WBRZ - Baton Rouge

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• People pay delinquent city bills after News 2 investigation

  May 24, 2013 10:20 PM

  SORRENTO- Leaders said a number of people showed-up at city hall to pay delinquent water, sewer, trash, and other city costs after a WBRZ News 2 investigation Thursday night. The story found people were not paying and services were not being disconnected, costing the city thousands of dollars. ... more »

• Senators hear from public on next year's budget

  May 24, 2013 2:06 PM

  BATON ROUGE - People who rely on the state for health care and educational programs traveled to the Louisiana Capitol to ask senators to pay for those services in next year's budget. For hours Friday, the Senate Finance Committee heard requests for cuts to be reversed, for programs to be... more »

• Thousands owed to City of Sorrento Play Video

  May 23, 2013 9:30 PM

  SORRENTO - Several dozen people owe thousands of dollars to the City of Sorrento for city services like water, trash, sewer and even for the demolition of condemned properties. Some of the bills add up to more than $1,000. "We are operating a lot in the red," said Councilman... more »

• Jindal adviser: LSU privatization deals on track

  May 23, 2013 4:00 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Gov. Bobby Jindal's top budget architect says the state will have enough money to cover the costs of privatizing all but one of the 10 LSU-run hospitals. Commissioner of Administration Kristy Nichols says all deals will be completed next month. Nichols was addressing questions raised by the... more »

• Senate budget committee stalls Medicaid program

  May 20, 2013 2:11 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A proposal for Louisiana to tap into federal health overhaul money available for expanding Medicaid has been stalled by senators. The Senate Finance Committee rejected the bill Monday, with all but one Republican voting against expansion. The measure would seek federal approval to use the expansion money to... more »

• Report: VA hospital in N.O. is $370M over budget

  May 19, 2013 4:08 PM

  NEW ORLEANS - A government report says construction of a new Veterans Affairs hospital in New Orleans is $370 million over budget and 14 months behind schedule. The Advocate reports that the hospital was initially expected to cost $625 million and be completed by December 2014. But a new report... more »

• Questions raised about House budget proposal

  May 16, 2013 3:07 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Senators are expressing skepticism about some assumptions House lawmakers used to balance next year's budget. The Senate Finance Committee have started to comb through the House's $25 billion bipartisan budget, trying to decide what senators might want to change. Sen. Greg Tarver, of Shreveport, questioned how the House... more »

• Obama: Congress must 'fully fund' embassy security

  May 16, 2013 12:28 PM

  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama is calling on Congress to "fully fund" his administration's budget request for embassy security. The request comes as Obama seeks to get ahead of the controversy over his administration's response to the attack last September in Benghazi, Libya, that killed four Americans. Obama said he... more »

• State's budget forecast $155M brighter

  May 15, 2013 10:20 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's income forecast has gotten brighter, giving lawmakers more money to spend in the budget. The Revenue Estimating Conference adjusted next year's forecast by $155 million - $65 million more than what was assumed in the House-passed version of the 2013-14 budget. Economists say the state's individual... more »

• $25B budget debate shifts to Louisiana Senate

  May 13, 2013 6:02 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Action on crafting next year's nearly $25 billion budget has shifted to the Senate. Last week, the House sent senators a compromise proposal to fund state government in the fiscal year that begins July 1. Senators say they are combing through the details. But the leader of... more »

• House backs $25 billion budget compromise

  May 10, 2013 4:11 PM

  BATON ROUGE - After days of closed-door negotiations, the Louisiana House has backed a nearly $25 billion budget that deeply diverges from spending plans recommended by Gov. Bobby Jindal. Lawmakers objected to Jindal's proposal to use $500 million in uncertain financing from property sales, legal settlements, fund sweeps and other... more »

• House to take up budget compromise Friday

  May 10, 2013 8:54 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Building blocks for a $24.7 billion budget compromise have easily cleared the House, paving the way for debate on the spending plans for next year. Lawmakers overwhelmingly Friday supported proposals to trim tax breaks for big box retailers, the film industry and the oil and gas industry.... more »

