state’s fiscal issues are not due to out-of-control state spending. Revenues are insufficient to pay for the state’s growing needs, due in significant part to two of the largest state tax cuts in Louisiana history. The projected five-year cost of these tax cuts totaled $2.2 billion, including $583 million this fiscal year and $619 million next fiscal year.

The May 30, 2010 edition of the Baton Rouge Advocate’s lead editorial “A State Break in Drilling” focused on the Louisiana Budget Project’s recently released research paper on the state’s expenditures on tax breaks, Louisiana’s Hidden State Budget… Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

A guest column by LBP Director Edward Ashworth, published in the November 16, 2010, edition of the Times-Picayune, entitled “In Louisiana, doing less with less,” reviews Louisiana’s ongoing fiscal crisis and how the budget shortfall … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

A guest column by LBP Director Edward Ashworth, published in the December 25, 2010, edition of the Lafayette Advertiser, entitled “Revenue should be part of fix for LA colleges,” reviews Louisiana’s fiscal crisis … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

The Louisiana Budget Project is spurring a statewide debate on TOPS, the state’s merit-based financed aid program.

On Sunday, The Times-Picayune in New Orleans published an article summarizing the recent report and highlighting our policy recommendations … Read more…

Lanny Keller’s Inside Report in the February 17^th edition of The Advocate in Baton Rouge described the stubborn politics in Louisiana that stymies progress on TOPS and Go Grants. Here is an excerpt:

The [recent Louisiana Budget Project] study… Read more…

An editorial was published in The Shreveport Times on February 18th that cited LBP research on TOPS and Go Grants, Louisiana’s higher education financial aid programs. Here is an excerpt:

Louisiana’s college scholarship program TOPS is in the cross hairs … Read more…

An article in the Times-Picayune in New Orleans on February 19th cited recent efforts by the Louisiana Budget Project and the grassroots movement Better Choices for a Better Louisiana to curb tax exemptions that drain state funding for education, health … Read more…

An article in the Baton Rouge Business Report on March 8^th discusses repealing, or at least pausing some tax breaks and incentives that are costing the state hundreds of millions of dollars in lost tax revenue. Here is an … Read more…

This month the Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) has made news all across the state. LBP’s firm stance—that Louisiana has a revenue problem, not a spending problem—has sparked a statewide debate.

• On March 20^th, The Advertiser in Lafayette published

… Read more…

A guest column by LBP Director, Edward Ashworth, published in the March 2, 2011 edition of The Shreveport Times, entitled “Playing Louisiana for a patsy,” explains how Louisiana is losing millions in revenue by allowing big, multi-state corporations to … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project cautions that three tax-related bills now moving through the State Legislature, if enacted, would cost Louisiana $3 billion annually in desperately needed revenue.

On June 10^th, The Times-Picayune published “Tax elimination measures are folly,” … Read more…

A guest column by Louisiana Budget Project director, Edward Ashworth, published in the August 21, 2011 edition of The Times-Picayune, entitled “Louisiana lets payday loans flourish,” explains how payday lenders are taking advantage of people in need, specifically in … Read more…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, February 09, 2012
Contact:
KAREN MILLER
225.929.5266, x220
JAN MOLLER
225.929.5266 x224
225.819.7715 (cell)

STATEMENT FROM LOUISIANA BUDGET PROJECT ON THE GOVERNOR’S EXECUTIVE BUDGET

“This is an unbalanced budget that would kill jobs, raise payroll taxes … Read more…

By Jan Moller
Special to The Political Desk

Twenty-two years ago, back when bipartisanship was still possible on Capitol Hill, the U.S. Congress passed a bill that required all packaged food to be labeled with detailed nutritional information.

With the … Read more…

By Jan Moller

It didn’t get much attention, but last week Gov. Bobby Jindal made what appears to be a dramatic policy shift. Speaking to WWL-TV in New Orleans on the day that President Obama released a plan to cut … Read more…

Watch LBP’s Jan Moller on Louisiana Public Square’s “Redefining State Retirement” piece and see why everyone will ultimately be affected by the state pension systems’ UAL (Unfunded Accrued Liability), even if you are not a state worker.

Here is an … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project has been cited in the news weighing in on various important debates such as the school voucher plan, the health insurance exchange, state pensions and health care reform.

In February, LBP received a great deal of … Read more…

Today’s analysis of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s “cash balance” plan shows that there is no need to switch to a new retirement system for future teachers and state employees.  The analysis showed that the new system would add to the state’s … Read more…

LBP’s Jan Moller speaks against the proposed retirement plan at the Capitol.

Watch a clip from WAFB or read an article from The Advocate.

 … Read more…

Privatizing a state-run prison in Avoyelles Parish might save the state some money, but it would come at a steep cost to state workers and public safety, according to a new commentary by the Louisiana Budget Project. Still, the Legislature … Read more…

The Jindal administration has gotten approval from both the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget and the Health and Welfare Committee to seek approval from the federal government, concerning Medicaid reform.

Governor Jindal intends to cut the budget to try and prepare for the projected budget shortfall. In Jindal’s budget cut breakdown the Department of Health and Hospitals will have the largest cuts.

Thanks to a stable unemployment trust fund balance and the passage of Act 169 in Louisiana’s 2008 regular legislative session, as of January 1, 2009, Louisiana unemployment weekly benefits have risen and its unemployment insurance taxes have been lowered.

The first of 2009 initiates is the Stelly tax repeal. The Stelly Plan eliminates sales tax on food, drugs and household utilities, and replaces them with income tax. The Stelly Plan was approved by voters in 2002. During the 2008 legislative session the Stelly Plan was repealled, which reduced the two highest income brackets to the level they were prior to the implementation of Stelly.

The recently signed bill gives LaCHIP a total of $207 million in funding, providing an additional 82,100 children in Louisiana health coverage.

Several states have created websites that track how the state is spending their stimulus dollars. However, Louisiana is using its preexisting LATrac, under the Department of Administration, to monitor how Louisiana is spending its money from the ARRA.

Thousands of dollars in tax credits could be available to Louisiana residents who don’t earn enough money to require a federal tax return. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a refundable tax credit for low-income working families and individuals and is the federal government’s largest program benefiting lower-income workers. It is time to inform Louisiana’s eligible citizens about this valuable tax break and to let them know what they need to do to claim it.

The Louisiana Healthier Families Act has been re-introduced as House Bill 889 which will increase the tax on cigarettes by 50 cents. House Bill 889 is co-sponsored by 18 legislators; including Senate President, Senate President Pro Tempore, and 3 Republican Representatives.

The Louisiana Healthier Families Act has been re-introduced as House Bill 889 which will increase the tax on cigarettes by 50 cents. This measure was heard by the House Ways and Means Committee on Monday June 8, 2009 and was reported favorably with an eight “yea” and seven “nay” vote. House Bill 889 is co-sponsored by 18 legislators; including Senate President, Senate President Pro Tempore, and 3 Republican Representatives.

Posted by: Tim Mathis

A new report from Citizens for Tax Justice reveals the steady erosion of the estate tax, a part of the tax system at least a century old. This is due to revisions since 2001 that have … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

In response to Louisiana’s current fiscal crisis, Governor Jindal has admonished his executive branch leaders to “do more with less.”  The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals recently proposed $20.8 million in cuts to the … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

In spite of the remarkable progress in restoring disaster damaged property, urban blight continues to plague New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina left city neighborhoods scarred with thousands of decaying homes. Residents have been struggling to deal with … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

Since the beginning of the recession in 2007, there has been an increase in the unemployment rate in Louisiana due to individuals facing job loss and having difficulties finding employment. According to the Bureau of … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

Louisiana’s Food Stamp Program enables over 800,000 low-income residents in Louisiana to avoid hunger and malnutrition.  The cost of the Food Stamp benefits, formally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is paid by the … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

With federal unemployment insurance programs set to expire November 30, voters across the country have expressed a unified voice for the need to continue this economically vital measure.

