Special session tax bill to apply sales tax to tax-free goods, services unable to secure sufficient votes

Published: November 15, 2024

By: Quinn Marceaux, LSU Manship School News Service

BATON ROUGE – Gov. Jeff Landry’s ambitious tax plan, which had previously encountered minimal resistance, hit its first bump on Thursday as lawmakers balked at applying sales taxes to more goods and services that are tax-free now.

Lawmakers said Landry was unable to secure the 70 votes from the House of Representatives needed to pass a sales tax expansion that would tax more than 40 currently untaxed services, so the House delayed voting on it.

The bill, House Bill 9, would generate $500 million to partially offset the estimated $1.3 billion shortfall from cutting individual income taxes to a flat 3% tax.

Read more at WBRZ2.