Editorial roundup

May 21 Houma Courier

More La. prisons

Louisiana’s Legislature is in the final weeks of its 2017 regular session.

And it is becoming increasingly likely that our lawmakers will once again fail to take decisive action on the persistent fiscal problems affecting our state and the critical services people expect it to provide.

Gov. John Bel Edwards proposed a budget and a host of tax proposals aimed at fixing the shortfalls that continue to plague state government. Though the Legislature is under no obligation to sign off on Edwards’ measures — in fact, it should be leery of further raising taxes — it does have an obligation to balance the books and look after the long-term health of Louisiana’s finances.

It seems to have failed once again to do that.

Without deep cuts in spending, sharp increases in tax revenue or some combination of the two, we will continue to see fiscal uncertainty that has led time and again to midyear budget cuts that can cause havoc for the people who use public services such as hospitals and colleges.

For most of the past decade, Louisiana has lurched from crisis to crisis, each time merely averting the problem with one-time infusions of money or budget gimmicks that made the budget look balanced when it wasn’t.

And out lawmakers have been well aware for all of that time that they were continuing to use short-term fixes instead of long-term solutions.

It appears we’re about to see the same thing happen once again — a scenario that could mean a $1.3 billion budget shortfall in the middle of next year, when a slate of temporary taxes expire.

Edwards’ plan raise taxes to make ends meet might not be the long-term solution, and it likely isn’t. But lawmakers have to finally treat the situation with the sense of urgency it requires.

Our colleges and hospitals have endured cut after cut. They have reduced their services, and what should be public priorities are shouldering most of the burden.

Most troubling is that it looks like more chaos is on the horizon.

“Time is closing out on us, and quite frankly, I’m disappointed with how far behind the Legislature is,” Edwards said last week. “Every day it looks more and more likely that we’ll have to have a special session.”

The Legislature must work with the governor and come to a consensus on how best to solve our state’s fiscal problem. It likely will involve a combination of tax hikes and spending cuts, and it will not be a plan that pleases everyone.

But if the individuals involved in the process start out with that understanding and a determination that seems lacking so far, they should be able to implement a plan that avoids further disruptions in the near future.

Let’s get to work.