Today in a super-sized edition of The Rundown: Everything you need to know to get you caught up for the Louisiana Legislature's 2017 session that begins next week.
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Countdown…
- Days until the 2017 regular Louisiana legislative session starts: 3
- Days until the regular session ends: 62
It's about that time...
The Louisiana Legislature begins its 2017 regular session at noon on Monday. Shortly after each chamber gavels in, the House and Senate will meet together in the House chamber to hear Gov. John Bel Edwards' State of the State speech.
Edwards has spent the past two weeks unveiling a wide-ranging legislative agenda. Among key issues he's asked lawmakers to focus on over the next 60 days: budget stability and taxes; criminal justice reform; education and the minimum wage.
Expect him to touch on various aspects of those issues during his State of the State and make his pitch for why he has made them priorities. Here's some of our coverage to get you caught up:
Taxes
- Here's an overview of the tax plan that Gov. John Bel Edwards has proposed: http://bit.ly/2obHeKE. And here are five key takeaways from it: http://bit.ly/2on3XjC.
- Gov. Edwards and House Republicans have been locked in conflict basically since he took office. With just days to go until session starts, the governor says he still hasn't seen a full GOP alternative plan for balancing the budget. http://bit.ly/2oFT283
- Changes to the state's highest-in-the-nation sales tax are likely on the horizon. http://bit.ly/2oG9q8L.
- Some lawmakers have set their sights on tax exemptions as a possible way to free up revenue. http://bit.ly/2oG6Boi
- Edwards wants the Legislature to rework the state's film tax credit program to build stability but also revive the sagging movie industry here. http://bit.ly/2oFSfnB
Transportation tax
- Two ideas for increasing the state's gasoline tax have been forming at the Capitol as a way to bolster funding for transportation improvement projects. http://bit.ly/2oDDGRx
- A coalition of influential groups has come together to support a tax hike to fund infrastructure upgrades. http://bit.ly/2oGf7Ds
- But an influential legislator says everyone should pump the brakes when it comes to raising the gas tax. http://bit.ly/2p6Pacw
Criminal Justice
- Gov. Edwards said he wants bi-partisan backing for efforts to pare back the state's highest-in-the-nation incarceration rate. http://bit.ly/2omOG2y
- Here's what the prison reform task force suggests: http://bit.ly/2o83bsA
- Some legislators are calling for Louisiana to do away with the death penalty this session. http://bit.ly/2nyPXl6
Odds & Ends
- Opioids: Gov. Edwards included legislation meant to curb the abuse of opioids on his agenda for the legislative session. http://bit.ly/2oWriZ4
- TOPS: Lawmakers are again pushing plans that would set the bar higher to receive scholarships from the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students. http://bit.ly/2oGdsxS
- Budget: If you missed any news out of the budget presentations over the past two weeks, here are the PDFs to to help get you up to speed: http://bit.ly/2p6Zgdl
Louisiana Survey 2017
LSU's Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs has been releasing key takeaways from the 2017 Louisiana Survey, covering how Louisiana residents feel about criminal justice reform, taxes, the economy and other key issues that will play a role in the upcoming session. Here are the findings:
- Equal pay: http://bit.ly/2oIy342
- Criminal justice reform: http://bit.ly/2oG6F7r
- State outlook: http://bit.ly/2od7WSR
- Taxes: http://bit.ly/2nYKDMp
A look ahead at the first week of session...
Tuesday
- The 53rd Annual Louisiana Governor's Prayer Breakfast will be held at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Raising Cane's River Center. It will be streamed online at lagpb.org.
- House Ways & Means begins hearing tax legislation on Tuesday at 9 a.m. Here's the tentative agenda for the tax committee's week through Thursday.
- House Appropriations subcommittees will continue budget hearings Tuesday, beginning at 9 a.m. with the Lieutenant Governor, Department of Culture and Tourism and the Department of Revenue. After that, K-12 education will be up. Watch Appropriations hearings live at: bit.ly/LAHouseApprops
Wednesday
- The House Appropriations subcommittee hearing for higher education is slated to begin at 8 a.m. Wednesday. Watch: bit.ly/LAHouseApprops
- House Select Committee on Homeland Security will meet to discuss the recovery from last year's floods, as well as Capitol Security measures, at 2 p.m. Wednesday. Watch: bit.ly/LAHouse1
Other political news you may have missed this week...
Flood recovery: Gov. John Bel Edwards took part in a Congressional Oversight hearing into the recovery from last year's floods in Louisiana. Here's what happened: http://bit.ly/2o2YKzp
Recovery aid: Homeowners affected by the floods can take a quick online survey beginning at 7 a.m. Monday to kick off the process of applying for the state's recovery programs. http://bit.ly/2p2epwp
Medicaid: Some House Republicans were alarmed this week to learn about the growth in Medicaid's budget since Louisiana expanded the health care program, even though the increase isn't in state dollars. http://bit.ly/2oDD7ao
POTUS: Louisiana voters' views of President Donald Trump haven't changed much since the November election, a new poll suggests. http://bit.ly/2p6zWV4
Congress: House Majority Whip Steve Scalise continues to push for the repeal and replacement of the ACA. http://bit.ly/2oPhX5V
Tips, comments or suggestions? Send your feedback to ecrisp@theadvocate.com or @elizabethcrisp on Twitter.
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