$29 billion budget hangs in balance as Legislature nears end
Negotiations over Louisiana's $29 billion state budget were underway Tuesday (June 6) after the House voted 62-42 to reject the Senate's version of the spending plan on Monday night. The differences between the two chambers center largely on public employee pay raises and the Senate wanting to spend more overall than the House has been willing to allocate.
Legislators must reach an agreement by Thursday at 6 p.m., when the current lawmaking session ends, or stay in Baton Rouge for a special session. The fiscal year begins July 1.
Senate leaders said they were waiting to hear more about where the House wanted to cut spending. Senate President John Alario, R-Westwego, and Sen. Eric LaFleur, D-Ville Platte, Finance Committee chairman, met briefly after the House vote Monday night with House Speaker Taylor Barras, R-New Iberia, and Rep. Cameron Henry, R-Metaire, Appropriations Committee chairman. "They haven't told us specifically what they want yet," LaFleur said in an interview Tuesday.
It's not unusual for the House and Senate to reject each other's budget plans and enter what's called a conference committee, essentially which includes a handful of legislators from each chamber to negotiate differences, during the last few days of session. Nevertheless, Gov. John Bel Edwards' office and House Democrats were pushing for the House just to accept the Senate plan and end budget debate.
Read more: http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/06/louisiana_budget_negotiations_2.html