The Louisiana capitol is ready to start its Louisiana Legislature tax chicken dance.  On one side of the floor are Governor, John Bel Edwards and democrats. On another side are fiscal conservatives.  And, in the middle are a group of lawmakers who believe the state is reaching a moment of urgency.

The question is—who’s going to take the first step and blink as the music is quickly getting ready to start?

Winter is still here. The Louisiana days are getting a little longer. The threat of another special session to plug a massive hole in the budget is getting closer. 

The mantra of fiscal cliff still fills the air as it has now winter after winter, year after year.

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards is going on a full-court radio press to push his side of the fiscal cliff.

Today, the Governor sent out the below summary of his administration hitting the airwaves:

The "Fiscal Cliff" is upon us and is making news throughout the state as once again, Louisiana is looking at a roughly one billion dollar hole, if not much more.

How will the state solve the fiscal problem remains to be seen.  Below are two perspectives, one from the conservative organization, Pelican Post and the second from Louisiana Budget Project.

Today, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards released his $25.3 billion “doomsday” Louisiana operating budget outlining the worse case scenario for the upcoming budget year. The budget would devastate health services and sharply cut into the TOPS program.  After the budget was released, the Democrats released a statement concerned about what they call $2.4 billion dollars in cuts.

Edwards wants the Republican-controlled legislature to pass a replacement tax package.

The sky is falling, the sky is falling.  At least the Louisiana fiscal sky is in a tailspin, or so says Governor John Bel Edwards and a number of legislative leaders.  The hue and cry is for one billion dollars in new taxes along with significant fee increases.  Even the local papers are chiming in with headlines like “The fiscal threat is real to colleges” and about to “get real.”  What a poor taxpayer to think?

The war of words over how to deal with a budget deficit or otherwise in Louisiana annual parlance, the fiscal cliff, is mounting as the temporary sales tax comes to an end this week. The sales tax brings roughly one billion dollars into the state coffers. 

Today, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards has taken to the press pulpit to argue that Republican moderates want a plan presented by their members but the fiscal conservatives refuse to present one, thus, a budgetary showdown that will result in major reductions in government spending.

While he didn’t exactly treat Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards as if Louisiana’s chief executive didn’t exist, Republican House Speaker Taylor Barras did make clear who called the shots over the state’s fiscal year 2019 picture and beyond.

On Monday, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards spoke in general terms about his plans for the upcoming fiscal cliff which is anticipated to be around $1 billion for the year beginning July 1, 2018.  At a luncheon today Edwards delivered remarks at an event hosted by Committee of 100, Council for a Better Louisiana (CABL), Public Affairs Research Council (PAR) and the Louisiana Budget Project.