Gov. Edwards – Legislators Are Running Out Of Time

Sometimes you just have to state the obvious. Governor John Bel Edwards is doing just that as the Louisiana Legislature's special session is just days away from ending. The Governor implored legislators to take action on several revenue generating bills before the consequences of our state's budget crisis get even further out of control.

By the way "revenue generating" is Edwards speak for raising taxes. That's the whole rub as Shakespeare would say. Governor Edwards believes that the state needs more money coming in. There are many in the legislature that believe the state needs less money going out, in other words cut back on spending.

Those people who think that we can solve this problem some other time, they are gravely mistaken, and the implications of that are serious and somewhat catastrophic.

That's what Governor Edwards told the media according to a story reported by the Louisiana Radio Network. Among the options that Edwards believes the state has to move forward on is adding an additional tax on alcohol sales. If this passed it would be the first increase in alcohol taxes since 1948. They must have a really strong lobby group huh?

Lobbying efforts or not, Governor Edwards is again rattling his sabers in the direction of legislators. Granted the House and Senate have moved the meter quite a bit during the past few days in closing the  budget gap. Edwards says that close isn't going to cut it.

So if the legislators think they’ve done their job because they’ve gotten somewhere close to the $940 million hole this year, they are sadly mistaken, and we are considerably short of even that number.

While some may call the Governor's comments of higher education closing its doors, LSU football being cancelled, hospitals closing, and other state services being suspended, nothing but fear mongering. The fact is the money isn't there yet. So Mr. Edwards has a point. Only time will tell if he or the legislature provide the ultimate solution. Meanwhile you and I are being held hostage to their bickering and indecision.