Today, the Half in Ten Campaign and … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

House Republican leaders in Congress recently presented a proposal to cut non-security discretionary spending by over 20 percent in Fiscal Year 2011. In their “Pledge to America” campaign document, House Republican leaders presented their proposal … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

Last week, the Jindal administration announced that it plans to reallocate $147 million in federal funds from the Education Jobs Fund Program (called EduJobs) to offset state budget cuts, including $68 million in cuts to higher … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

A new report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities calls film tax credits “a Hollywood fantasy,” pointing out that they don’t live up to their fanciful economic promises. Louisiana is one of 43 states … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

A recent letter to Senator Mary Landrieu, written by LBP Director Edward Ashworth, called for a long-term extension of federal emergency unemployment insurance benefits.

Last week, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that unemployment rose … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

A new study by Good Job First, evaluates how well states are disclosing information about their economic development subsidies. Good Job First rated each state’s economic development website on the availability of information in areas … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

Friday’s Senate Finance Committee Meeting provided further evidence that state budget cuts will have far reaching effects in Louisiana. Right now, Louisiana has the highest incarceration rate and is number one in violent crime in the … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

For the first time since its creation in 1996, Congress has reduced funding for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. TANF, popularly known as welfare, is administered on the state level by the … Read more…

Louisiana faces a $1.6 billion shortfall in the next fiscal year due to the largest tax cuts in the state’s history and back-door spending that remains unaccounted for. To restore fiscal responsibility, legislators ought to follow Congress by enacting a … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

Last week, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released an analysis of H.R. 2, a bill entitled Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act, estimating that it would add $230 billion to the deficit over the next … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

Louisiana is not alone in its struggle to provide for the needs of families and communities affected by an anemic national economy. With federal stimulus funds coming to an end, states are preparing to weather yet … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

According to a recent report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Medicaid costs less and offers more benefits than private insurance companies. For example, Medicaid costs 27 percent less for children and 20 … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

A new report by six national organizations including the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities presents recommendations for states for successfully implementing the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the federal health reform law that was signed … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

As families in Louisiana and across the country begin to sit down and fill out their tax returns, a few will benefit more than everyone else. According to the nonpartisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, … Read more…

A guest column by LBP Director, Edward Ashworth, published in the January 28, 2010 edition of The Times-Picayune, entitled “TOPS shift a way to get to the general fund,” criticizes Governor Jindal’s proposal to reallocate Millennium Trust monies … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

Social Security remains one of the nation’s most successful, effective, and popular federal programs since its creation in 1935. Over 770,000 individuals and families in Louisiana receive monthly Social Security benefits. Social Security creates a … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

Payday loans deepen poverty for many low-income families in Louisiana by turning a one-time financial relief into a long-lasting financial ordeal. Small loan lenders, or payday lenders, provide loans of $100 to $350 so that families … Read more…

For Louisiana to grow and prosper, we need more people to attain the skills needed to participate in a competitive economy. Those skills generally require some form of a postsecondary education, whether at a technical college, community college, or a … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a federal and state tax credit for working families. Low-and-moderate-income working families that qualify for federal EITC are automatically eligible for Louisiana’s EITC. In 2008, Louisiana became the … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

A new report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities presents recommendations about why and how states should strengthen their Rainy Day Funds. Louisiana’s Rainy Day Fund, created in 1990 and formally called the … Read more…

A letter by Steve Monaghan, president of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT), published in the February 11, 2011 edition of The Advocate highlighted a growing awareness of Louisiana’s “hidden budget” of tax exemptions. Over 440 exemptions cost our state … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

The Louisiana Budget Project is spurring a statewide debate on TOPS, the state’s merit-based financed aid program.

On Sunday, The Times-Picayune in New Orleans published an article summarizing the recent report and highlighting our policy recommendations … Read more…

Lanny Keller’s Inside Report in the February 17^th edition of The Advocate in Baton Rouge described the stubborn politics in Louisiana that stymies progress on TOPS and Go Grants. Here is an excerpt:

The [recent Louisiana Budget Project] study… Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

Since its creation in 1974 by Congress, the Housing Choice Voucher Program has become the largest federal low-income housing assistance program in the country. The Housing Choice Voucher Program, commonly known as “Section 8,” is … Read more…

An editorial was published in The Shreveport Times on February 18th that cited LBP research on TOPS and Go Grants, Louisiana’s higher education financial aid programs. Here is an excerpt:

Louisiana’s college scholarship program TOPS is in the cross hairs … Read more…

An article in the Times-Picayune in New Orleans on February 19th cited recent efforts by the Louisiana Budget Project and the grassroots movement Better Choices for a Better Louisiana to curb tax exemptions that drain state funding for education, health … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

This month, a bill was presented before the Missouri Senate that proposes to reform, sunset, or permanently repeal 61 tax credit programs which cost the state $521.5 million last year alone. The bill is a product … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

A new report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities examines the impact of H.R. 1, a proposal passed by the Republican-controlled House in Congress that would cut 2011 non-security discretionary funding by 13.8 … Read more…

An article in the Baton Rouge Business Report on March 8^th discusses repealing, or at least pausing some tax breaks and incentives that are costing the state hundreds of millions of dollars in lost tax revenue. Here is an … Read more…

Louisiana is in a deep fiscal crisis and needs a more balanced approach than a cuts-only strategy.  Louisiana loses over $100 million of revenue each year due to a loophole in Louisiana’s income tax forms. Filers who itemize not only … Read more…

This month the Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) has made news all across the state. LBP’s firm stance—that Louisiana has a revenue problem, not a spending problem—has sparked a statewide debate.

• On March 20^th, The Advertiser in Lafayette published

… Read more…

A guest column by LBP Director, Edward Ashworth, published in the March 2, 2011 edition of The Shreveport Times, entitled “Playing Louisiana for a patsy,” explains how Louisiana is losing millions in revenue by allowing big, multi-state corporations to … Read more…

This report proposes a solution that will limit cuts to crucial services. By creating new brackets and raising rates for the highest-income households, the state would be able to sustain its investments in education, health care, public safety, and other … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

A new report from Good Jobs First, a national policy center that promotes corporate and governmental accountability in the area of economic development, placed Louisiana at the top of the list for having one of the … Read more…

The Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations (LANO) will host a two-day institute in Baton Rouge, April 6-7, featuring local and national experts in public policy, advocacy and coalition building for nonprofit groups.

The event will take place at the Louisiana … Read more…

This report addresses how Louisiana’s cigarette tax directly relates to the state’s poor health record and extremely high smoking rate.… Read more…

This week Edward Ashworth, Director of the Louisiana Budget Project, gave a presentation at LANO’s 2011 Public Policy Institute. During his presentation entitled “Louisiana’s Fiscal Crisis: The Current State We’re In” he discussed how Louisiana got in the crisis, what … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project reviews and analyzes Governor Bobby Jindal’s proposed Fiscal Year 2012 Executive Budget.

Despite Louisiana’s $1.6 billion shortfall in revenue projected for this year, the governor again refuses to consider increasing revenues, either … Read more…

Louisiana has a lopsided tax loophole that costs the state $643 million a year in lost income tax revenue, an amount equal to more than 40 percent of the $1.6 billion deficit projected for the upcoming fiscal year. That loophole … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

Governor Jindal’s FY2012 Executive Budget recommends slashing $2.4 million from School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs), clinics that provide access to health care in schools for lower-income students. That’s a 100 percent cut from the State General … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project has released a new paper that discusses expanding the services that are subject to Louisiana’s 4 percent tax. Louisiana’s sales tax does not apply to personal services such as cable television, gardening services and landscaping, pet … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) has released the final paper in the series of six revenue proposals aimed at offering balanced, transparent solutions to Louisiana’s fiscal crisis. The report  proposes applying Louisiana’s income tax to Social Security to generate $104 … Read more…

Join us on the steps of the State Capitol May 4th at noon to share BCBL’s legislative agenda to create better choices for a better Louisiana. Together we can demonstrate that the people of Louisiana want a balanced approach to … Read more…

… Read more…

Thank you for supporting Better Choices for a Better Louisiana and making our Rally Day a success! Pictures of the speakers are below. More pictures of the BCBL Rally can be found on our Facebook page.

