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Louisiana lawmakers Thursday gave final passage to an effort pushed by Republican House Speaker Clay Schexnayder to begin the centralization of the state s sales tax collections, a long-sought goal of business organizations. ....
Capitol Briefing: Louisiana government s revenue picture improves with new report The Courier Already flush with federal cash, Louisiana s budget picture brightened again Tuesday, with the state s income forecasting panel estimating $677 million in tax collections above expectations should flow into the treasury over the next 14 months. The Revenue Estimating Conference increased the estimate for general state tax collections in the current budget year that ends June 30 by $357 million. The panel also increased the general fund forecast for the upcoming budget year that begins July 1 by $320 million. Those dollars aren t currently included in the budget legislation awaiting decisions in the Senate, but senators will add it in the coming days. Spending ideas for the money abound, with suggestions ranging from increased teacher pay raises and more dollars for early childhood education programs to paying down a variety of state debts. ....
Capitol Briefing: Mandatory kindergarten bill sails through Louisiana Senate Staff and wire reports With little debate, the Louisiana Senate overwhelmingly backed a proposal to require all 5-year-old children to attend kindergarten. A 34-1 vote from senators Wednesday sent the measure by Sen. Cleo Fields, a Baton Rouge Democrat, to the House for consideration. Louisiana children currently must attend school from the ages of 7 to 18, unless they graduate early from high school. Senate Bill 10 would require children who turn 5 years old by Sept. 30 of each year to attend kindergarten, starting with the 2022-23 school year. Supporters say mandatory kindergarten will help children from falling behind, noting studies show 90% of brain development happens between birth and age 5. Opponents say parents should be allowed to make decisions about their children s education. ....
The Louisiana House voted to divert hundreds of millions of dollars in automobile taxes from the general fund to an account dedicated to road and bridge construction. ....