Gov. John Bel Edwards seeks budget ideas from business leaders, other stakeholders

Faced with a $1 billion budget deficit in the coming year, Gov. John Bel Edwards has set off a series of stakeholder meetings to build a plan for shoring up the state's finances.

“We have an obligation to the people of Louisiana to come together to avoid the fiscal cliff that is quickly approaching," Edwards said in a statement Tuesday, shortly after a closed-to-the-press meeting with a group of more than 20 business leaders in his office on the fourth floor of the state Capitol.

Last year, lawmakers approved a temporary one-cent sales tax increase to plug the state budget until a more long-term solution could be found. The State Legislature was expected earlier this year to begin tackling various tax proposals meant to offer stability to the budget, which has, for years, been plugged through temporary spending measures. None of the ideas passed during the regular session earlier this year, which means it's likely lawmakers will have another special session next year to consider new proposals.

In recent months, state leaders have attempted to pare back spending to lessen the need for additional revenue.

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