Master of Ceremonies

Melissa … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

On May 17, 2011, the House Appropriations Committee unanimously approved a package of 312 amendments to House Bill 1, adding another $138.5 million in spending reductions for health care, education, and social services. Once again, Louisiana … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project cautions that three tax-related bills now moving through the State Legislature, if enacted, would cost Louisiana $3 billion annually in desperately needed revenue.

On June 10^th, The Times-Picayune published “Tax elimination measures are folly,” … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

This week, the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana and Council for a Better Louisiana joined Louisiana Budget Project by opposing Senate Bill 259 proposing to phase out personal income taxes over a ten-year period. The … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project analyzes comparable state-to-state data to inform the recent debate concerning whether Louisiana has too many public employees.

The report finds that, contrary to statements made by a number of public officials, overall … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project reviews the state budget for the new FY2012 fiscal year, a budget that does little to address Louisiana’s standing as one of the unhealthiest, least educated, and poorest states in the nation.… Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project is pleased to announce Steve Spires as its new policy analyst specializing in health care issues.

He is a graduate of American University’s School of Public Affairs.  His experience in Washington D.C. includes a variety of… Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project exposes the predatory lending industry.

Payday lenders promise predominantly poor and working-class clients quick cash with minimum documentation requirements. However, this “easy money” comes at a high financial cost to the borrowers … Read more…

Louisiana’s sales tax holiday, scheduled to occur on the first Friday and Saturday in August, is one of the most generous in the nation. According to a policy brief by the Institute on

Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), a non-partisan … Read more…

A guest column by Louisiana Budget Project director, Edward Ashworth, published in the August 21, 2011 edition of The Times-Picayune, entitled “Louisiana lets payday loans flourish,” explains how payday lenders are taking advantage of people in need, specifically in … Read more…

Posted by: Steve Spires

One out of every five people filing for bankruptcy in the last two years listed medical debt as a “primary cause,” according to CredAbility, a non-profit credit counseling based in Atlanta. Two years ago that number … Read more…

By: Steve Spires

A recent report by the Legislative Auditor’s Office calls into question the wisdom of Governor Jindal’s proposal to privatize the state’s Office of Group Benefits (OGB), which currently administers the life and health insurance plans of nearly … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) seeks to hire a full-time Outreach Coordinator.

LBP, a project of the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations, provides independent, nonpartisan research, analysis, and advocacy on budget, tax, and other fiscal issues in Louisiana with an … Read more…

Failure to Take Balanced Approach to Address Revenue Shortfall Will Worsen Trends

 (Baton Rouge – September 22, 2011) Poverty rose significantly in Louisiana last year, highlighting the widespread impact of the recession and the need for Louisiana to protect this … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project urges Louisianans to vote against Amendment 1 in the upcoming October 22nd election. It analyzes the ill effects of using the constitutionally-protected Millennium Trust Fund to free additional dollars in the state … Read more…

Posted by: Steve Spires

Louisiana ranked 8^th highest in per capita funding received from the federal government last year, according to a new report from the Census Bureau. In FY2010, Louisiana’s state and local governments received $13.4 billion in … Read more…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Contact:
KAREN MILLER
225.929.5266, x220
EDWARD ASHWORTH
225.929.5266 x224
225.907.3035 (cell)

LEADERSHIP TRANSITION AT LOUISIANA BUDGET PROJECT ADVANCES MISSION, BUILDS ON MOMENTUM 

(Baton Rouge – October 4, 2011) Edward Ashworth, Director of the … Read more…

A new article by the Louisiana Budget Project summarizes a recent report by the Louisiana Hospital Association. The article looks specifically at Medicaid’s important role in Louisiana’s health care system and in the state’s economy. The article explains why Medicaid … Read more…

A recent commentary by the Louisiana Budget Project urges voters to approve Amendment No. 4 on the October 22nd primary ballot. The measure is sound fiscal policy that will both strengthen the Rainy Day Fund and allow for greater flexibility … Read more…

LBP has added a temporary tab to our website entitled Constitutional Amendments. Here you will find LBP’s position and recommendations for two of the five proposed Constitutional Amendments to be voted on in the upcoming October 22nd election.

Polls … Read more…

A new study commissioned by the Louisiana Board of Regents provides evidence that Go Grants work by improving retention rates for low-income students. The study adds further support to a report by Louisiana Budget Project that argued for increased spending … Read more…

Posted by: Steve Spires

An article in the Wall Street Journal earlier this week highlighted the importance of SNAP (which stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps) to Louisiana families. The article noted that, in August, … Read more…

A proposed constitutional amendment on Louisiana’s November 19 statewide ballot to prohibit taxes on the sale of homes or businesses would damage the ability of state and local governments to provide revenue needed to support health care, education, and other … Read more…

In an era when state policymakers have given generous tax breaks to corporations and the wealthy, a new report finds that Louisiana remains one of the few states that continue to tax the incomes of the working poor.

Although Louisiana … Read more…

On November 17th, The Advocate published “Group Raps La. Tax On Poor,” a front page article highlighting a report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

The article gives statements from Gov. Bobby Jindal’s spokeman, Kyle Plotkin, and director … Read more…

Dozens of America’s largest and most profitable corporations paid little or no state income taxes during a recent three-year period, according to a new report by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

The report found that some of America’s … Read more…

With Louisiana facing a $12.7 billion backlog of unmet construction needs on its roads, bridges and ports, a new report finds that the purchasing power of the state’s gasoline tax is at a 20-year low.

The report by the Institute … Read more…

It is hardly a secret that Louisianans, on average, are poorer and less healthy than other Americans. But Louisianans would be even worse off without assistance from Medicaid, the federal-state program established to expand access to medical care.

As Louisiana’s … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

While Gov. Bobby Jindal has sought to make government transparency a hallmark of his administration, a new report finds that Louisiana asks for little in return when it comes to corporations receiving multi-million dollar subsidies.

The … Read more…

A few notable stories before Louisiana heads into a frenzied weekend of football and inauguration activities.

- The U.S. economy added 200,000 jobs in December, capping a year that saw the economy add 1.9 million private-sector jobs – the … Read more…

Louisiana’s Medicaid program is more than a critical source of health care for families, pregnant women, children and people with disabilities. It also plays a key role in creating jobs and building a strong economy, according to a new report… Read more…

By: Steve Spires

The 2012-13 budget shortfall: $895 million.

That’s what Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration told the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget  last Friday when the “continuation budget” was released. The continuation budget represents what it would cost to … Read more…

By: Jan Moller

Gov. Bobby Jindal will release his 2012-13 budget plan in less than a week, and that’s when we’ll find out how he proposes to close the $895 million shortfall. But so far it looks like more of … Read more…

LBP appeared in a segment on Louisiana Public Broadcasting’s “Louisiana: The State We’re In” discussing Governor Jindal’s proposal for a statewide voucher program for education. Watch the full segment here.… Read more…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, February 09, 2012
Contact:
KAREN MILLER
225.929.5266, x220
JAN MOLLER
225.929.5266 x224
225.819.7715 (cell)

STATEMENT FROM LOUISIANA BUDGET PROJECT ON THE GOVERNOR’S EXECUTIVE BUDGET

“This is an unbalanced budget that would kill jobs, raise payroll taxes … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project finds that Gov . Bobby Jindal’s plan to dramatically expand the state’s private school voucher program is lacking the strong accountability and transparency requirements that parents need to make informed decisions about … Read more…

… Read more…

By Jan Moller
Special to The Political Desk

Twenty-two years ago, back when bipartisanship was still possible on Capitol Hill, the U.S. Congress passed a bill that required all packaged food to be labeled with detailed nutritional information.

