Louisiana
Louisiana lawmakers return to Capitol for special session focused on tax reform
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana lawmakers returned to the state Capitol on Wednesday for their third special legislative session of the year, this time with a focus on tax reform.
As the state faces an estimated budget hole of more than $700 million next year, largely due to the expiration of a temporary .45% sales tax and a tax on business utilities, Gov. Jeff Landry is urging the GOP-dominated Legislature to overhaul the state’s tax structure. His reforms call for retaining this sales tax and allowing the business utilities tax to expire. But he is pushing for far more sweeping constitutional amendments that would require voter support in statewide elections scheduled for March.
Among the governor’s proposals is the flattening of income and corporate tax rates. To offset those revenue losses, Landry is proposing extending the sales tax to other services and digital goods, such as Netflix, lobbying, dog grooming and car washes.
Landry also seeks to merge two state trust funds holding nearly $3.8 billion dollars combined. Less money would be channeled to the state’s savings account under this proposal and more money from corporate tax and mineral revenue would be at the disposal of lawmakers to spend, according to an analysis from the Public Affairs Research Council, a nonpartisan Louisiana think tank.
Additionally, there are plans to remove dozens of tax breaks, including for the state’s film industry and for rehabilitating historic structures. Supporters believe the changes to corporate and income taxes will attract businesses and keep the state competitive with its neighbors as Louisiana battles outward migration.
Currently, there are 223 sales tax exemptions, Richard Nelson, Secretary of the Department of Revenue, said.
“I would say the tax code is one of the major drivers of why Louisiana fails to get ahead,” Nelson said at an Aug. 30 panel on the tax reforms.
Democrat Minority Leader Matthew Willard said at the same panel that he was not convinced that flattening individual income tax would improve the state’s economic outlook and feared it would increase the state’s deficit.
According to information from the state’s Department of Revenue, Louisiana residents currently pay a 4.25% tax rate on income $50,000 and above, 3.5% on income between $12,500 and $50,000, and 1.85% on income $12,500 and below. Landry’s proposal would eliminate income tax for those making up to $12,500 and would set a flat income tax rate of 3% of those earning above $12,500.
There are nine states that do not levy an individual income tax. Among those are the nearby states of Florida, Tennessee and Texas.
The vast majority of Louisianians will see significant tax cuts following the proposed changes to state income and sales taxes, according to an analysis conducted by the state legislator’s longtime former chief economist and funded by a coalition of nonpartisan public policy groups. A little over 1 million households would see their state-level taxes reduced by 20%, the study found.
The reform package would eliminate the corporate franchise tax and ultimately reduce taxes on corporate income tax to a flat rate of 3.5%. Currently, the state applies a 7.5% tax rate to corporate profits exceeding $150,000, a 5.5% rate to profits between $50,000 and $150,000, and a 3.5% rate to profits below $50,000.
Skeptics have expressed concern that the proposed reforms would grant overly generous tax cuts to corporations.
“It’s small business subsidizing big business, is basically what it is, and that’s not right,” said State Senator W. Jay Luneau, a Democrat, at an Oct. 24 Senate hearing.
Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle also stressed that they want to ensure local parish governments do not lose revenue they rely on as a result of the tax overhaul. The proposed changes would incentivize local governments to eliminate property taxes on business inventory and end local taxes on prescription drugs and incentives.
Nelson, the Department of Revenue secretary, said the proposed change would prevent citizens from being taxed for medical needs and instead shift their taxes to consumer services such as landscaping.
“My neighbors are going to crucify me” in response to proposed taxes on lawn-mowing services, said Republican Senator Stewart Cathey, Jr.
Other lawmakers noted there will likely be stiff opposition from numerous special interest groups set to lose their longstanding tax breaks. And they have questioned whether a special session in the aftermath of the national election would be enough time for lawmakers to fully process and debate massive policy changes.
Daniel Erspamer, CEO of the Pelican Institute, a conservative think tank, said the need to simplify the state’s tax code has been a long time in coming and applauded the attempt to confront the issue.
“I’m pleased that the governor really said, you know, let’s put our money where our mouth is and get this thing done,” Erspamer said. “We’ll see how the Legislature feels about that.”
While Landry has framed the session as tax-focused, his session call proclamation had 23 items listed — including teacher pay and a possible reworking of the state court system.
The special session will begin at 3 p.m. Nov. 6. Landry is scheduled to speak to the Legislature on the opening day. The legislative gathering must conclude no later than 6 p.m. on Nov. 25.
The Louisiana Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at March 2, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from March 2 drawing
02-17-18-38-62, Powerball: 20, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from March 2 drawing
3-9-9
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from March 2 drawing
4-1-1-0
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 5 numbers from March 2 drawing
0-5-2-9-5
Check Pick 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Louisiana Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at Louisiana Lottery offices. Prizes of over $5,000 must be claimed at Lottery office.
By mail, follow these instructions:
- Sign and complete the information on the back of your winning ticket, ensuring all barcodes are clearly visible (remove all scratch-off material from scratch-off tickets).
- Photocopy the front and back of the ticket (except for Powerball and Mega Millions tickets, as photocopies are not accepted for these games).
