Louisiana lawmakers have agreed to $38 million in spending cuts across state agencies, one of the first steps to rebalance the state’s budget, The Associated Press reports.
Combined with reductions made by Gov. John Bel Edwards, the cuts—approved today by the joint House and Senate budget committee—have trimmed $60 million from departments.
But that’s only a fraction of what’s needed to close an estimated $850 million to $950 million budget gap before the financial year ends June 30.
Edwards is asking lawmakers to raise taxes in a 25-day special legislative session that opened Sunday, to help stabilize Louisiana’s finances. He says deep reductions without tax hikes would harm public colleges and health services.
The governor’s revenue secretary, Kimberly Robinson, presented the tax proposals today to the House Ways and Means Committee.
