Amended alcohol tax fails in the House
BATON ROUGE - Republican lawmakers in the House who have shown resistance to raising taxes also have been slow to come up with places they'd recommend slashing government to rebalance Louisiana's budget.
Senate leaders, both Republican and Democrat, have repeatedly pointed out the House members causing some of the special session logjam have yet to offer a precise list of cuts. And some of the cuts House leaders suggested they acknowledged were unworkable.
Lawmakers in both the House and Senate have agreed they'll make colleges absorb a $26 million shortfall in the TOPS free college tuition program. They've decided to levy sizable cuts on the corrections and social services agencies. And they've trimmed across state government.
But that hasn't come close to filling all the gaps before the fiscal year ends June 30.
Lawmakers in the House failed to garner the necessary two thirds of the votes to push through an amended alcohol tax on liquor, wine and beer. Officials estimated that alcohol taxes would raise $9 million for this year's budget and $28 million annually.
Amended alcohol tax fails House 64-33 #lalege @WBRZ
— Mark Armstrong (@TV_MarkA) March 4, 2016
ALCOHOL TAX ROLL CALL
The roll was called with the following result:
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YEAS Total -- 65
Abraham, Abramson, Adams, Anders, Armes, Bagley, Bagneris, Billiot, Bouie, Brown C., Brown T., Carpenter, Carter G., Carter R., Carter S., Chaney, Cox, Cromer, Danahay, Davis, DeVillier, Franklin, Gaines, Garofalo, Gisclair, Glover, Guinn, Hall, Harris J., Havard, Hilferty, Hill, Hoffmann, Hollis, Horton, Hunter, Jackson, James, Jefferson, Jenkins, Jones, Landry T., LeBas, Leger, Lyons, Magee, Marcelle, McFarland, Miller D., Miller G., Montoucet, Moreno, Morris Jim, Norton, Pearson, Pierre, Pope, Price, Pylant, Reynolds, Shadoin, Smith, Stokes, White, Zeringue
NAYS Total -- 33
Mr. Speaker, Amedee, Bacala, Berthelot, Bishop, Broadwater, Carmody, Connick, Coussan, Dwight, Edmonds, Emerson, Falconer, Foil, Harris L., Hazel, Henry, Hensgens, Hodges, Howard, Huval, Ivey, Johnson M., Johnson R., Leopold, Lopinto, Mack, Miguez, Pugh, Richard, Schroder, Talbot, Willmott
ABSENT Total -- 7
Edwards, Landry N., Morris Jay, Schexnayder, Seabaugh, Simon, Thibaut
.@dfcummins @WBRZ I'm hearing 8 Republicans got mad at JBE for being critical of them at today's press conference & switched their votes
— Mark Armstrong (@TV_MarkA) March 4, 2016