Lawmakers Want Tax Breaks Amid Shortfall

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Despite a large budget shortfall, Louisiana lawmakers are proposing millions of dollars in tax breaks for retirees, businesses, homeless shelters and crawfishermen.

The tax breaks would drain even further dollars from the state's coffers, but lawmakers say they could help people retain jobs, improve health care, attract new taxpayers to the state and assist struggling businesses in a recession.

More than a dozen tax break bills have been pre-filed for the legislative session that begins April 27. Dozens more are expected to be introduced, even as lawmakers will grapple with hefty cuts proposed for public colleges and health care programs.

The state has a budget shortfall for next year estimated to be as much as $1.7 billion.