With the … Read more…

By Jan Moller

It didn’t get much attention, but last week Gov. Bobby Jindal made what appears to be a dramatic policy shift. Speaking to WWL-TV in New Orleans on the day that President Obama released a plan to cut … Read more…

“Louisiana Budget Basics” by Jan Moller

“Payday Lending in Louisiana” by Tim Mathis… Read more…

By Jan Moller

The first week of the 2012 Legislature was unlike any opening weeks that had come before. In the span of two days of marathon hearings, the education committees in the House and Senate approved a massive overhaul … Read more…

With the two-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act this week, the Louisiana Budget Project has released a fact sheet reminding Louisiana legislators and other interested parties that several important policy decisions and milestones lie ahead as the state and … Read more…

View “Louisiana Budget Basics” where LBP Director Jan Moller explains why health-care and education always seem to get hit hard during state budget cuts.

Watch “Louisiana Budget Basics” here.

View “Payday Lending in Louisiana” where LBP … Read more…

Watch LBP’s Jan Moller on Louisiana Public Square’s “Redefining State Retirement” piece and see why everyone will ultimately be affected by the state pension systems’ UAL (Unfunded Accrued Liability), even if you are not a state worker.

Here is an … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project has been cited in the news weighing in on various important debates such as the school voucher plan, the health insurance exchange, state pensions and health care reform.

In February, LBP received a great deal of … Read more…

(Baton Rouge – April 4, 2012) While most other states exempt working-poor families from the income tax, Louisiana is one of a small number of states that continue to levy an income tax on working families living in poverty. By … Read more…

Today’s analysis of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s “cash balance” plan shows that there is no need to switch to a new retirement system for future teachers and state employees.  The analysis showed that the new system would add to the state’s … Read more…

By Jan Moller

With the April 17 tax deadline looming, it’s a good time look not just at what we pay to the government each year but what we all get in return. Because while no one especially enjoys paying … Read more…

LBP’s Jan Moller speaks against the proposed retirement plan at the Capitol.

Watch a clip from WAFB or read an article from The Advocate.

 … Read more…

Privatizing a state-run prison in Avoyelles Parish might save the state some money, but it would come at a steep cost to state workers and public safety, according to a new commentary by the Louisiana Budget Project. Still, the Legislature … Read more…

By Jan Moller

The sullen look on Rep. Jim Fannin’s face on Tuesday evening told the story better than the numbers ever could.

Fannin, the chairman of the budget-writing House Appropriations Committee, offered little except shoulder shrugs and gallows humor … Read more…

Louisiana Allows Lenders to Charge up to 1,043% APR

LBP releases a payday lending fact sheet with key statistics about the impact of predatory lending on working families. Louisiana has one of the highest concentrations of payday lenders in the … Read more…

By: Tim Mathis

A new fact-sheet on state financial aid programs released this week by the Brookings Institution paints a sobering picture for low-income Louisiana college students by confirming what we already knew: Louisiana does not provide nearly enough support … Read more…

A report making the rounds this week gave several reasons – all of them misleading – for why Louisiana should not try to set up a competitive marketplace for health insurance. But a new fact sheet from the Louisiana Budget … Read more…

Louisiana Budget Project Director Jan Moller will be one of the featured panelists Thursday at the monthly luncheon hosted by League of Women Voters of Baton Rouge. The discussion will center on the effects of tax cuts, exemptions and rebates … Read more…

In a letter to Louisiana’s nine-member Congressional delegation, the Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) and its parent organization, the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations (LANO), warn a combination of economic and legislative conditions is set to decimate the safety net for Louisiana’s most vulnerable populations.

According to the LBP and LANO, Louisiana will lose an estimated $1.3 billion in federal Medicaid funding in state fiscal years 2011 and 2012, with an on-going, annualized reduction of $900 million.

But time is critical and Congress needs to act now. Louisiana’s budget for fiscal year 2011 is being drafted now and will be finalized in February 2010 for presenting to the Legislature in March.

The Louisiana Budget Project has joined more than 750 nonprofit groups and individuals across the nation in calling on President Barack Obama and Congress to support strong affordability and coverage provisions in final health reform legislation.

Edward Ashworth, Director of the Louisiana Budget Project (LBP), spoke to the Baton Rouge Press Club, on Monday January 11, 2010. His presentation, Louisiana At The Crossroads:Responsible Responses to Louisiana’s Fiscal Crisis, explains the fiscal issues facing the state, … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

A recent letter to Senator Mary Landrieu, written by LBP Director Edward Ashworth, called for a long-term extension of federal emergency unemployment insurance benefits.

Last week, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that unemployment rose … Read more…

The Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations (LANO) will host a two-day institute in Baton Rouge, April 6-7, featuring local and national experts in public policy, advocacy and coalition building for nonprofit groups.

The event will take place at the Louisiana … Read more…

Join us on the steps of the State Capitol May 4th at noon to share BCBL’s legislative agenda to create better choices for a better Louisiana. Together we can demonstrate that the people of Louisiana want a balanced approach to … Read more…

… Read more…

Thank you for supporting Better Choices for a Better Louisiana and making our Rally Day a success! Pictures of the speakers are below. More pictures of the BCBL Rally can be found on our Facebook page.

Master of Ceremonies

Melissa … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) seeks to hire a full-time Outreach Coordinator.

LBP, a project of the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations, provides independent, nonpartisan research, analysis, and advocacy on budget, tax, and other fiscal issues in Louisiana with an … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project urges Louisianans to vote against Amendment 1 in the upcoming October 22nd election. It analyzes the ill effects of using the constitutionally-protected Millennium Trust Fund to free additional dollars in the state … Read more…

A proposed constitutional amendment on Louisiana’s November 19 statewide ballot to prohibit taxes on the sale of homes or businesses would damage the ability of state and local governments to provide revenue needed to support health care, education, and other … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project has been cited in the news weighing in on various important debates such as the school voucher plan, the health insurance exchange, state pensions and health care reform.

In February, LBP received a great deal of … Read more…

Louisiana Budget Project Director Jan Moller will be one of the featured panelists Thursday at the monthly luncheon hosted by League of Women Voters of Baton Rouge. The discussion will center on the effects of tax cuts, exemptions and rebates … Read more…

Low‐ and middle‐income families in Louisiana pay a far higher share of their income in state and local taxes than do the richest families in Louisiana, according to a new national study by the Washington DC‐based Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy (ITEP).

The main reason for the unfairness of Louisiana taxes is the state’s reliance on sales and excise taxes, which fall disproportionately on the most vulnerable families, and the state’s reliance on property taxes. Because lower income households tend to spend a higher percentage of their income on purchases, they end up paying a higher share of their income in taxes too. The exception is the state income tax, where rates rise with income. It’s the only tax based on the ability to pay, but Louisiana doesn’t rely on its income tax enough to make up for the impact of the other taxes on low‐ and middle‐income households.

Three days before Christmas, Governor Jindal issued an executive order instructing agency heads to implement an across-the-board reduction of $247.9 million, including $108 million from the Department of Health and Hospitals, $84 million from Higher Education and $14 million from the Department of Social Services.

These cuts come at a time when many department budgets, particularly those in human services and higher education, have already experienced significant reductions. The Louisiana Budget Project notes that the magnitude of Louisiana’s fiscal crisis requires a more balanced approach to solving what is, in reality, a revenue crisis.

Louisiana Budget Project Advises Balanced Approach to Address Shortfall, Save Campuses

Louisiana Board of Regents officials warned the Senate Finance Committee today that eight higher education campuses may close as a result of planned cuts to the state budget.

For Louisiana to grow and prosper, we need more people to attain the skills needed to participate in a competitive economy. Those skills generally require some form of a postsecondary education, whether at a technical college, community college, or a … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project analyzes comparable state-to-state data to inform the recent debate concerning whether Louisiana has too many public employees.

