2018 fiscal cliff

February 5, 2018
February 5, 2018

A new stall tactic

State legislators have had nearly two years to prepare for the $1 billion-plus “fiscal cliff” that Louisiana faces on July 1, when a host of temporary taxes expire.

Number of the Day

$145.7 million - Amount of money Louisiana consumers pay annually in fees on short-term “payday” loans with interest rates of at least 300 percent APR.  (Source: Center for Responsible Lending)
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February 2, 2018
February 2, 2018

A fiscal reality check

A common refrain among state House leaders is that Gov. John Bel Edwards is not looking hard enough at spending when confronting the state’s fiscal problems. But that’s largely Washington D.C.-style rhetoric, says Stephanie Riegel with the Baton Rouge Business Report.

Number of the Day

62 - Percentage of Americans who believe government does not provide enough help to poor people, while 64 percent believe government provides too much help to wealthy people.  (Source: Pew Research Center)
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February 1, 2018
February 1, 2018

Where’s the $600 million?

There was heated back-and-forth last week in the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget over a claim by Gov. John Bel Edwards he’s cut more than $600 million from the state budget since taking office.

Number of the Day

$20 million - The projected annual savings to the state from raising the age of juvenile jurisdiction to 17. (Source: LSU via Nola.com)
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January 31, 2018
January 31, 2018

The GOP budget wish-list

After months of delay, House Speaker Taylor Barras outlined the budget “reforms” his members want to see as a condition of supporting revenues and avoiding the “fiscal cliff.”

Number of the Day

51 - Louisiana’s ranking on Politico Magazine’s quasi-annual index that compares states on a variety health, educational and socioeconomic indicators. (Source: The Advocate via Politico)
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