Louisiana

Louisiana lawmakers advance Gov. Landry's corporate tax cut bill

Published

1 year ago

November 11, 2024

Louisiana lawmakers advance Gov. Landry's corporate tax cut bill

BATON ROUGE-The House Ways and Means Committee took steps Sunday toward achieving the governor’s tax overhaul by advancing a bill to cut the corporate income tax rate, now one of the highest in the nation, in stages from 7.5% to 3.5%.

The full House voted 69-6 to send the plan to the House Appropriations Committee for further consideration.

Also on Sunday, the Ways and Means Committee voted to allow parishes to eliminate the business inventory tax.

If passed by the House and the Senate, any parish that elects to exempt business from the business inventory tax will receive anywhere from $500,000 to $15 million from the state. The inventory tax largely benefits the local parish government.

The inventory tax exemption bill passed 15-2 in committee with Democratic Rep. Mandie Landry and Rep. Matthew Willard, both of New Orleans in opposition.

Both bills are part of the three-week special session called by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry.

Landry’s wants to shift to a 3% flat tax on individual income and cut corporate income taxes. He would try to make up that revenue by reducing other tax breaks, extending part of the state sales tax and adding sales taxes to the cost of 40 services like car washing and pet grooming.

Lobbyists for various industries oppose the loss of their tax breaks, and other critics say the increasing reliance on sales taxes would hurt lower-income people.

But state Rep. Chance Henry, R-Crowley, said a comprehensive simplification of tax policy is the practical, common-sense thing to do.

“I think the definition of insanity in the state of Louisiana is what we have done to address the fiscal cliff and our tax code over the last at least 20 years,” Henry said.

The Ways and Means committee also has advanced proposals to double the standard deduction for seniors, provide pay raises for teachers and exempt the purchase of prescription drugs from local sales taxes.

Willard, the New Orleans Democrat, said he opposed the corporate income tax cut because it would allow the state’s economic development officials to decide which corporations get tax breaks or, as he said, “essentially be selecting the winners and losers.”

Secretary Susan Bourgeois of the Louisiana Economic Development agency, which will be making the decisions for tax credits given, referred to the “trust-us factor” in this special session.

“I’m not under any illusion when I sit here and say ‘trust me’, or any of y’all, trust us!”

Bourgeois said. “That’s really what we’re telling the market right now.”

Bourgeois compared the corporate income tax change to the corporate tax in North Carolina, which is the lowest in the country. “If we’re looking for a track record, let’s look at other states who do it like this,” she said.

Referring to luring new employers and business investment, Louisiana Secretary of Revenue Richard Nelson, who is overseeing the governor’s plan, said: “It’s hard to attract people when you have literally the highest rate in the South.”

Nelson and Gov. Landry have held private meetings with legislators and special interest groups in an effort to get the bills passed. The state is heading for a fiscal cliff next year, thanks to the expiration of both the 0.45% state sales tax and a 2% business utilities tax in June.

Much of the Landry strategy is to cut rates for individuals and corporations and to reduce or eliminate business tax exemption. He also wants to broaden sales tax collections.

One hot topic is the removal of the tax credit for historic structures. Lobbyists took turns defending to lawmakers that restoration of historic structures eliminates blight and oftentimes cannot happen without those credits. The planned renovation of the U.S. post office in Ruston, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was cited as an example.

“There are things like this that are hard to put a number on,” said Rep. Landry, “because you’re not rehabilitating a house from the 1800s to make money off it. You’re doing it because you want to keep those structures, you know, maybe movies will be filmed. Maybe just to keep the structure of the neighborhood or of the city.”

Rep. Marcus Bryant, D-New Iberia, said he was concerned about the removal of the historic tax credit and the authority of economic development officials to divvy out credits. “Now, you’re the gatekeeper for who is getting the credit and who is getting an incentive,” he said.

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Louisiana

How Trump’s AI executive order impacts Louisiana

Published

3 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Press Room

How Trump’s AI executive order impacts Louisiana

ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB) – The federal government is building a nationwide standard as the United States competes in a global A.I. race, much the same as the Space Race of the 20th century.

Last week, President Trump signed an executive order aimed at establishing a uniform federal regulatory framework for artificial intelligence in the United States.

The order emphasized a need for AI companies to be allowed to innovate without hinderance from excessive regulations, so that the system would not become fragmented.

Marva Bailer is the CEO and founder of Qualaix, which works to improve productivity and innovation with AI through conversations. She said this framework a step towards realizing an untapped potential in the United States for innovation and productivity through AI.

“We are leading the AI race,” said Bailer. “What is getting people’s attention is there are areas that we could be a lot stronger and lean in a lot faster.”

We spoke with KALB political analyst Greg LaRose to learn how this new framework might impact Louisiana’s development.

Since 2024, the construction of multiple AI data centers has been announced across the state, with each new center estimated to be worth billions of dollars and promising new jobs and growth for Louisiana.

According to LaRose, the executive order should not realistically confine any of the state’s major AI projects.

“Through the Louisiana lens at that executive order from President Trump, I’m not really seeing anything that really confines what’s going on in the state.”

The majority of the state’s laws are concerned with deep fakes.

In October, Louisiana governor Jeff Landry issued his own executive order which banned, “Communist Chinese AI platforms’ from systems within state government.”

