Displaying items by tag: Louisiana legislature

by Stephen Waguespack, President and CEO of Louisiana Association of Business and Industry

It hit me this week while fielding questions from radio listeners on The Jim Engster Show: as much time as we all spend these days talking about what divides us, the truth is we are not as far apart as most think.

A few callers asked about proposals for new revenue streams, mandates or regulations on businesses and non-profits, while others wanted to explore different options to fight poverty. The affordability and quality of health care were discussed, as was the specific structure of our tax code and its inability to provide stability for both private markets and public services.

With major hurricanes recently hitting Florida and Texas, and since some parts of Louisiana are still cleaning up after last year’s torrential rains, many property owners in the Bayou State are asking if insurance rates will go up.  Will rates go up?  Is the Pope Catholic?  Does Grizzly Adams have a beard?  Of course we all will be paying more.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards, who is in somewhat of an uncomfortable position, being the governor of the State in which one of the key promoters of congressional legislation on healthcare repeal, US Senator Bill Cassidy, is the key author, has come out against the passing of the current Obamacare repeal legislation.

Here is Governor Edwards's statement:

From the governor who said he is “committed to open and honest budgeting that does not rely on the gimmicks of the past,” yet another past budget gimmick he endorsed surfaces.

It turns out that about $28 million used in the fiscal year 2018 budget does not exist yet, and may not before the close of the year. That money depends upon resolution of lawsuits favorably to Louisiana, which an additional about $8 million did come available recently.

by Lou Gehrig Burnett, Publisher of Fax-Net

Senate kills Carmody bill

    It was a losing proposition right from the get-go.  Shreveport Rep. Thomas Carmody was successful in the House of Representatives, but it was a different story in the Senate.

Confederate outrage?

On Monday, the Louisiana black caucus walked out of the House of Representatives after that body approved HB 71, legislation that would prohibits state and local government entities from taking actions with respect to removal or destruction of public military memorials.