• Reworked budget plan taking shape in La. House

  May 9, 2013 3:35 PM

  BATON ROUGE - House Speaker Chuck Kleckley says he's confident the House has the two-thirds support needed to pass a bipartisan compromise budget plan Friday. The proposal - which has been tweaked several times - comes after lawmakers in the House refused to support budget sought by Gov. Bobby Jindal.... more »

• Reworked budget compromise taking shape in House

  May 9, 2013 10:38 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana House is considering substantial tweaks to an alternative proposal to Gov. Bobby Jindal's budget for next year. A bipartisan group of lawmakers is working to strip out $500 million in uncertain funding proposed by Jindal. In its place, lawmakers are proposing changes to tax break... more »

• Budget debate delayed as Republicans negotiate

  May 8, 2013 5:34 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The Louisiana House has delayed its budget debate, as Republicans continue to haggle over an alternative to Gov. Bobby Jindal's spending proposal. The compromise plan drafted by a block of conservative House Republicans and Democrats includes $329 million in cuts to tax break programs that largely benefit... more »

• Delgado, Nunez community colleges to lay off staff

  May 8, 2013 4:43 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Delgado Community College in New Orleans plans to lay off more than a hundred employees, including dozens of faculty members, while Nunez Community College in Chalmette also is letting go staff. Both moves were approved Wednesday by the schools' governing board and come as the campuses seek... more »

• Future of school funding in question

  May 8, 2013 10:39 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Lawmakers working on next year's budget now have new questions to answer when it comes to school funding. The Louisiana Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that the state can't use its normal school funding formula for its voucher program. Critics of the program said doing so took... more »

• Republicans clash over House budget compromise

  May 7, 2013 10:22 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Gov. Bobby Jindal is making a strong bid to kill a bipartisan budget compromise that contains $329 million in cuts to tax break programs that largely benefit businesses. Jindal assembled a group of industry lobbyists Tuesday to criticize the budget proposal, which was devised by conservative House... more »

• Budget compromise taking shape, without Jindal

  May 6, 2013 12:41 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Gov. Bobby Jindal blasted bipartisan House budget negotiations today as a secretive, back-door attempt to raise taxes on Louisiana businesses and residents. The governor's criticism Monday came as lawmakers in the House moved ahead with the building blocks of a budget compromise that Jindal opposes because it... more »

• House speaker changes course on budget negotiation

  May 2, 2013 12:33 PM

  BATON ROUGE - House Speaker Chuck Kleckley has reversed course and thrown his support behind bipartisan budget negotiations in the House between Democratic leaders and a group of conservative Republicans. Kleckley, a Republican, previously was supporting a plan that involved maneuvering the budget through the House and working with the... more »

• Judge dismisses Republicans' budget lawsuit

  May 1, 2013 2:21 PM

  BATON ROUGE- A Baton Rouge judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by two Jefferson Parish lawmakers asking to block the use of patchwork financing in next year's budget as proposed by Gov. Bobby Jindal. Republican Reps. Kirk Talbot and Cameron Henry claim it is unconstitutional to use one-time money to... more »

• Budget maneuvering continues in House

  April 30, 2013 4:00 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Lawmakers in the House have refused to accept a procedural move by their leaders that would have given most of the decision-making on next year's budget to the Senate. House Speaker Chuck Kleckley and Appropriations Chairman Jim Fannin sought to remove $490 million in patchwork funding from... more »

• House committee strips $500M from budget

  April 29, 2013 1:30 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The House budget-writing committee stripped nearly $500 million in patchwork financing proposed by Gov. Bobby Jindal from next year's $24 billion budget. The move would mean steep cuts on health care and colleges. But the proposed cuts approved Monday by the Appropriations Committee aren't necessarily expected to... more »

• Jindal proposes restoring funding for some programs

  April 26, 2013 3:16 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Governor Bobby Jindal's administration proposed restoring funding for several programs when the Appropriations Committee takes up next year's budget on Monday. The proposal includes $700,000 for breast and cervical cancer screenings at LSU hospitals, $1 million toward the Department of Children and Family Service's Family Violence Prevention... more »

