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Tax bills edge forward in Louisiana House, but no deal yet

It remains unclear whether any tax bill can win enough support from Democrats and Republicans on the House floor to reach the two-thirds vote needed.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Lawmakers on the Louisiana House's tax committee have advanced three sales tax proposals to lessen state budget cuts that hit in fewer than two weeks.

Action Wednesday from the Ways and Means Committee keeps negotiations ongoing in the special session that must end June 27.

It remains unclear whether any tax bill can win enough support from Democrats and Republicans on the House floor to reach the two-thirds vote needed.

Lawmakers on the majority-GOP committee rejected the favored sales tax approach of Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards.

They advanced measures to renew part of a 1 percent sales tax expiring July 1. One proposal would renew 0.33 percent of the tax, while another would renew 0.4 percent. A third measure renews half the tax and scales it down over time.

If new tax dollars are raised, House Republican leaders have outlined their priorities for spending it.

The House Appropriations Committee voted 18-4 Wednesday evening for a plan to spend $420 million in additional sales tax money. The plan would shield college campuses from cuts, stop elimination of the food stamp program and fund the TOPS tuition program at 90 percent.

Health care services for the poor, elderly and disabled were already protected in the budget passed earlier this year. They would keep their full financing level.

Sheriffs would face cuts, along with state-run public schools and agriculture programs.

The budget proposal, advanced to the full House for debate, assumes lawmakers would renew 0.4 percent of a 1 percent state sales tax that expires July 1. But that's far from certain.

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