Louisiana House lawmakers are planning a closed-door retreat to hash out ideas for closing a looming $1 billion-plus state budget gap.
Alexandria Rep. Lance Harris, head of the House GOP delegation, says the meeting, to be held Thursday at a catering hall in Baton Rouge, is an “educational, bipartisan retreat” aimed at getting the most up-to-date information about the state’s finances and the options for filling the budget hole.
Seventy-nine of the chamber’s 103 members said they plan to attend, according to Minden Rep. Gene Reynolds, leader of the House Democrats. No votes will be taken.
The $1 billion-plus shortfall hits July 1, when temporary taxes expire. Proposals by Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards to rewrite tax laws to close the gap have gone nowhere in the majority-Republican House.
