Paul Braun and Tryfon Boukouvidis
A clearer picture emerged Thursday about the winners and losers in the most recent shuffling of how the Legislature would divide the revenue from extending four-tenths of a cent of sales tax.
Republicans touted the four-tenths plan as a way to restore full funding to higher education, Go Grants, and district attorneys’ salaries while shaving one-tenth of a penny off a sales tax extension that Gov. John Bel Edwards proposed.
But under that plan, TOPS scholarships would be cut by 10 percent, sheriffs would receive $11 million less than last year for housing state prisoners and other departments would be funded at standstill budget levels.
“Tell me what you need, not what you want,” Rep. Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, told one Democrat. “Are they going to be happy they have reductions? Of course not. But you and I have both been here long enough to know not everyone will love it.”
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