House Stalls Key Bill In Budget Negotiations, Senate Revives

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — House lawmakers have rejected a budget-balancing proposal sought by Gov. Bobby Jindal to maintain his record against tax increases.

The House Ways and Means Committee shot down the bill with a 10-9 vote Wednesday. But senators, trying to keep the measure alive, added it to another bill later that evening.

The disagreement raises questions about whether lawmakers can agree on a way to balance next year's $24 billion budget with financial plans that can escape Jindal's veto.

The bill in dispute would create a higher education tax credit as a complicated way to let Jindal claim he hasn't raised taxes to close the budget shortfall.

Opponents say the proposal is a sham. But without passage of the tax credit, tax changes used to stop higher education cuts face likely veto.

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