VIDALIA — Some observers have likened the goings on in the capitol in Baton Rouge to a circus, but Rep. Andy Anders said calling this year’s session a circus “might be putting it mildly.”

“It might be a war,” Anders, D-Clayton, said.

The session starts Monday, and while it will have all of the usual legislative wrangling over bills valid and laughable, it will also include a significant focus on the state budget, which will have to address a nearly $1.6 billion gap between revenues and spending.

The House Appropriations Committee is working its way through a department-by-department review on the $24 billion package of spending recommendations Gov. Bobby Jindal offered for the budget year that begins July 1.

No money was included for Louisiana to hold a presidential primary in spring 2016. LSU hospital privatization deals rely largely on dollars that require lawmakers to scale back tax break spending, and the New Orleans hospital operator says it still would be more than $80 million short of what is needed to open its new facility this summer. The Medicaid program could have a $200 million gap even if all the uncertain financing assumptions pan out.

Jindal’s budget allocates $5.3 billion for the education department. But most of those dollars flow directly to school districts. The department›s actual operating budget would be cut by about $23 million, a loss of nearly half its state financing.

The task facing Jindal and lawmakers is a tough one, to continue critical services around Louisiana while closing a $1.6 billion budget gap next year and complying with various restrictions and protections on spending areas.

Those reviewing the proposal are looking at cutting out tax incentives for some industries, Anders said, but as chairman of the agriculture committee he wants to make sure none of the agriculture-related exemptions — such as for feed, fuel and equipment — are taken away.

Anders likewise said he understands cuts need to be made, but he wants to make sure they’re done fairly.

“When everybody takes a cut across the board, that’s one thing, but when one department doesn’t and the other department does, that’s not fair,” he said.

“I won’t vote the way the governor has it lined up for sure. It is all a matter of all of us coming together and coming up with a balanced budget we can all live with.”

The governor›s plan is also trying to address the gap without anything that could be considered a tax increase on his record as he looks likely to announce a presidential campaign this summer. Meanwhile, lawmakers who face re-election bids this fall are trying to keep voters — and campaign donors — contented.

But Anders said he believes there may be hope this year for Democrats and Republicans to work together on the budget rather than draw purely partisan lines.

“Thirteen of the members are term limited, so they can vote the way they want, and others are waking up and want to vote the way of their constituency,” he said.

Jindal proposes some ways to raise revenue, but those appear to be running into skepticism or outright opposition. The governor›s restrictions against supporting anything that national anti-tax activist Grover Norquist considers a tax increase are further complicating budget negotiations with lawmakers.

Anders said he believes those restrictions are part of a bigger political game.

“The governor has played a tune to run for President and forgotten the state he came from,” he said.

The House committee will continue its review through the middle of the month.

State Sen. Neil Riser, R-Columbia, could not be reached for comment.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.