State lawmakers are tackling how to limit spending

State lawmakers advanced key legislation Monday connected to Gov. Jeff Landry’s proposed tax overhaul that would establish a new state spending limit, Louisiana Illuminator reports. 

House Bill 14, sponsored by Rep. Brett Geymann, R-Lake Charles, is a proposed constitutional amendment that would establish a “government growth limit,” a new kind of spending restriction.

If approved, the legislation requires the Legislature to annually calculate a limit on how much cash can be spent on recurring expenses—like health care, teacher pay and state police salaries. 

Currently, the Louisiana Constitution has a separate expenditure provision that requires lawmakers to establish a spending cap each year. They sometimes raise the cap for certain reasons and situations, such as when the state takes in better-than-expected tax revenues.

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