BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana's governor and legislative leaders agree they want to end the regular session early, to free up time for another tax session aimed at staving off steep budget cuts.
But they have yet to settle on the calendar, a logistical step crucial to making that agreement work.
Gov. John Bel Edwards wants lawmakers to wrap up their regular session in mid-May, rather than on June 4, to start a special session on taxes May 14. The governor says that would keep taxpayers from having to pay extra for another special session, after more than $750,000 was spent on a failed tax session in February.
Both House Speaker Barras and Senate President John Alario say they support the effort. But Barras says he's hesitant about putting that early adjournment in legislation.
-by AP reporter Melinda Deslatte