• Regents oppose community college funding bill

  April 26, 2013 9:55 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The state's top higher education board doesn't support the community college system's efforts to get construction funding outside of the traditional budget process. The Board of Regents on Thursday told the head of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System that the proposed legislation he is... more »

• Ascension voters to decide 3 school taxes May 4

  April 18, 2013 8:39 AM

  GONZALES - Voters in Ascension Parish will choose to renew or end three school taxes that account for $31.3 million of the school district's annual budget at the May 4 election. The three property tax renewals are dedicated toward teacher salaries, technology and facility maintenance. Early voting begins Saturday... more »

• Teachers among those being laid off at area school system

  April 16, 2013 10:19 PM

  ST. FRANCISVILLE- A number of West Feliciana Parish School System employees were told Tuesday, they were being laid off. Eighteen workers, mostly teachers, were told their terminations were due to a lack of money and a drop in enrollment. In March, Superintendent Hollis Milton sent a reduction in... more »

• Legislative fiscal analysts question Jindal budget Play Video

  April 15, 2013 6:53 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Senators opened their budget hearings with questions raised about financing plans proposed by Gov. Bobby Jindal to balance next year's budget. Members of the Senate Finance Committee heard Monday from analysts with the Legislative Fiscal Office about the 2013-14 budget proposal. Fiscal office analysts say the governor's... more »

• La. domestic violence services threatened Play Video

  April 12, 2013 10:08 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Domestic violence service providers across Louisiana are worried about their future. They are afraid Governor Bobby Jindal's proposed budget will pass among lawmakers and pass along a funding 38% cut. The Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence has been collecting data about domestic violence related services... more »

• Obama: Budget shrinks deficits and expands economy

  April 10, 2013 10:18 AM

  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama is sending Congress a $3.8 trillion spending blueprint that strives to achieve a "grand bargain" to tame runaway deficits. It would raise taxes on the wealthy and trim popular benefit programs including as Social Security and Medicare. The president's budget projects deficit reductions of $1.8... more »

• Official: Obama proposes cuts to Social Security

  April 5, 2013 9:07 AM

  WASHINGTON - President Obama is proposing cuts to Social Security as an attempt to compromise with Republicans on the budget. A senior administration official says the budget Obama will offer to Congress next Wednesday would reduce the deficit by $1.8 trillion over 10 years. It includes a revised inflation... more »

• Following Obama, Kerry to donate part of salary

  April 4, 2013 1:12 PM

  WASHINGTON - The richest member of President Barack Obama's Cabinet is giving back some salary too, in the spirit of government-wide spending cuts. A day after Obama and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said they'd return 5 percent of their paycheck to the Treasury, Secretary of State John Kerry followed in... more »

• Higher Ed Commissioner says budget has problems

  April 4, 2013 12:09 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's higher education commissioner says the governor's budget would leave colleges uncertain of their funding levels next year and create cash flow problems at schools. Commissioner Jim Purcell told the House Appropriations Committee that he's troubled by Gov. Bobby Jindal's budget recommendation. Jindal's spending plan would plug... more »

• House speaker talks of capping TOPS program

  April 3, 2013 5:06 PM

  BATON ROUGE - House Speaker Chuck Kleckley says lawmakers need to find a way to control the costs of the state's free college tuition program known as TOPS. Kleckley says colleges need to be able to raise their tuition rates, but he says the state can't afford to continue increasing... more »

• No new plan for dealing with Citizens' budget gap

  April 3, 2013 3:01 PM

  BATON ROUGE - The governing board for Louisiana's property insurer of last resort isn't revisiting a $100 million borrowing plan that has stalled at the state capitol. The board for the Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp. didn't choose an alternate approach to balance the company's books. Instead, Steve Cottrell, chief... more »

• Lawmakers seek injunction against Jindal budget

  April 1, 2013 4:45 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Two Jefferson Parish lawmakers have tweaked their legal challenge to Gov. Bobby Jindal's patchwork financing of the budget. Now, they're asking a Baton Rouge judge to block the use of such financing in next year's spending plans. Republican Reps. Kirk Talbot and Cameron Henry filed their amended... more »

