Louisiana

Governor’s Tax Package Seeks To Make Louisiana More Competitive

Published

2 hours ago

October 18, 2024

Press Room

Governor’s Tax Package Seeks To Make Louisiana More Competitive

Louisiana State Capital in Baton Rouge

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The first half of the 2020s has been marked by two dominant policy and political trends in state capitals: the expansion of school choice, coupled with the lowering and flattening of personal income tax rates. While these trends are poised to persist in the coming year, most lawmakers and governors will have to wait until 2025 to advance the next round of reforms. In Louisiana, however, lawmakers aren’t going to wait until the new year to overhaul their tax code in a way that will reduce income tax rates for individuals and employers.

On the first day of October, Governor Jeff Landry (R-La.) announced that he’s convening a special session of the Louisiana Legislature next month for the purpose of reforming the state tax code in a way that will lower income tax rates and broaden the sales tax base. Governor Landry is asking state legislators to approve ten bills comprising his tax reform package when they return to Baton Rouge for the November special session.

The current tax system in Louisiana assesses a 1.85% tax on the first $12,500 in earnings, while income between $12,500 and $50,000 is taxed at a 3.5% rate. Income above $50,000 is then taxed at a 4.25% rate. If Gov. Landry’s proposal is enacted, Louisiana would tax all income beyond $12,500 at a 3% rate. With the standard deduction raised to $12,500 under Landry’s proposal, income below that level would be free from taxation moving forward.

“This plan will provide an immediate increase in take-home pay for every Louisiana taxpayer,” Gov. Landry said of his proposal during the Oct. 1 press conference. Landry described his tax package as “moving from taxing your labor to your choices.”

Beyond the initial restructuring of state income tax brackets and rates, Governor Landry says his plan could put Louisiana on the path to completely phase out its personal income tax by 2030. “I hate income tax,” Landry said at the October 1 press conference, adding that “a man and woman’s labor should never be owned by the government.”

The goal of income tax elimination is appealing to many Louisianans who see the neighboring state of Texas, along with nearby Florida and Tennessee, thriving without any state income tax. In fact, those states have been experiencing some of the nation’s largest population gains in recent years.

Landry is not the only governor in the region working toward a phaseout of his state’s income tax. Arkansas Governor Sarah Sanders (R) and Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves (R) have not only declared their intention to repeal their state income tax, they’ve signed numerous rate-reducing bills making progress toward that goal.

Landry’s tax package would also repeal the corporate franchise tax and move the corporate income tax from a progressive structure with a top rate of 7.5% to a flat rate of 3.5%. Fewer than 20 states levy a corporate franchise tax and many of them have been working to phase those down in recent years.

“Governor Landry’s sweeping tax reform proposal will dramatically improve the state’s economic climate by providing a tax cut for every taxpayer, simplifying business taxes, broadening the tax base, and ending the punishing franchise tax,” says Daniel Erspamer, chief executive officer of the Pelican Institute for Public Policy, a Lousiana-based think tank. “When paired with meaningful restraint of recurring government spending, this plan will act as rocket fuel to the state’s economy and signal to the tens of thousands of our kids and grandkids who’ve left to find opportunity elsewhere – not to mention entrepreneurs and job creators – that Louisiana wants them back.”

Critics of Landry’s tax proposal have attacked it as one that benefits “the rich.” Landry administration officials have responded by pointing out how, under their proposal, upper income taxpayers would actually end up paying a greater share of income tax collections than is now the case.

In remarks to the Louisiana House Ways & Means Committee earlier this month, state Department of Revenue Secretary Richard Nelson testified that under Gov. Landry’s tax package, the richest 10% of Louisiana taxpayers would pay 61% of total income tax collections. Under the current tax system, the top 10% of filers pay approximately 55% of all income taxes.

In addition to legislative approval, Governor Landry’s plan also entails voter approval of a constitutional amendment to repeal local inventory taxes, consolidate funds, and make other changes. The start date for the November session has yet to be announced, but is expected to take place some time after Election Day. Should Landry’s tax package be adopted, Louisiana would head into 2025 with a tax code that is more regionally, nationally, and globally competitive than is currently the case.

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Louisiana

Louisiana high school football scores, live updates (10/18/2024)

Published

10 hours ago

October 18, 2024

Press Room

Louisiana high school football scores, live updates (10/18/2024)

The 2024 Louisiana high school football season continues on Friday with a packed schedule of Week 7 games across the state, highlighted by a couple of ranked showdowns as Neville travels to face Ruston and Edna Karr hosts Jesuit.

You can follow all of the LHSAA football games and get updated scores by tracking the SBLive Louisiana High School Football Scoreboard. We will have in-game score updates and all of the final scores from every corner of the state. You can also search for full schedules and complete scores from all of your favorite teams.

Here’s a guide to catching all of the Week 7 Louisiana high school football action on Friday night (October 18, 2024).

LOUISIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCORES

STATEWIDE LOUISIANA FOOTBALL SCOREBOARD

CLASS 5A SCORES | CLASS 4A SCORES

CLASS 3A SCORES | CLASS 2A SCORES

CLASS 1A SCORES

2024 LOUISIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SCHEDULES: FIND YOUR TEAM

Can’t make it to your favorite team’s game but still want to watch them live? You can watch dozens of Louisiana high school football games live on the NFHS Network:

WATCH LHSAA GAMES LIVE ON NFHS NETWORK

Want to know how your team is doing? Find out where your team stands in the latest Louisiana high school football computer rankings:

Louisiana high school football computer rankings (10/16/2024)

DOWNLOAD THE SBLIVE APP

To get live updates on your phone – as well as follow your favorite teams and top games – you can download the SBLive Sports app:

Download iPhone App | Download Android App

Don’t forget to bookmark High School on SI for all of the latest high school football news.

— Sam Brown | sam@scorebooklive.com | @sblivesports

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Louisiana

Is I-69 coming to north Louisiana?

Published

18 hours ago

October 17, 2024

Press Room

On Wednesday, Oct. 16, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy announced that I-69 will be coming to north Louisiana with the Port of Caddo-Bossier I-69 Connector.

Eric England, Executive Director of the Port of Caddo-Bossier, said, “Today is one of the most incredible days in the Port’s history. I-69 will have a presence in Louisiana, connecting the Port of Caddo-Bossier to Interstate 49.”

This $22.6 million U.S. Department of Transportation INFRA grant will connect I-49 to the future I-69 Corridor Project Frontage Road. Cassidy said, “The Caddo-Bossier I-69 connector will be yet another reason companies choose to invest in North Louisiana and allow us to build an economy for 2050.”

Cassidy said the infrastructure bill’s focus on economic development and community growth in Northwest Louisiana will be achieved, in part, by generating more jobs, which will incentivize families to stay in Shreveport, Bossier, and surrounding areas.

Cassidy noted that Louisiana’s road and bridge infrastructure requires substantial investment, with $5.9 billion allocated through infrastructure bills. The INFRA grant provides an additional funding boost, increased by four times the amount available for localized and regional projects, beyond the initial $5.9 billion.

“The Northwest Louisiana DOTD put together a proposal, applied to the dollars,” Cassidy said. “They’re pulling it down. This is what I hoped would happen and this is what’s happening.”

This connector will alleviate Port traffic on Highway 1, LA Highway 3132, Bert Kouns and the Inner Loop. England said, “We’re going to have a direct shot from the Port to I-49 so that 18-wheelers can access the nation’s interstate system from the Port.”

This is the first leg of I-69 in Louisiana, and according to England, it was something many never thought they would see in their lifetime. I-69 is a mid-continental highway that connects Laredo, Texas, to Port Huron, Michigan. This connector will be the first of I-69 in this area.

England said that construction on this 10-mile connector can be seen as soon as late 2025. “This project is in design already,” England said.

More: What did Jeff Landry talk about while visiting Shreveport?

Makenzie Boucher is a reporter with the Shreveport Times. Contact her at mboucher@gannett.com.

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Louisiana

Electronics Store Closing Across the U.S., Are Louisiana Locations Safe?

Published

1 day ago

October 17, 2024

Press Room

Electronics Store Closing Across the U.S., Are Louisiana Locations Safe?

Is your favorite electronics store about to close its doors? Rumors are spreading that a major chain could be shutting down locations across the U.S., and shoppers are wondering if Louisiana stores are on the chopping block. Don’t panic just yet—here’s what we’ve uncovered about the future of these local stores!

Retailers Open On Thanksgiving Evening, Starting Black Friday Sales Early

Black Friday Sales (Getty Images)

Online shopping has significantly impacted major chain stores by changing how people shop. With the convenience of ordering items from home and often finding lower prices, more customers are turning to online retailers instead of visiting physical stores. This shift has led many big chains to struggle with declining foot traffic, higher operating costs, and increased competition. As a result, some stores have been forced to close locations or downsize, while others are focusing more on their online presence to keep up with changing consumer habits.

Best Buy, one of the largest electronics retailers in the country, recently announced that it plans to close about 30 stores across the United States by the end of 2024. The closures come as the company continues to face challenges from online competition and changing shopping habits.

UCG/Universal Images Group via G

In recent years, more people have been shopping online for their electronics, which has hurt traditional brick-and-mortar stores like Best Buy. The company has also noticed that fewer customers are coming into physical stores, preferring to order online and have their items shipped to them. To cut costs, Best Buy has decided to close some of its less profitable stores.

READ MORE ABOUT THE CLOSURES FROM USA TODAY, BY CLICKING HERE

Thankfully for shoppers in Louisiana, the state’s Best Buy locations are not on the current list of stores being closed. This means that for now, residents can still visit their local Best Buy stores to shop for things like phones, computers, TVs, and other electronics. Employees at these stores will also be able to keep their jobs, which is good news as the holidays approach.

Tim Mossholder via Unsplash.com

Best Buy is working to adapt to the modern shopping world by improving its online shopping options and offering things like curbside pickup, but it remains to be seen how these changes will impact physical stores.

For now, if you’re a fan of shopping at Best Buy in Louisiana, you don’t have to worry. Keep an eye on any future announcements, but for now, the stores in the state remain open.