WikimediaWith the special session nearing its halfway mark, House Republicans are demonstrating they intend to take a sharply different approach to rebalancing this year's budget than Gov. John Bel Edwards wants.
The majority-GOP House Appropriations Committee on Thursday voted down the Democratic governor's proposal for closing the state's $304 million deficit, refusing to send it to the full House for debate.
A day earlier, the panel advanced two options offered by Republicans that would cut more deeply — and use less from the state's "rainy day" fund — than the governor wants. The full House is expected to debate those ideas Friday.
Less than a week remains in the special session. The Senate is awaiting action from the House, because the constitution requires the budget cut bills to start there.