Fiscal Chickenhawks

Jindal is probably going to end up with more or less the budget he wants. Or at least, a budget that protects most of the special tax privileges put in jeopardy by a proposed deal between Democrats and so-called Republican "Fiscal Hawks."  Here's why.

The Fiscal Hawks-Democrats’ plan released Monday night would produce $527 million by shaving nearly 30 tax exemptions by 15 percent apiece to raise $329 million, cutting spending by more than $100 million and using higher-than-projected tax revenue that the state treasury has collected. Doing this would eliminate the one-time and contingency spending for annual expenses, they say.

House Democrats overwhelmingly support the plan, by a 42 to 3 count, according to one survey of their members Wednesday. But a tick sheet of House Republicans from Tuesday night showed that the three-pronged attack by Jindal, the business community and the state Republican Party left only 25 votes in favor and 33 opposed.

“It would appear they’re getting pounded,” state Rep. John Bel Edwards of Amite, the Democrats’ House leader. “We’re holding up our side.”