Budget standoff: TOPs students may have to pay half of their tuition; safety-net hospital face deep cuts

Students receiving TOPS may have to pay as much as half of their tuition bills from their own pocket this year, and safety-net hospitals throughout the state for low income are looking at deep cuts if House Republicans reject Gov. John Bel Edwards’ plan to raise money this special session.
A growing number of Louisiana lawmakers are refusing to vote for tax increases in the special legislative session, which is aimed at raising enough revenue to plug some or all of a $600 million budget shortfall.
That could cause a standoff between House Republicans and Edwards as he urges lawmakers to close the gap. But those lawmakers who are at odds with the governor’s plan are aiming much lower than $600 million--many of them are shooting for $200 million.
“Anything that requires 70 votes isn’t going to happen,” said Rep. Julie Stokes, a Kenner Republican. “And just because something needs 53 votes doesn’t mean it is good policy.”
Raising taxes requires a two-thirds vote in both houses, while some other revenue-raising measures like rolling back exemptions and credits requires a simple majority of the 105 representatives.
The group of representatives railing against tax increases are dynamic, with various shades of grey comprising them. Stokes, for instance, said she would vote to raise revenue if it was good policy, and believes the state should fully fund government.
Republican Delegation chairman Rep. Lance Harris said he’s standing firmly in the “no” category on raising taxes, but could get behind other revenue-raising measures.
Rep. Larry Bagley, R-Stonewall, said he could vote for tax increases if he knew how much money lawmakers brought in from raising revenue in past sessions.
But many Republicans agree that tax increases have gone far enough.
“Without any tax reform or spending reform,” said Harris, R-Alexandria, “I don’t have an appetite for (tax increases).”
“I have no taste for any taxes,” added Bagley.
During the first special session this year, when lawmakers raised more than $1 billion, mainly by increasing the state’s sales tax by one percent and cleaning exemptions from the current tax, a small group of legislators, dubbed “the gang of no,” railed against Edwards’ proposals to raise revenue.
“More people have moved into my camp,” Rep. Barry Ivey, a Baton Rouge Republican said of the “gang of no.”
Many of those House Republicans who reluctantly voted for the temporary tax increases in the first special session are sore over what they say is a lack of information and direction toward real spending reform.
“I voted for temporary revenue so we could take a hard look at how we’re doing business,” said Rep. John Schroder. “We haven’t done any of that.”