By Laryssa Bonacquisti
Today, the House Ways and Means Committee heard from multiple representatives on their proposed bills regarding taxes and income tax. Many of the bills pertained to a flat tax for individual income taxes, and the elimination of income tax deductions.
By Sarah Gamard
BATON ROUGE — The Senate Health and Welfare Committee reported to the full chamber for debate Tuesday bills to create cheaper medicine, to lower obesity rates and to provide more stringent opioid regulations.
By Tryfon Boukouvidis
BATON ROUGE — Despite a record-breaking year for tourism, the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism warned Tuesday that it will not be able to sustain that volume with any more cuts in funding.
The Office of Lieutenant Governor told the House Appropriations subcommittee it, too, is a hardship case.
BATON ROUGE — Legislators representing Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes expressed concern Tuesday about Gov. John Bel Edwards’ proposals for tax reform in the current session of the Louisiana Legislature – particularly the implementation of a commercial activity tax, called CAT, on gross receipts of businesses.
By William Taylor Potter
Gov. John Bel Edwards had a message for Republicans opposing his plans for tax reform: Chart a new path.
The call to action came during his State of the State address — the second of Edwards’ tenure – that opened the 60-day Louisiana State Legislature’s 2017 regular session. Much of the speech centered on the governor’s proposals for tax reform, which includes eliminating one penny of the five-cent sales tax and implementing a commercial activity tax (CAT) for businesses.
By Laryssa Bonacquisti
During his address to the legislature on opening day of the 2017 Regular Legislative Session, Gov. John Bel Edwards called for unity and asked that legislators not act like those in Washington. The continuation of the budget crisis looms over Louisianians, and many hope this session might bring about permanent positive change.
via NOLA.com/The Times-Picayune YouTube.com channel
By Matt Houston
The 2017 legislative session opens with Gov. John Bel Edwards imploring lawmakers to face up to the state’s problems.
By Sam Karlin
BATON ROUGE — When state lawmakers ended their work last year, having passed a host of temporary tax increases to help fill a looming budget hole, many shrugged off the fact they did not make significant long-term changes to a tax code widely considered broken.
After all, the temporary taxes, most notably a one-cent increase to the sales tax, would roll off in 2018, putting pressure on the Legislature this year to make bold changes to the tax code and budget.
By Carrie Grace Henderson and Tryfon Boukouvidis
The joint Committee on Transportation, Highways and Public Works set the tone for what is expected to be a raucous debate in the 2017 Legislative session that opened Monday over the proposal to raise the gas tax.
The committee approved the Highway Priority Construction Program for the next fiscal year, but stripped it of its provisions that would take effect if the state came into more state or federal money.
By Sarah Gamard
BATON ROUGE –- The National Conference of State Legislatures’ list of states ranked by percentage of women in the state legislature shows Louisiana has improved to 44th place after being dead last in 2015.
That year, Louisiana had 13 women in the House and four in the Senate. In 2016, those numbers had increased to 17 and five, respectively. The 22 women represent 15 percent of the total delegates.
Read the story in houmatoday.com/The Courier
LSU Manship School Statehouse Bureau 