• Obama to release his budget outline April 10

  March 28, 2013 12:34 PM

  WASHINGTON - The White House says President Barack Obama will release his federal budget outline on April 10 - two months late. Under the law, the president was supposed to submit a budget on Feb. 4. But White House aides said deliberations over spending in the past few months delayed... more »

• Interior Dept. cuts mineral payments to 35 states

  March 27, 2013 4:48 PM

  CHEYENNE, Wyo. - The U.S. Department of Interior is cutting federal mineral payments to Louisiana and 34 other states by a total of roughly $110 million this fiscal year. It's part of the automatic federal spending cuts that started this month. Louisiana stands to lose more than $347,000. Wyoming Gov.... more »

• Obama signs bill to avoid government shutdown

  March 26, 2013 3:16 PM

  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama has signed a stopgap spending bill to keep the government running through the end of September. The measure leaves in place $85 billion in automatic budget cuts known as the sequester. But it takes steps to ease the impact of the cuts to food inspection... more »

• Phase-In Recommended for Tax Plan

  March 25, 2013 11:23 AM

  BATON ROUGE - A government watchdog group says Gov. Bobby Jindal's tax plan should include a "margin of error" factor so the state doesn't end up facing new budget shortfalls. The Council for A Better Louisiana also suggests that if lawmakers agree to the tax system revamp, it should be... more »

• LSU warns of potential budget shortfall

  March 21, 2013 4:07 PM

  BATON ROUGE - LSU Interim Chancellor Dr. William Jenkins sent out an email warning faculty and staff about the upcoming budget situation facing the state's flagship university. In the email Jenkins said preliminary information showed the university would receive $23 million less from state appropriations, and that revenue from... more »

• PAR: Jindal plan $650M short of 'revenue neutral'

  March 21, 2013 12:21 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A nonpartisan watchdog group says Gov. Bobby Jindal's tax code rewrite could cost the state as much as $650 million in lost revenue as currently proposed. The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana says Jindal's plan appears to fall short of the claim that it is "revenue... more »

• Congress spares military's tuition aid program

  March 21, 2013 10:28 AM

  WASHINGTON - Congress has spared the military's tuition assistance program from the budget knife. The House cleared a bill on Thursday to keep the government running. It includes a provision reversing the decision by the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps to suspend the program. Faced with some $43 billion... more »

• LSP trooper shortage part of budget talks Play Video

  March 20, 2013 6:03 PM

  BATON ROUGE- State Police Superintendent Mike Edmonson says there is a need for a new cadet academy to fill the ranks. Edmonson told a budget review committee that is hard to plan while the state's money problems continue. Edmonson told the Louisiana House Appropriations Committee that there were... more »

• Senators press parochial hopes in spending debate

  March 18, 2013 6:11 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Senate has given a big boost to a bipartisan full-year funding bill despite opposition from Republicans who were denied chances to offer changes aimed at boosting military readiness and easing closures of air traffic control towers. The legislation advanced on a 63-35 procedural vote that sets up... more »

• Committee approves state property sale

  March 18, 2013 1:43 PM

  BATON ROUGE - A joint legislative committee today approved the sale of a state property as proposed in Governor Jindal's executive budget. Wooddale Towers has been vacant since April 2011. State budget officials say some of the last tenants were state offices that have since been consolidated. A... more »

• Senate Democrats prepare government funding bill

  March 11, 2013 4:15 PM

  WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats are preparing a catchall government funding bill that denies President Barack Obama money for implementing signature first-term accomplishments like new regulations on Wall Street and his expansion of government health care subsidies but provides modest additional funding for domestic priorities like health research. The measure is... more »

• CATS CEO to unveil transit revamp

  March 6, 2013 10:24 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The CEO for the Capital Area Transit System is set to reveal his plans to overhaul Baton Rouge's public transit system today. Brian Marshall will present the plans at the CATS board committee meeting Wednesday morning. It will include how he plans to spend the 10.6... more »