The report finds that, contrary to statements made by a number of public officials, overall … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project reviews the state budget for the new FY2012 fiscal year, a budget that does little to address Louisiana’s standing as one of the unhealthiest, least educated, and poorest states in the nation.… Read more…

Louisiana’s sales tax holiday, scheduled to occur on the first Friday and Saturday in August, is one of the most generous in the nation. According to a policy brief by the Institute on

Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), a non-partisan … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project urges Louisianans to vote against Amendment 1 in the upcoming October 22nd election. It analyzes the ill effects of using the constitutionally-protected Millennium Trust Fund to free additional dollars in the state … Read more…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Contact:
KAREN MILLER
225.929.5266, x220
EDWARD ASHWORTH
225.929.5266 x224
225.907.3035 (cell)

LEADERSHIP TRANSITION AT LOUISIANA BUDGET PROJECT ADVANCES MISSION, BUILDS ON MOMENTUM 

(Baton Rouge – October 4, 2011) Edward Ashworth, Director of the … Read more…

A recent commentary by the Louisiana Budget Project urges voters to approve Amendment No. 4 on the October 22nd primary ballot. The measure is sound fiscal policy that will both strengthen the Rainy Day Fund and allow for greater flexibility … Read more…

A proposed constitutional amendment on Louisiana’s November 19 statewide ballot to prohibit taxes on the sale of homes or businesses would damage the ability of state and local governments to provide revenue needed to support health care, education, and other … Read more…

On November 17th, The Advocate published “Group Raps La. Tax On Poor,” a front page article highlighting a report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

The article gives statements from Gov. Bobby Jindal’s spokeman, Kyle Plotkin, and director … Read more…

It is hardly a secret that Louisianans, on average, are poorer and less healthy than other Americans. But Louisianans would be even worse off without assistance from Medicaid, the federal-state program established to expand access to medical care.

As Louisiana’s … Read more…

Louisiana’s Medicaid program is more than a critical source of health care for families, pregnant women, children and people with disabilities. It also plays a key role in creating jobs and building a strong economy, according to a new report… Read more…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, February 09, 2012
Contact:
KAREN MILLER
225.929.5266, x220
JAN MOLLER
225.929.5266 x224
225.819.7715 (cell)

STATEMENT FROM LOUISIANA BUDGET PROJECT ON THE GOVERNOR’S EXECUTIVE BUDGET

“This is an unbalanced budget that would kill jobs, raise payroll taxes … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project finds that Gov . Bobby Jindal’s plan to dramatically expand the state’s private school voucher program is lacking the strong accountability and transparency requirements that parents need to make informed decisions about … Read more…

With the two-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act this week, the Louisiana Budget Project has released a fact sheet reminding Louisiana legislators and other interested parties that several important policy decisions and milestones lie ahead as the state and … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project has been cited in the news weighing in on various important debates such as the school voucher plan, the health insurance exchange, state pensions and health care reform.

In February, LBP received a great deal of … Read more…

Today’s analysis of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s “cash balance” plan shows that there is no need to switch to a new retirement system for future teachers and state employees.  The analysis showed that the new system would add to the state’s … Read more…

LBP has released a new report, “Federal Stimulus Dollars for Louisiana,” which briefly describes the most significant spending and tax provisions affecting low- and moderate-income citizens and provide current estimates of what Louisiana expects to receive.

Louisiana Budget Project has released a new report, ”Tobacco Tax Increase: Raise the Tax or Bear the Burden” which analyzes House Bill 75. House Bill 75 proposes significantly raising tobacco taxes in Louisiana.  The goals of this legislation … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project formally endorses the plan “Investing in Early Childhood: A Road Map to Success for Louisiana.” This Road Map outlines the steps Louisiana can take to ensure that the children of this state become successful … Read more…

Several bills introduced in the current regular legislative session would eliminate Louisiana’s state income tax, without mandating any replacement revenues. Adoption of any of these measures would be detrimental to the state’s future.

In a letter to Louisiana’s Secretary of the Department of Social Services, Kristy Nichols, and Louisiana’s Commissioner of the Division of Administration, Angele Davis, and a press release the Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) and the Kingsley House, strongly urge that the state use new federal money to provide additional resources to the state food stamp program. These additional resources will help ensure that applicants of the state food stamp program do not have to wait for interviews and applications are reviewed in a timely manner.

The Louisiana Budget Project’s latest report, Scary Movies-Louisiana’s 2011 Budget, previews the Governor’s Executive Budget, to be released on Friday.

The Budget Project projects that the Governor’s budget for the next year will rely almost entirely on deep spending cuts to make up for shortfalls in revenues. Departments facing cuts include Health and Hospitals, Social Services, Corrections, and possibly higher education. While popular with some audiences, LBP analysts warn that a slasher film approach to Louisiana’s budget will represent real and difficult reductions in services for Louisiana families and children.

In Louisiana’s Fiscal Crisis, the Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) reviews Governor Jindal’s recently released 2011 Executive Budget. The report finds that the Administration’s stated budgetary goal to “realign the size and cost of government to more sustainable, pre-Katrina levels” does not reflect the expansion of post-Katrina demand for government services.

While LBP agrees that reduced spending is necessary for responsible budgeting in a tight economy, LBP analysts highlight missed opportunities to balance budget cuts with new or recovered tax revenues that would better address the state’s fiscal crisis.

LBP’s new report Income Tax Cuts Costing State Millions Needed for Services finds that Louisiana’s fiscal chickens are coming home to roost.  The state no longer generates sufficient revenues to fund necessary services.  This problem is due in part to … Read more…

Louisiana’s home-grown companies often compete for business against large, multistate, and multinational corporations whose size and wealth give them significant advantages. One is their ability to capitalize on the way Louisiana law is written to avoid paying millions of dollars … Read more…

For Louisiana to grow and prosper, we need more people to attain the skills needed to participate in a competitive economy. Those skills generally require some form of a postsecondary education, whether at a technical college, community college, or a … Read more…

Louisiana is in a deep fiscal crisis and needs a more balanced approach than a cuts-only strategy.  Louisiana loses over $100 million of revenue each year due to a loophole in Louisiana’s income tax forms. Filers who itemize not only … Read more…

This report proposes a solution that will limit cuts to crucial services. By creating new brackets and raising rates for the highest-income households, the state would be able to sustain its investments in education, health care, public safety, and other … Read more…

This report addresses how Louisiana’s cigarette tax directly relates to the state’s poor health record and extremely high smoking rate.… Read more…

Louisiana has a lopsided tax loophole that costs the state $643 million a year in lost income tax revenue, an amount equal to more than 40 percent of the $1.6 billion deficit projected for the upcoming fiscal year. That loophole … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project has released a new paper that discusses expanding the services that are subject to Louisiana’s 4 percent tax. Louisiana’s sales tax does not apply to personal services such as cable television, gardening services and landscaping, pet … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) has released the final paper in the series of six revenue proposals aimed at offering balanced, transparent solutions to Louisiana’s fiscal crisis. The report  proposes applying Louisiana’s income tax to Social Security to generate $104 … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project analyzes comparable state-to-state data to inform the recent debate concerning whether Louisiana has too many public employees.

The report finds that, contrary to statements made by a number of public officials, overall … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project reviews the state budget for the new FY2012 fiscal year, a budget that does little to address Louisiana’s standing as one of the unhealthiest, least educated, and poorest states in the nation.… Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project is pleased to announce Steve Spires as its new policy analyst specializing in health care issues.

He is a graduate of American University’s School of Public Affairs.  His experience in Washington D.C. includes a variety of… Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project exposes the predatory lending industry.

