The Latest: Edwards, lawmakers haggle as session end nears

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - The Latest on the special legislative session (all times local):

6:30 p.m.

Gov. John Bel Edwards is negotiating with Republican and Democratic legislative leaders, in the hopes of reaching a budget deal before the end of Louisiana’s special legislative session.

Lawmakers said Tuesday they were optimistic a deal could be struck that would stop the threat of damaging cuts to public colleges and health care services. But many pieces would need to fall into place before Wednesday’s 6 p.m. session-ending deadline.

Both the House and Senate have agreed to raise Louisiana’s 4-cent state sales tax by another penny.

A group of House Republicans - backed by business organizations - has suggested raising it even higher. Democrats object, saying it would too heavily hit the poor and would let business off too easily in sharing the burden of balancing the budget.

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12 p.m.

Senators grilled business lobbyists on the second-to-last day of the special legislative session, saying companies aren’t doing their fair share to help close Louisiana’s budget gap.

Lobbyists for the oil and gas industry, chemical plants and other companies urged the Senate tax committee Tuesday against shrinking sales tax breaks they receive.

That prompted a blistering rebuke from several members of the committee who said businesses are pushing higher sales taxes on consumers to try to protect their favored tax breaks.

Stephen Waguespack, president of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, said the business economy was fragile and the tax changes under consideration could harm companies.

Despite the business concerns, the committee without objection boosted the bill’s hit to business and then passed it to the full Senate for consideration.