- Complete the Louisiana Lottery Prize Claim Form, including your telephone number and mailing address for prize check processing.
- Photocopy your valid driver’s license or current picture identification.
Mail all of the above in a single envelope to:
Louisiana Lottery Headquarters
555 Laurel Street
Baton Rouge, LA 70801
To submit in person, visit Louisiana Lottery headquarters:
555 Laurel Street, Baton Rouge, LA 70801, (225) 297-2000.
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at Louisiana Lottery.
When are the Louisiana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT Tuesday and Friday.
- Pick 3, Pick 4 and Pick 5: Daily at 9:59 p.m. CT.
- Easy 5: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.
- Lotto: 9:59 p.m. CT Wednesday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Louisiana editor. You can send feedback using this form.
NEW ORLEANS — The Louisiana National Guard announced Monday that 120 troops will remain deployed in New Orleans through August.
The six-month extension comes after 350 Guard members deployed to New Orleans in late December, in the run-up to New Year’s and other high-profile events like the Sugar Bowl. The troops, which had mainly clustered in the city’s historic French Quarter, had been scheduled to depart in the aftermath of Mardi Gras.
New Orleans is one of several Democrat-run cities, such as Washington and Memphis, Tennessee, where the federal government deployed armed troops under the administration of President Donald Trump. Hundreds of federal agents also converged on Louisiana in December as part of a separate immigration crackdown in and around New Orleans.
During his State of the Union address last week, Trump touted the deployment in New Orleans as a “big success.” In January, Trump credited the troops with reducing the city’s violent crime within a week of their deployment. City police data shows violent crime rates have significantly declined over the past three years in parallel with national trends.
According to a press statement from the Louisiana National Guard, the remaining guard members will serve as a “visible presence to deter criminal activity in New Orleans.”
New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno, a Democrat who initially opposed the deployment, said that the troops would benefit the city in the coming weeks. She pointed out that National Guard troops had assisted the city during last year’s Mardi Gras in the aftermath of a vehicle-ramming attack in the French Quarter that killed 14 people on New Year’s Day.
“I continue to support the partnership with the LA National Guard to assist in our major events and there are several coming up in the next few weeks,” Moreno said in a statement.
While Moreno did not address which events she referred to, visitors flock to New Orleans in the spring for events like the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, a Republican and staunch Trump ally, requested the deployment of the National Guard last September, citing rising violent crime rates in New Orleans despite the data showing crime was down.
“This continued deployment will help us combat violence in New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana,” Landry wrote on the social platform X on Monday, noting Louisiana had also sent National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., last year.
Kate Kelly, a spokesperson for Landry, said the federal government would cover the cost of the extended deployment. She did not respond to a question about whether Guard members would be deployed outside New Orleans.
Maj. Gen. Thomas Friloux, adjutant general of the Louisiana National Guard, said in a statement the troops had already worked closely with other city, state and federal agencies to improve public safety during a stretch of high-profile events in the city, including the flood of visitors over Mardi Gras and the city’s carnival season.
“We remain committed to those partnerships as we continue supporting efforts to keep the City of New Orleans safe for residents and visitors,” Friloux said.
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – Jury selection begins Monday in what prosecutors describe as one of the largest auto insurance fraud cases in Louisiana history, with two local attorneys set to stand trial on charges that include fraud and obstruction of justice.
Attorneys Vanessa Motta and Jason Giles are accused in an alleged scheme in which drivers — referred to as “slammers” — were paid to intentionally crash into 18-wheelers, file injury lawsuits and allow attorneys to collect the settlements. Both have pleaded not guilty.
63 people have been charged in the case. Many have already pleaded guilty. Motta and Giles are being tried together.
Criminal defense attorney Craig Mordock, who is not directly involved in the case but has been following it closely, said the scope of the litigation is significant.
“You have 10 years of personal injury cases and almost… almost a billion dollars in recovery. That’s all at issue,” Mordock said. “So yeah, this could go two to three weeks.”
Motta’s defense team has advanced a narrative that she was manipulated by a co-defendant.
“There is a compelling narrative that’s been advanced by Vanessa Motta’s lawyer in terms of her being manipulated by one of the co-defendants… about being manipulated by him and him having a prior federal conviction for fraud,” Mordock said.
Motta’s team originally claimed she did not know the crashes were staged. In 2024, her team told FOX 8 she is the victim.
Mordock said Giles faces a more difficult defense.
“I don’t see a favorable juror for one of the other lawyer defendants, Jason Giles. There’s not a clear theory of innocence. This is basically a standard white-collar prosecution where knowledge and intent are going to be the issue,” Mordock said.
The case carries what Mordock described as a shadow. In September 2020, key witness Cornelious Garrison was killed in New Orleans four days after his name appeared in an indictment. Garrison’s admitted killer, Ryan Harris, is expected to testify.
The judge in the case is also allowing the slain witness’s recorded descriptions of the alleged scheme to be admitted at trial.
Mordock said Louisiana drivers have a direct stake in the outcome.
“As your average Louisianan, the idea would be you would save… because the people committing this fraud have been wrapped up. The insurance companies are going to know how to look for this,” Mordock said.
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