• Treasurer slams Jindal's budget as unbalanced

  March 4, 2013 2:53 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Treasurer John Kennedy says Gov. Bobby Jindal's budget proposal for next year is unrealistic and unbalanced. Kennedy says that the state will face another round of midyear budget slashing if lawmakers approve the governor's spending plans for the 2013-14 fiscal year. The Republican treasurer says Jindal's budget includes... more »

• Budget questions remain for current year

  March 1, 2013 2:46 PM

  BATON ROUGE- While lawmakers grapple with ways to balance next year's budget, they may be confronted with a more immediate shortfall before this year ends. Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration had anticipated more than $278 million plugged into previous spending plans backed by the Legislature from expected property sales, insurance... more »

• Obama: may take weeks, months to fix budget mess

  March 1, 2013 11:07 AM

  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama says it may take a couple of weeks or a couple of months to reach a deal to end Washington's battle over spending cuts. The president spoke after meeting with congressional leaders at the White House on $85 billion in automatic spending cuts that go... more »

• Obama: We will get through cuts

  March 1, 2013 10:52 AM

  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama says Americans will get through the automatic spending cuts kicking in Friday. Obama says the nation shouldn't be making "dumb and arbitrary" cuts. He says Republicans have allowed the cuts to happen. Obama stays he still believes the cuts can be replaced, but he wants... more »

• Sale of state buildings are a part of Jindal's proposed budget Play Video

  February 27, 2013 6:25 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Governor Bobby Jindal plans on selling $47 million dollars in state property to help balance next year's budget. The properties on the market include Wooddale Towers, the state office building at the corner of Convention Street and 3rd Street, and the parking lot where the old state... more »

• Jindal proposes $47M in property sales in budget

  February 26, 2013 2:10 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Governor Bobby Jindal's budget is relying on selling six tracts of state property around south Louisiana to remain in balance. However, none of the land sales are done deals. Jindal's budget for next year assumes the state will receive $47 million from the property sales. Its... more »

• Jindal budget calls for $424M in one-time cash

  February 22, 2013 10:57 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Lawmakers questioned Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration today about decisions in their proposed budget for next year. Jindal's $24.7 billion budget calls for the use of $424 million in one-time cash and college tuition increases to prevent deeper cuts to higher education. Commissioner of Administration Kristy... more »

• Gov. Jindal to reveal budget plan today

  February 22, 2013 7:31 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Gov. Bobby Jindal says his proposed $24.7 billion budget for next year relies heavily on privatization plans for LSU's charity hospitals to offset the loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal Medicaid funding. Congress cut Louisiana's Medicaid payment rate last year. That's a significant factor... more »

• Specifics on gov's budget to be released Friday

  February 21, 2013 9:47 PM

  BATON ROUGE- The governor's plans for the state budget will be unveiled Friday. Bobby Jindal said Thursday it would include cuts for about 10,000 state positions, many in the health care sector. But, most jobs would be absorbed through private-public partnerships in health care. Of the remaining positions,... more »

• No new details on income tax elimination from Jindal

  February 21, 2013 5:15 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Gov. Bobby Jindal gave no new details today on his plans to eliminate the state's income tax when he preview his proposed budget plans for next year. Jindal said he is still meeting with legislators to discuss revenue-neutral solutions to eliminating the state income tax, and... more »

• White House seeks 'balanced way' to budget fix

  February 17, 2013 10:15 AM

  WASHINGTON - The new White House chief of staff says President Barack Obama is concerned about the effect the automatic budget cuts scheduled for next month will have on America's middle class. Denis McDonough tells ABC's "This Week" that the economy has been getting stronger over the past few months.... more »

• Lawmakers propose restructuring La. budget process

  January 29, 2013 8:40 AM

  BATON ROUGE- Conservative House lawmakers who have been at odds with Gov. Bobby Jindal over budgeting tactics are proposing to rewrite the laws governing state spending. The bills were unveiled Tuesday by the Budget Reform Coalition, a mainly Republican group. The measures would limit what dollars lawmakers and the governor... more »

