state budget

House Overwhelmingly Backs State Budget Compromise

editor — Fri, 10 May 2013 22:32:00 +0000

With a 95-3 vote, a nearly $25 billion budget is heading to the Senate for approval after days of negotiations. But it’s not the plan Gov. Bobby Jindal wanted.

State Treasurer John Kennedy, Nutrition Expert Neal Barnard

editor — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 16:10:00 +0000

Jim talks with State Treasurer John Kennedy about Governor Jindal's proposed 2013 state budget. Kennedy thinks aspects of it will not work.

Nutrition expert Dr. Neal Barnard on his book "Power Foods for the Brain".

Fact Check: Completing Nichols' Numbers

Kelly Connelly — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 23:28:00 +0000

On the Jim Engster Show Thursday morning, Division of Administration Commissioner Kristy Nichols relied on talking points that have been repeated by officials in the Jindal administration.

The Commissioner has cherry-picked her facts.

Author A.E. Hotchner; Professors Kirby Goidel and Geoff Nagle

Jim Engster — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 16:49:00 +0000

Jim speaks with Ernest Hemingway biographer A.E. Hotchner about his latest book "O.J. in the Morning, G&T at Night".

Commissioner of Administration Kristy Nichols discusses Governor Jindal's budget and tax reform proposals.

Jindal's Tax Plan May Be Unconstitutional

Kelly Connelly — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 22:28:00 +0000

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are voicing their skepticism of Governor Bobby Jindal’s tax overhauls. The forum this morning: an annual pre-session briefing hosted by the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry.

Jim Patterson of LABI kicked off the presentation with what he’s heard from legislators about their private talks with Governor regarding his still unreleased tax overhauls. "[Gov. Jindal] does want to conform the local sales tax base to the state tax base," Patterson said. "This will help local governments to absorb what are going to be some relegation of services by the state to them.

A look at what tax breaks cost Louisiana

The Associated Press — Sun, 22 Jul 2012 17:39:54 +0000

Louisiana gives out about $4.4 billion in tax breaks to businesses and individuals each year. A look at the major categories of taxes collected and tax exemptions in the just-ended 2011-12 budget year, according to estimates from the state revenue department:

Corporate Income Taxes:

Jindal continues state's partial hiring freeze

The Associated Press — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 21:47:47 +0000

In what is becoming an annual ritual, Gov. Bobby Jindal has again issued a partial hiring freeze on executive branch agencies in state government.

The hiring freeze covers the 2012-13 fiscal year that began July 1.

House GOP Leader Criticizes Legislature for Budget

The Associated Press — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 18:07:02 +0000

BATON ROUGE — A leader of conservative state House Republicans calls it "shameful" that the GOP-controlled Legislature passed a $25.6 billion budget that contained piecemeal, one-time funding. Rep. Brett Geymann is one of three dozen lawmakers so-called "fiscal hawks" who pushed for reduced spending.

Louisiana Legislature Ends Regular Session

The Associated Press — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 14:35:26 +0000

BATON ROUGE — Louisiana lawmakers have shut down their regular legislative session, ending three months of bitter disputes over budgets, education and retirement. Gov. Bobby Jindal won a big victory for his overhaul of the state education system despite divisions between the GOP governor and some House Republicans.

Louisiana Lawmakers Wrap Up Work on $25.6B Budget

The Associated Press — Mon, 04 Jun 2012 15:07:31 +0000

BATON ROUGE — The Louisiana House has agreed to a $25.6 billion budget for next year that includes hundreds of millions of dollars in spending above the figure sought by a group of conservative Republicans.

Lawmakers voted 62-40 Sunday for the Senate version of the spending plans for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The vote gave final passage to the measure, sending it to GOP Gov. Bobby Jindal. He supports the larger budget, rather than the deeper cuts sought by the conservative bloc.