Payday lenders promise predominantly poor and working-class clients quick cash with minimum documentation requirements. However, this “easy money” comes at a high financial cost to the borrowers … Read more…

Louisiana’s sales tax holiday, scheduled to occur on the first Friday and Saturday in August, is one of the most generous in the nation. According to a policy brief by the Institute on

Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), a non-partisan … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project urges Louisianans to vote against Amendment 1 in the upcoming October 22nd election. It analyzes the ill effects of using the constitutionally-protected Millennium Trust Fund to free additional dollars in the state … Read more…

A recent commentary by the Louisiana Budget Project urges voters to approve Amendment No. 4 on the October 22nd primary ballot. The measure is sound fiscal policy that will both strengthen the Rainy Day Fund and allow for greater flexibility … Read more…

A proposed constitutional amendment on Louisiana’s November 19 statewide ballot to prohibit taxes on the sale of homes or businesses would damage the ability of state and local governments to provide revenue needed to support health care, education, and other … Read more…

It is hardly a secret that Louisianans, on average, are poorer and less healthy than other Americans. But Louisianans would be even worse off without assistance from Medicaid, the federal-state program established to expand access to medical care.

As Louisiana’s … Read more…

Louisiana’s Medicaid program is more than a critical source of health care for families, pregnant women, children and people with disabilities. It also plays a key role in creating jobs and building a strong economy, according to a new report… Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project finds that Gov . Bobby Jindal’s plan to dramatically expand the state’s private school voucher program is lacking the strong accountability and transparency requirements that parents need to make informed decisions about … Read more…

By Jan Moller
Special to The Political Desk

Twenty-two years ago, back when bipartisanship was still possible on Capitol Hill, the U.S. Congress passed a bill that required all packaged food to be labeled with detailed nutritional information.

With the … Read more…

By Jan Moller

It didn’t get much attention, but last week Gov. Bobby Jindal made what appears to be a dramatic policy shift. Speaking to WWL-TV in New Orleans on the day that President Obama released a plan to cut … Read more…

“Louisiana Budget Basics” by Jan Moller

“Payday Lending in Louisiana” by Tim Mathis… Read more…

With the two-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act this week, the Louisiana Budget Project has released a fact sheet reminding Louisiana legislators and other interested parties that several important policy decisions and milestones lie ahead as the state and … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project has been cited in the news weighing in on various important debates such as the school voucher plan, the health insurance exchange, state pensions and health care reform.

In February, LBP received a great deal of … Read more…

(Baton Rouge – April 4, 2012) While most other states exempt working-poor families from the income tax, Louisiana is one of a small number of states that continue to levy an income tax on working families living in poverty. By … Read more…

Privatizing a state-run prison in Avoyelles Parish might save the state some money, but it would come at a steep cost to state workers and public safety, according to a new commentary by the Louisiana Budget Project. Still, the Legislature … Read more…

Louisiana Allows Lenders to Charge up to 1,043% APR

LBP releases a payday lending fact sheet with key statistics about the impact of predatory lending on working families. Louisiana has one of the highest concentrations of payday lenders in the … Read more…

A report making the rounds this week gave several reasons – all of them misleading – for why Louisiana should not try to set up a competitive marketplace for health insurance. But a new fact sheet from the Louisiana Budget … Read more…

The first of 2009 initiates is the Stelly tax repeal. The Stelly Plan eliminates sales tax on food, drugs and household utilities, and replaces them with income tax. The Stelly Plan was approved by voters in 2002. During the 2008 legislative session the Stelly Plan was repealled, which reduced the two highest income brackets to the level they were prior to the implementation of Stelly.

Thousands of dollars in tax credits could be available to Louisiana residents who don’t earn enough money to require a federal tax return. The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a refundable tax credit for low-income working families and individuals and is the federal government’s largest program benefiting lower-income workers. It is time to inform Louisiana’s eligible citizens about this valuable tax break and to let them know what they need to do to claim it.

LBP has released a new report, “Federal Stimulus Dollars for Louisiana,” which briefly describes the most significant spending and tax provisions affecting low- and moderate-income citizens and provide current estimates of what Louisiana expects to receive.

Louisiana Budget Project has released a new report, ”Tobacco Tax Increase: Raise the Tax or Bear the Burden” which analyzes House Bill 75. House Bill 75 proposes significantly raising tobacco taxes in Louisiana.  The goals of this legislation … Read more…

The Louisiana Healthier Families Act has been re-introduced as House Bill 889 which will increase the tax on cigarettes by 50 cents. House Bill 889 is co-sponsored by 18 legislators; including Senate President, Senate President Pro Tempore, and 3 Republican Representatives.

Several bills introduced in the current regular legislative session would eliminate Louisiana’s state income tax, without mandating any replacement revenues. Adoption of any of these measures would be detrimental to the state’s future.

Low‐ and middle‐income families in Louisiana pay a far higher share of their income in state and local taxes than do the richest families in Louisiana, according to a new national study by the Washington DC‐based Institute on Taxation & Economic Policy (ITEP).

The main reason for the unfairness of Louisiana taxes is the state’s reliance on sales and excise taxes, which fall disproportionately on the most vulnerable families, and the state’s reliance on property taxes. Because lower income households tend to spend a higher percentage of their income on purchases, they end up paying a higher share of their income in taxes too. The exception is the state income tax, where rates rise with income. It’s the only tax based on the ability to pay, but Louisiana doesn’t rely on its income tax enough to make up for the impact of the other taxes on low‐ and middle‐income households.

LBP Director, Edward Ashworth was featured in the New Orleans Times Picayune op ed section on Thursday November 26, 2009. In the article, Mr. Ashworth argues that the state needs to take a more balanced approach to solve its estimated $2 billion budget shortfall. Rather than relying exclusively on spending cuts, the state needs to consider new sources of revenue.

The Louisiana Commission on Streamlining Government is preparing to issue its initial report this week. The commission has looked at ways to cut spending, however it has neglected to consider raising revenue. In the New Orleans Times Picayune article Edward … Read more…

Edward Ashworth, Director of the Louisiana Budget Project (LBP), spoke to the Baton Rouge Press Club, on Monday January 11, 2010. His presentation, Louisiana At The Crossroads:Responsible Responses to Louisiana’s Fiscal Crisis, explains the fiscal issues facing the state, … Read more…

In a letter to Louisiana’s Secretary of the Department of Social Services, Kristy Nichols, and Louisiana’s Commissioner of the Division of Administration, Angele Davis, and a press release the Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) and the Kingsley House, strongly urge that the state use new federal money to provide additional resources to the state food stamp program. These additional resources will help ensure that applicants of the state food stamp program do not have to wait for interviews and applications are reviewed in a timely manner.

The March 25, 2010 Advocate’s Inside Report, “Another View of State Needs and Cutbacks,” focused on the Louisiana Budget Project’s recently released research paper, Louisiana’s Fiscal Crisis.

In his article, the author notes that “it’s helpful to remember—despite the protestations of the current leadership—that [Louisiana’s current fiscal crisis] is not caused just by reckless spending . . . .” The article then highlights LBP’s findings that there are insufficient state revenues to meet the state’s growing needs and that the state’s loss of revenue is exaggerated by previous cuts in income taxes, Louisiana’s large number of tax exemptions and tax breaks to businesses, and reductions in federal aid.

On March 26, 2010 the Shreveport Times published “Louisiana Needs a More Equitable Approach,” an opinion editorial by the Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) Director, Edward Ashworth.

The paper describes the increased need for state services, during a time when there are major budget cuts in state spending. The article acknowledges that the state’s fiscal issues are not due to out-of-control state spending. Revenues are insufficient to pay for the state’s growing needs, due in significant part to two of the largest state tax cuts in Louisiana history. The projected five-year cost of these tax cuts totaled $2.2 billion, including $583 million this fiscal year and $619 million next fiscal year.