• State budget cuts block anti-truancy effort

  January 24, 2013 10:56 AM

  BATON ROUGE- State budget cuts and a directive from Gov. Bobby Jindal's office effectively ended LSU's involvement with statewide truancy programs for at-risk youths. The LSU Office of Social Service Research Development said Wednesday that it will end its 16-year partnership with the Truancy Assessment and Service Center on July... more »

• House passes bill to defuse debt crisis

  January 23, 2013 12:29 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The House has passed a bill to permit the government to borrow enough money to avoid a first avoid default for at least four months, defusing a crisis looming next month and setting the stage for a springtime debate over taxes, spending and the deficit. The House... more »

• House GOP seeks to defuse debt crisis

  January 23, 2013 6:56 AM

  WASHINGTON - House Republicans are moving to try to defuse a potential debt crisis with legislation to prevent an economy-rattling fiscal crisis for at least three months. The GOP legislation marks a tactical retreat by House GOP leaders, eager to avoid a potential first-ever default on U.S. payment and debt... more »

• Conservative House group seeks changes to budget Play Video

  January 22, 2013 2:45 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Conservative lawmakers in the state House are devising a package of proposals that aim to expand the state budget areas that can be cut during shortfalls and to limit the use of patchwork funding for ongoing programs. Rep. Brett Geymann, a Republican leading the "Budget Reform Coalition,"... more »

• Obama stands his ground on fiscal debates

  January 22, 2013 6:56 AM

  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama devoted one word - "deficit" - to the issue that brought Washington to the brink of fiscal crises time and again during his first term. But it was the paragraph that followed in his inaugural address that foreshadowed what's to come - more hard bargaining... more »

• GOP wants budget; Schumer warns they will get one

  January 21, 2013 6:40 AM

  WASHINGTON - Democrats are looking to make new revenue part of the Senate's first budget in almost four years. That budget will be released soon after the start of President Barack Obama's second term. Obama has pushed for a "balanced approach" to solving the nation's financial woes, including more tax... more »

• State budget deficit growing into billions Play Video

  January 18, 2013 6:17 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Lawmakers met at the capitol this morning, where they discussed the state budget and its growth. Members of the joint budget committee are optimistic because the state took in more money than expected last month. The state is short $1.2 billion though, and many lawmakers are... more »

• Lawsuit challenges Jindal budgeting tactics

  January 15, 2013 1:04 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Two Jefferson Parish lawmakers have lodged a legal challenge against the state's budget, asking a judge to declare its financing a violation of Louisiana's Constitution. Reps. Kirk Talbot and Cameron Henry, both Republicans, filed the lawsuit Tuesday in state district court in Baton Rouge. The lawsuit is... more »

• Governors warn Congress over debt limit

  January 9, 2013 10:41 AM

  WASHINGTON - Governors are warning Congress that lingering uncertainty over raising the nation's debt limit could hinder their state budgets and job growth. Delaware Gov. Jack Markell and Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin are outlining state agendas in 2013 as part of the National Governors Association. Markell says the postponing of... more »

• Moody's pressures Congress to deal with deficit

  January 2, 2013 3:42 PM

  WASHINGTON- Moody's Investors Service says Congress must go beyond its deal this week and come up with a plan to shrink the budget deficit if it wants to keep the U.S. government's top credit rating. The credit rating agency says in a statement that it expects lawmakers in the coming... more »

• Still no movement on fiscal cliff

  December 27, 2012 8:02 AM

  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama will be back in Washington this morning, after a brief holiday vacation in Hawaii. The president and lawmakers are running out of time to work out an agreement to stave off the across-the-board tax increases and budget cuts that are set to take effect next... more »

• St. Helena budget has surplus

  December 19, 2012 10:26 AM

  GREENSBURG - The St. Helena Parish Police Jury has adopted a budget for 2013 that would keep expenditures below projected revenue and add money back to the parish's fund balance for only the second time in four years. The Advocate reports general and special fund revenue for 2013 are projected... more »