While it is unclear how Louisiana will enforce Landry’s order, LaRose said the state does face other concerns.

“I think they’re more concerned about giving China access to the data that is used to create, say, a Louisiana-based deep fake or any type of issue,” said LaRose. “For example, like transcription software that people are increasingly using to make record-keeping a lot easier. I think the idea is that that type of information be kept out of hands that we don’t want it in.”

This, as the global AI race heats up heading into 2026.

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Louisiana

Third inmate who escaped from southern Louisiana jail captured, officials say

Published

15 hours ago

December 20, 2025

Press Room

Third inmate who escaped from southern Louisiana jail captured, officials say

December 19, 2025 / 11:28 PM EST
/ CBS/AP

The last of two inmates who had been on the run since escaping from a jail in the southern Louisiana city of Opelousas earlier this month has been caught, officials said Friday. A third inmate who was also part of the escape died by suicide after being caught by police, authorities previously said.

Keith Anthony Eli II, 24, was taken into custody in Opelousas, St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz said in a news release. Opelousas is located about 25 miles north of Lafayette.

Guidroz said Eli was captured by narcotics detectives and a SWAT team thanks to a tip.

At the time of his escape, Eli was held on an attempted second-degree murder charge.

The three men had escaped the St. Landry Parish Jail on Dec. 3 by removing concrete blocks from an upper wall area, Guidroz said at the time.

Authorities said the inmates then used sheets and other materials to scale the exterior wall, climb onto a first-floor roof and lower themselves to the ground, Guidroz said.

Escapee Jonathan Joseph, 24, was captured on Dec. 5. He is in custody on multiple charges, including first-degree rape.

Joseph Harrington, 26, faced several felony charges, including home invasion. On Dec. 4, one day after the escape, he was recognized by a tipster while pushing a black e-bike. Police found the e-bike at a neighboring home and heard a gunshot while trying to coax him to leave the building. He had shot himself with a hunting rifle, Port Barre Police Chief Deon Boudreaux said by telephone to The Associated Press.

The escape came more than seven months after 10 inmates broke out of a New Orleans jail. All ten of since been captured.

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Louisiana

MS Goon Squad victim arrested on drug, gun charges in Louisiana. Bond set

Published

1 day ago

December 19, 2025

Press Room

MS Goon Squad victim arrested on drug, gun charges in Louisiana. Bond set

Eddie Terrell Parker, a victim in the “Goon Squad” case, was arrested in Louisiana on multiple charges.
Parker was stopped for traffic violations and allegedly found with several narcotics and at least one firearm.
The charges include possession with intent to distribute several drugs and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Parker and another man previously settled a $400 million lawsuit against Rankin County after being tortured by former officers.

Eddie Terrell Parker, one of two men who settled a civil lawsuit against Rankin County and the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department in the “Goon Squad” case, was arrested Wednesday, Dec. 17, and is being held in a northeast Louisiana jail on multiple charges.

Louisiana State Police Senior Trooper Ryan Davis confirmed details of the incident to the Clarion Ledger via phone call on Friday, Dec. 19.

Davis said Parker was traveling east on Interstate 20 in Madison Parish, Louisiana, when a trooper observed Parker committing “multiple traffic violations.” Davis said the trooper conducted a traffic stop, identified themselves and explained the reason for the stop.

Parker was allegedly found in possession of multiple narcotics, along with at least one firearm.

Parker was booked around 8 p.m. Wednesday into the Madison Parish Detention Center in Tallulah, Louisiana, on the following charges, as stated by Davis:

Possession of marijuana with intent to distribute
Possession of ecstasy with intent to distribute
Possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute
Possession of cocaine with intent to distribute
Possession of drug paraphernalia
Possession of a firearm in the presence of a controlled substance
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

Details about the quantity of narcotics found in Parker’s possession were not immediately available.

Davis told the Clarion Ledger that Parker received a $205,250 bond after appearing before a judge.

Parker, along with another man named Michael Jenkins, was tortured and abused on Jan. 24, 2023, at a home in Braxton, at the hands of six former law enforcement officers who called themselves “The Goon Squad.” Parker and Jenkins filed a lawsuit in June 2023 against Rankin County and Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey.

Each of the six former Mississippi law enforcement officers involved in the incident are serving prison time for state and federal charges. Those officers were identified as former Rankin County deputies Brett McAlpin, Hunter Elward, Christian Dedmon, Jeffrey Middleton and Daniel Opdyke, and former Richland police officer Joshua Hartfield.

Court documents show U.S. District Judge Daniel P. Jordan III issued an order on April 30 dismissing a $400 million lawsuit brought by Jenkins and Parker, saying that the two men had reached a settlement with the county and Bailey. Jenkins and Parker sought compensatory damages, punitive damages, interest and other costs.

According to court records, the case was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled. However, the order stated that if any party fails to comply with settlement terms, any aggrieved party may reopen the matter for enforcement of the settlement.

Jason Dare, legal counsel for the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department, stated the settlement agreement totaled to $2.5 million. According to Dare, the settlement was not an admission of guilt on the county’s or the sheriff’s department’s part.

Pam Dankins is the breaking news reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Have a tip? Email her at pdankins@gannett.com.

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