admin

Saying "We have reached the end of the road where cuts alone will work to solve this problem," Gov. John Bel Edwards announced he will deliver a statewide address Feb. 11 about the Louisiana budget crisis, which is worse than than previous projections.

The state's Revenue Estimating Conference (REC) issued a forecast today saying Louisiana was facing an $850 million immediate deficit (up from a previously forecast $750 million) and a projected budget gap for the 2016-2017 fiscal year of $2 billion.

Greg Albrecht, the state's chief economist, told the REC this morning, "For all practical purposes, Louisiana is in its own recession, and it has come on pretty rapidly." *

LaPolitics editor Jeremy Alford reported Edwards and his team contacted television stations around the state last week asking for airtime for what would amount to a "State of the State" address, which was granted.?