• Jindal administration makes cuts across agencies Play Video

  December 14, 2012 12:46 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Gov. Bobby Jindal is using a mix of cuts, one-time patches and hiring freeze savings to close a nearly $166 million budget gap. Cuts are planned to doctors and hospitals that care for Medicaid patients. Programs that provide hospice care for the poor and disabled and dental... more »

• Citizens weighing options to close budget gap

  December 11, 2012 4:37 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Louisiana's state-run property insurer of last resort is considering ways to close its multimillion-dollar budget gap. Both options would lead to increased costs to homeowners covered by traditional insurance companies. Steve Cottrell, chief financial officer for the Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corp., outlined the issue Tuesday. Citizens... more »

• Governor Jindal at center of email debate

  December 10, 2012 5:34 PM

  BATON ROUGE- Top officials in the Jindal administration used personal emails to talk about budget cuts, according to a recent Associated Press report. It is the same type issue being debated around the country. Personal emails can make it more difficult to track information under public records laws. ... more »

• Fiscal cliff stalemate spurs anxiety in states

  December 10, 2012 12:35 PM

  JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - A potential plunge over the federal "fiscal cliff" is causing anxiety for many state officials - not only because of prospective federal funding cuts, but because of the confusion surrounding the ongoing stalemate in Washington. The longer the White House and Congress remain at odds, the... more »

• Livingston council approves budget

  December 7, 2012 2:57 PM

  LIVINGSTON- The Livingston Parish Council has approved a budget of more than $41 million for the coming year. The passage of the budget came Thursday night after the council approved a number of amendments to the administration's proposal at the beginning of the meeting. The general fund portion of the... more »

• AG wont give opion on State budget constitutionality

  December 5, 2012 10:33 PM

  Baton Rouge - A group of Louisiana State Representatives say the state is living beyond it's means and they believe it could even be illegal. State Rep. Hunter Greene and other House members think the 25-billion dollar state budget is too much and not affordable. They give three reasons.... more »

• Obama, Boehner speak by phone on fiscal cliff

  December 5, 2012 4:37 PM

  WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner discussed the fiscal cliff Wednesday in a telephone call. It followed several days of political sparring over steps to prevent a year-end series of tax increases and spending cuts. The call raises the possibility that negotiations will soon resume between... more »

• White House asks agencies to plan for fiscal cliff

  December 5, 2012 4:06 PM

  WASHINGTON - The White House budget office has asked federal agencies to calculate more than $100 billion in spending cuts that would go into effect in January if Congress and the Obama administration fail to reach agreement to avert the looming fiscal cliff. White House press secretary Jay Carney said... more »

• AG refuses to enter debate over budget tactics

  December 5, 2012 10:22 AM

  BATON ROUGE - Attorney General Buddy Caldwell's office isn't lodging an opinion about whether Gov. Bobby Jindal's budgeting tactics are in line with the state constitution. A letter was sent this week to Republican Rep. Kirk Talbot declining to rule on his question of whether the state budget uses unconstitutional... more »

• East Feliciana Police Jury adopts budget

  December 4, 2012 10:33 AM

  CLINTON - The East Feliciana Parish Police Jury has adopted a $7.6 million budget for 2013. The jury's financial adviser said Monday the budget conservatively estimates revenues and anticipates spending to remain nearly the same as this year. Accountant Phil Graham, who prepared the budget proposal, tells The Advocate the... more »

• White House rejects GOP fiscal cliff counteroffer

  December 3, 2012 4:47 PM

  WASHINGTON - The White House is rejecting a Republican counteroffer aimed at averting the "fiscal cliff," saying it does not meet what the White House calls "the test of balance." White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer says the GOP proposal would lower tax rates for the wealthy and stick the... more »

• GOP proposes new 'fiscal cliff' offer to Obama

  December 3, 2012 2:16 PM

  WASHINGTON - House Republicans negotiating with President Barack Obama on avoiding the so-called fiscal cliff are proposing to increase the eligibility age for Medicare and to lower cost-of-living hikes in Social Security benefits. The proposal is a response to Obama's offer last week to hike taxes by $1.6 trillion over... more »