A guest column by LBP Director Edward Ashworth, published in the June 22, 2010, edition of the Lafayette Daily Advertiser, entitled “Reversing Stelly hikes was mistake,” reviews Louisiana’s current fiscal situation and how undoing the Stelly Plan by … Read more…

Louisiana’s home-grown companies often compete for business against large, multistate, and multinational corporations whose size and wealth give them significant advantages. One is their ability to capitalize on the way Louisiana law is written to avoid paying millions of dollars … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

A new report from Citizens for Tax Justice reveals the steady erosion of the estate tax, a part of the tax system at least a century old. This is due to revisions since 2001 that have … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

A guest column by LBP Director Edward Ashworth, published in the November 16, 2010, edition of the Times-Picayune, entitled “In Louisiana, doing less with less,” reviews Louisiana’s ongoing fiscal crisis and how the budget shortfall … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

A new report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities calls film tax credits “a Hollywood fantasy,” pointing out that they don’t live up to their fanciful economic promises. Louisiana is one of 43 states … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

A recent letter to Senator Mary Landrieu, written by LBP Director Edward Ashworth, called for a long-term extension of federal emergency unemployment insurance benefits.

Last week, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that unemployment rose … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

Friday’s Senate Finance Committee Meeting provided further evidence that state budget cuts will have far reaching effects in Louisiana. Right now, Louisiana has the highest incarceration rate and is number one in violent crime in the … Read more…

Posted by: Teaway Zehyoue Collins

A guest column by LBP Director Edward Ashworth, published in the December 25, 2010, edition of the Lafayette Advertiser, entitled “Revenue should be part of fix for LA colleges,” reviews Louisiana’s fiscal crisis … Read more…

Louisiana faces a $1.6 billion shortfall in the next fiscal year due to the largest tax cuts in the state’s history and back-door spending that remains unaccounted for. To restore fiscal responsibility, legislators ought to follow Congress by enacting a … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

Louisiana is not alone in its struggle to provide for the needs of families and communities affected by an anemic national economy. With federal stimulus funds coming to an end, states are preparing to weather yet … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

As families in Louisiana and across the country begin to sit down and fill out their tax returns, a few will benefit more than everyone else. According to the nonpartisan Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, … Read more…

A guest column by LBP Director, Edward Ashworth, published in the January 28, 2010 edition of The Times-Picayune, entitled “TOPS shift a way to get to the general fund,” criticizes Governor Jindal’s proposal to reallocate Millennium Trust monies … Read more…

A letter by Steve Monaghan, president of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers (LFT), published in the February 11, 2011 edition of The Advocate highlighted a growing awareness of Louisiana’s “hidden budget” of tax exemptions. Over 440 exemptions cost our state … Read more…

An editorial was published in The Shreveport Times on February 18th that cited LBP research on TOPS and Go Grants, Louisiana’s higher education financial aid programs. Here is an excerpt:

Louisiana’s college scholarship program TOPS is in the cross hairs … Read more…

An article in the Times-Picayune in New Orleans on February 19th cited recent efforts by the Louisiana Budget Project and the grassroots movement Better Choices for a Better Louisiana to curb tax exemptions that drain state funding for education, health … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

This month, a bill was presented before the Missouri Senate that proposes to reform, sunset, or permanently repeal 61 tax credit programs which cost the state $521.5 million last year alone. The bill is a product … Read more…

An article in the Baton Rouge Business Report on March 8^th discusses repealing, or at least pausing some tax breaks and incentives that are costing the state hundreds of millions of dollars in lost tax revenue. Here is an … Read more…

This month the Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) has made news all across the state. LBP’s firm stance—that Louisiana has a revenue problem, not a spending problem—has sparked a statewide debate.

• On March 20^th, The Advertiser in Lafayette published

… Read more…

A guest column by LBP Director, Edward Ashworth, published in the March 2, 2011 edition of The Shreveport Times, entitled “Playing Louisiana for a patsy,” explains how Louisiana is losing millions in revenue by allowing big, multi-state corporations to … Read more…

This report proposes a solution that will limit cuts to crucial services. By creating new brackets and raising rates for the highest-income households, the state would be able to sustain its investments in education, health care, public safety, and other … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

A new report from Good Jobs First, a national policy center that promotes corporate and governmental accountability in the area of economic development, placed Louisiana at the top of the list for having one of the … Read more…

The Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations (LANO) will host a two-day institute in Baton Rouge, April 6-7, featuring local and national experts in public policy, advocacy and coalition building for nonprofit groups.

The event will take place at the Louisiana … Read more…

This week Edward Ashworth, Director of the Louisiana Budget Project, gave a presentation at LANO’s 2011 Public Policy Institute. During his presentation entitled “Louisiana’s Fiscal Crisis: The Current State We’re In” he discussed how Louisiana got in the crisis, what … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project reviews and analyzes Governor Bobby Jindal’s proposed Fiscal Year 2012 Executive Budget.

Despite Louisiana’s $1.6 billion shortfall in revenue projected for this year, the governor again refuses to consider increasing revenues, either … Read more…

Louisiana has a lopsided tax loophole that costs the state $643 million a year in lost income tax revenue, an amount equal to more than 40 percent of the $1.6 billion deficit projected for the upcoming fiscal year. That loophole … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project has released a new paper that discusses expanding the services that are subject to Louisiana’s 4 percent tax. Louisiana’s sales tax does not apply to personal services such as cable television, gardening services and landscaping, pet … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project (LBP) has released the final paper in the series of six revenue proposals aimed at offering balanced, transparent solutions to Louisiana’s fiscal crisis. The report  proposes applying Louisiana’s income tax to Social Security to generate $104 … Read more…

Join us on the steps of the State Capitol May 4th at noon to share BCBL’s legislative agenda to create better choices for a better Louisiana. Together we can demonstrate that the people of Louisiana want a balanced approach to … Read more…

… Read more…

Thank you for supporting Better Choices for a Better Louisiana and making our Rally Day a success! Pictures of the speakers are below. More pictures of the BCBL Rally can be found on our Facebook page.

Master of Ceremonies

Melissa … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

On May 17, 2011, the House Appropriations Committee unanimously approved a package of 312 amendments to House Bill 1, adding another $138.5 million in spending reductions for health care, education, and social services. Once again, Louisiana … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project cautions that three tax-related bills now moving through the State Legislature, if enacted, would cost Louisiana $3 billion annually in desperately needed revenue.

On June 10^th, The Times-Picayune published “Tax elimination measures are folly,” … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

This week, the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana and Council for a Better Louisiana joined Louisiana Budget Project by opposing Senate Bill 259 proposing to phase out personal income taxes over a ten-year period. The … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project analyzes comparable state-to-state data to inform the recent debate concerning whether Louisiana has too many public employees.

The report finds that, contrary to statements made by a number of public officials, overall … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project reviews the state budget for the new FY2012 fiscal year, a budget that does little to address Louisiana’s standing as one of the unhealthiest, least educated, and poorest states in the nation.… Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project is pleased to announce Steve Spires as its new policy analyst specializing in health care issues.

He is a graduate of American University’s School of Public Affairs.  His experience in Washington D.C. includes a variety of… Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project exposes the predatory lending industry.

Payday lenders promise predominantly poor and working-class clients quick cash with minimum documentation requirements. However, this “easy money” comes at a high financial cost to the borrowers … Read more…

Louisiana’s sales tax holiday, scheduled to occur on the first Friday and Saturday in August, is one of the most generous in the nation. According to a policy brief by the Institute on

Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), a non-partisan … Read more…

A guest column by Louisiana Budget Project director, Edward Ashworth, published in the August 21, 2011 edition of The Times-Picayune, entitled “Louisiana lets payday loans flourish,” explains how payday lenders are taking advantage of people in need, specifically in … Read more…

By: Steve Spires

A recent report by the Legislative Auditor’s Office calls into question the wisdom of Governor Jindal’s proposal to privatize the state’s Office of Group Benefits (OGB), which currently administers the life and health insurance plans of nearly … Read more…

Failure to Take Balanced Approach to Address Revenue Shortfall Will Worsen Trends

 (Baton Rouge – September 22, 2011) Poverty rose significantly in Louisiana last year, highlighting the widespread impact of the recession and the need for Louisiana to protect this … Read more…

A new report by the Louisiana Budget Project urges Louisianans to vote against Amendment 1 in the upcoming October 22nd election. It analyzes the ill effects of using the constitutionally-protected Millennium Trust Fund to free additional dollars in the state … Read more…

A new article by the Louisiana Budget Project summarizes a recent report by the Louisiana Hospital Association. The article looks specifically at Medicaid’s important role in Louisiana’s health care system and in the state’s economy. The article explains why Medicaid … Read more…

A recent commentary by the Louisiana Budget Project urges voters to approve Amendment No. 4 on the October 22nd primary ballot. The measure is sound fiscal policy that will both strengthen the Rainy Day Fund and allow for greater flexibility … Read more…

LBP has added a temporary tab to our website entitled Constitutional Amendments. Here you will find LBP’s position and recommendations for two of the five proposed Constitutional Amendments to be voted on in the upcoming October 22nd election.

