Tagged: state budget

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:

• Potential collections: $1.7 billion.
• Actual collections: $198 million.
• Estimated exemptions: $1.5 billion.

Percentage of tax loss: 88 percent.

Sales Taxes:

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.

For most agencies, Commissioner of Administration Paul Rainwater will set a number of vacant positions that the offices can't fill. If they want to add new workers who will shrink the number of vacancies below that benchmark, the agencies will need Rainwater's permission.

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.