Despite everything we’ve heard from the Edwards’ administration about the depth of Louisiana’s budget shortages, it’s quite clear now: the House leadership is done considering any more revenue-raising measures.
“We raised a couple hundred million dollars, so there’s enough money to put towards TOPS; there’s also enough money to put toward the private-public partnerships for the hospitals. So it’s not all gloom and doom.”
Rep. John Schroder is not a committee chair, but the Covington Republican is one of the conservative insiders. I asked him why they’re not making more effort at filling the entire $600-million budget hole.
“Look, I represent people, and the majority do not want me to raise their taxes, and keep telling us very clearly, ‘Deal with the money that you have before you come back to me and ask for more’,” Schroder explained. “I know for a fact there’s still things that we can do in Baton Rouge to be more efficient, more effective on how we deliver services in this state.”
Yet some of the things – like the whole allowance for federal excess itemized deductions – have been acknowledged as part of what led us to this crisis. And numerous studies and experts have said that’s one thing the state should absolutely fix.
“It makes me very nervous to vote on these bills individually, not knowing what the overall impact is,” Schroder said of his decision to vote against removing credit for state taxes paid from individual tax returns.
“There’s a lot of things we have to fix, and I want to fix them all at one time. When you start plucking things off the table that make sense, then the things that are a little more difficult that need to be fixed, don’t get fixed.”
On the other hand, while you wait for consensus on a master plan, students are left not knowing how or if they can pay for college, with classes starting in two months.
Schroder, though, is adamant.
“I think you’re going to have to wait.”