Polls … Read more…

A new study commissioned by the Louisiana Board of Regents provides evidence that Go Grants work by improving retention rates for low-income students. The study adds further support to a report by Louisiana Budget Project that argued for increased spending … Read more…

Posted by: Steve Spires

An article in the Wall Street Journal earlier this week highlighted the importance of SNAP (which stands for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps) to Louisiana families. The article noted that, in August, … Read more…

A proposed constitutional amendment on Louisiana’s November 19 statewide ballot to prohibit taxes on the sale of homes or businesses would damage the ability of state and local governments to provide revenue needed to support health care, education, and other … Read more…

On November 17th, The Advocate published “Group Raps La. Tax On Poor,” a front page article highlighting a report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

The article gives statements from Gov. Bobby Jindal’s spokeman, Kyle Plotkin, and director … Read more…

Dozens of America’s largest and most profitable corporations paid little or no state income taxes during a recent three-year period, according to a new report by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.

The report found that some of America’s … Read more…

With Louisiana facing a $12.7 billion backlog of unmet construction needs on its roads, bridges and ports, a new report finds that the purchasing power of the state’s gasoline tax is at a 20-year low.

The report by the Institute … Read more…

By: Jan Moller

Gov. Bobby Jindal will release his 2012-13 budget plan in less than a week, and that’s when we’ll find out how he proposes to close the $895 million shortfall. But so far it looks like more of … Read more…

LBP appeared in a segment on Louisiana Public Broadcasting’s “Louisiana: The State We’re In” discussing Governor Jindal’s proposal for a statewide voucher program for education. Watch the full segment here.… Read more…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, February 09, 2012
Contact:
KAREN MILLER
225.929.5266, x220
JAN MOLLER
225.929.5266 x224
225.819.7715 (cell)

STATEMENT FROM LOUISIANA BUDGET PROJECT ON THE GOVERNOR’S EXECUTIVE BUDGET

“This is an unbalanced budget that would kill jobs, raise payroll taxes … Read more…

… Read more…

By Jan Moller
Special to The Political Desk

Twenty-two years ago, back when bipartisanship was still possible on Capitol Hill, the U.S. Congress passed a bill that required all packaged food to be labeled with detailed nutritional information.

With the … Read more…

By Jan Moller

It didn’t get much attention, but last week Gov. Bobby Jindal made what appears to be a dramatic policy shift. Speaking to WWL-TV in New Orleans on the day that President Obama released a plan to cut … Read more…

“Louisiana Budget Basics” by Jan Moller

“Payday Lending in Louisiana” by Tim Mathis… Read more…

By Jan Moller

The first week of the 2012 Legislature was unlike any opening weeks that had come before. In the span of two days of marathon hearings, the education committees in the House and Senate approved a massive overhaul … Read more…

View “Louisiana Budget Basics” where LBP Director Jan Moller explains why health-care and education always seem to get hit hard during state budget cuts.

Watch “Louisiana Budget Basics” here.

View “Payday Lending in Louisiana” where LBP … Read more…

The Louisiana Budget Project has been cited in the news weighing in on various important debates such as the school voucher plan, the health insurance exchange, state pensions and health care reform.

In February, LBP received a great deal of … Read more…

(Baton Rouge – April 4, 2012) While most other states exempt working-poor families from the income tax, Louisiana is one of a small number of states that continue to levy an income tax on working families living in poverty. By … Read more…

Today’s analysis of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s “cash balance” plan shows that there is no need to switch to a new retirement system for future teachers and state employees.  The analysis showed that the new system would add to the state’s … Read more…

By Jan Moller

With the April 17 tax deadline looming, it’s a good time look not just at what we pay to the government each year but what we all get in return. Because while no one especially enjoys paying … Read more…

LBP’s Jan Moller speaks against the proposed retirement plan at the Capitol.

Watch a clip from WAFB or read an article from The Advocate.

 … Read more…

Privatizing a state-run prison in Avoyelles Parish might save the state some money, but it would come at a steep cost to state workers and public safety, according to a new commentary by the Louisiana Budget Project. Still, the Legislature … Read more…

By Jan Moller

The sullen look on Rep. Jim Fannin’s face on Tuesday evening told the story better than the numbers ever could.

Fannin, the chairman of the budget-writing House Appropriations Committee, offered little except shoulder shrugs and gallows humor … Read more…

By: Tim Mathis

A new fact-sheet on state financial aid programs released this week by the Brookings Institution paints a sobering picture for low-income Louisiana college students by confirming what we already knew: Louisiana does not provide nearly enough support … Read more…

A report making the rounds this week gave several reasons – all of them misleading – for why Louisiana should not try to set up a competitive marketplace for health insurance. But a new fact sheet from the Louisiana Budget … Read more…

Louisiana Budget Project Director Jan Moller will be one of the featured panelists Thursday at the monthly luncheon hosted by League of Women Voters of Baton Rouge. The discussion will center on the effects of tax cuts, exemptions and rebates … Read more…

By: Steve Spires

When Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration presented its mid-year budget cuts to the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget last month, Commissioner of Administration Paul Rainwater assured lawmakers that neither Medicaid providers nor LSU hospitals were being affected.… Read more…

While Gov. Bobby Jindal has focused on education, his administration has been conspicuously quiet on another issue that’s sure to grab headlines in the months ahead: the state budget.

But the calendar doesn’t lie. In less than four weeks the … Read more…

Thanks to a stable unemployment trust fund balance and the passage of Act 169 in Louisiana’s 2008 regular legislative session, as of January 1, 2009, Louisiana unemployment weekly benefits have risen and its unemployment insurance taxes have been lowered.

Posted by: Tim Mathis

A recent letter to Senator Mary Landrieu, written by LBP Director Edward Ashworth, called for a long-term extension of federal emergency unemployment insurance benefits.

Last week, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that unemployment rose … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

Friday’s Senate Finance Committee Meeting provided further evidence that state budget cuts will have far reaching effects in Louisiana. Right now, Louisiana has the highest incarceration rate and is number one in violent crime in the … Read more…

For Louisiana to grow and prosper, we need more people to attain the skills needed to participate in a competitive economy. Those skills generally require some form of a postsecondary education, whether at a technical college, community college, or a … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

A new report from Good Jobs First, a national policy center that promotes corporate and governmental accountability in the area of economic development, placed Louisiana at the top of the list for having one of the … Read more…

The Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations (LANO) will host a two-day institute in Baton Rouge, April 6-7, featuring local and national experts in public policy, advocacy and coalition building for nonprofit groups.

The event will take place at the Louisiana … Read more…

Posted by: Tim Mathis

While Gov. Bobby Jindal has sought to make government transparency a hallmark of his administration, a new report finds that Louisiana asks for little in return when it comes to corporations receiving multi-million dollar subsidies.

The … Read more…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, February 09, 2012
Contact:
KAREN MILLER
225.929.5266, x220
JAN MOLLER
225.929.5266 x224
225.819.7715 (cell)

STATEMENT FROM LOUISIANA BUDGET PROJECT ON THE GOVERNOR’S EXECUTIVE BUDGET

“This is an unbalanced budget that would kill jobs, raise payroll taxes … Read more…