• Obama, Boehner seem far apart on fiscal cliff

  November 30, 2012 3:51 PM

  HATFIELD, Pa. - President Barack Obama and House Speaker John Boehner don't sound close to a deal to avoid that "fiscal cliff" of tax hikes and spending cuts due to hit in January. Boehner says negotiations are going "almost nowhere" right now. He says Obama's proposal to avoid the fiscal... more »

• Obama to paint Republicans as obstacles to a deal

  November 30, 2012 7:47 AM

  WASHINGTON - During his visit to the Philadelphia area today, President Barack Obama is planning on insisting on higher taxes for the top two percent of earners. That's according to White House officials, who say Obama will cast Republicans as an obstacle to a deal that would avoid the "fiscal... more »

• Report: Extending jobless benefits creates jobs

  November 29, 2012 3:46 PM

  WASHINGTON - The Congressional Budget Office says extending the current level of long-term unemployment benefits for another year would add 300,000 jobs to the economy. A report from the nonpartisan office estimates that preserving jobless benefits would cost the government $30 billion. But it would also lead to more spending... more »

• Appraisal for NOAH $14M below budget expectation

  November 29, 2012 2:16 PM

  BATON ROUGE - Appraisals on a state-owned hospital in New Orleans are far short of the amount Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration had hoped to collect for the budget by leasing the site to Children's Hospital. The Jindal administration released the appraisals this week. The property valuations show New Orleans Adolescent... more »

• Republicans accused Democrats of moving closer to the 'cliff'

  November 29, 2012 1:28 PM

  WASHINGTON - Republican congressional leaders are accusing Democrats of moving the nation closer to the "fiscal cliff," by refusing to outline possible spending cuts. After a meeting with Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner today, House Speaker John Boehner said there'd been "no substantive progress" -- and no "specific plan for cutting... more »

• Iberville Parish unveils $41.6 million budget

  November 19, 2012 10:19 AM

  PLAQUEMINE - Despite declining tax revenues, Iberville Parish's $41.6 million budget for 2013 reflects a 1.5 percent increase in spending compared to 2012. The Advocate reports nearly 30 percent of the $611,882 projected spending increase is attributed to more than $11 million in capital outlay projects reflected in the proposed... more »

• Next year's budget gap pegged at $963 million

  November 16, 2012 10:56 AM

  BATON ROUGE - The first snapshot of next year's state budget shortfall has been unveiled to lawmakers, and it's grim. Gov. Bobby Jindal's budget advisers said Friday the state is short $963 million to continue running all existing programs and account for inflationary growth in the budget year that begins... more »

• Buffett says fiscal cliff won't trigger recession

  November 14, 2012 3:28 PM

  OMAHA, Neb. - Investor Warren Buffett says there won't be a recession if Congress can't resolve the so-called fiscal cliff before the automatic tax increases and spending cuts take effect in January. Buffett told CNN on Wednesday that the U.S. economy is very resilient, and it won't collapse if lawmakers... more »

• Liberal group outlines substantial Medicare cuts

  November 14, 2012 12:11 PM

  WASHINGTON - A think-tank with ties to the White House is looking to prevent a raid on health care programs during upcoming budget talks. It's released a plan today for some significant savings -- mostly from Medicare. The blueprint from the Center for American Progress spares Medicaid and the new... more »

• Senate GOP leader: Obama should offer deficit plan

  November 13, 2012 3:28 PM

  WASHINGTON - Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell says it's up to President Barack Obama to present a deficit reduction plan rather than a campaign slogan to Congress. The Kentucky Republican said that like House Speaker John Boehner, he is ready to support new revenue as part of a deal that... more »

• US government runs $120 billion October deficit

  November 13, 2012 1:30 PM

  WASHINGTON - The federal government started the 2013 budget year with a $120 billion deficit, an indication that the nation is on a path to another $1 trillion-plus deficit. The Treasury Department says the October deficit was 22 percent higher than the same month last year. Officials said last year's... more »