WikimediaBATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Budget debates always include uncertainty about how much money agencies will receive in the upcoming financial year and whether they might take cuts.
But that uncertainty is worsened this legislative session, complicated by questions about whether lawmakers will consider raising taxes further and when they'd make those decisions.
Looming over all the budget cut talks is the likelihood of a second special session on taxes. Lawmakers can't raise taxes in their ongoing regular session that ends June 6.
Gov. John Bel Edwards wants a special session to try to lessen a $750 million budget gap.
But the state's new financial year begins in July and it's unclear when the special session might be held.
The situation is causing frustration. College leaders say they don't know what to tell their students.