Legislature

Republican says filbuster ‘was worth it’

When Republican Rep. Alan Seabaugh of Shreveport filibustered in the final minutes of the legislative session Monday, (June 4) he was not sure whether a last-ditch effort to vote on a revenue-raising bill he deemed disastrous would have succeeded.

Emotions fly as Legislature ends up on a stump

Emotions were raw Monday night as the special session collapsed after the Legislature was unable to raise major revenue to fund the state’s budget priorities.

Raising the age to buy an assault rifle rejected

The Legislature on Tuesday continued a pattern of mixed action on proposals to combat gun violence, as the Senate rejected a bill to raise the legal age of assault weapons while a Senate committee approved a bill to ban bump stocks on semi-automatic weapons.

LaFleur pulls drinking age certificate

Sen. Eric LaFleur on Tuesday withdrew one of the most talked-about bills of the legislative session — his proposal to allow 19- and 20-year-olds to drink legally — amid fears that the state could lose federal highway funds.

House-Senate panel seeks to tap dedicated funds

A joint legislative subcommittee is trying to free up $800 million of the several billion dollars in state spending that is set by law and cannot be adjusted in the annual budget process.

DeVillier: Constitutional convention may unlock budget solution

A constitutional convention is the only way for the state to fix its fiscal problems for the long-term, Rep. Phillip DeVillier said. “We have to redirect how we spend money. We have to unlock all of these funds,” he said at the March 7 Eunice Rotary Club meeting.

Temporary sales tax fails in House vote; Session on life support

The House failed to advance any revenue-raising measures to the Senate Wednesday night, and some lawmakers fear the special session might end Thursday and delay resolution of the state’s budget crisis until June.

Income tax hike draws GOP foes

A proposal supported by the Legislative Black Caucus to adjust individual income tax brackets to raise $443 million in revenue is at the center of the latest dispute that has stalled talks on how to deal with a projected $1 billion budget shortfall.

Governor’s budget eviscerates TOPS

Gov. John Bel Edwards’ proposal to slash the TOPS college scholarship program by 80 percent has raised concerns among both Republican and Democratic legislators and the nearly 49,000 students who rely on it. The governor proposed cutting the popular program in a doomsday budget released on Monday.

Special session chatter persists

Lawmakers, administration officials, lobbyists and other government relations professionals are working under the assumption that the next special session of the Legislature will be called some time after Feb. 14, 2018.