Paula Davis

June 25, 2018
June 25, 2018

Sine Die and a sigh of relief

When the Louisiana House adjourned on Thursday, its members were hopelessly deadlocked over one-tenth of a penny of sales-tax renewal.

Number of the Day

3 - Special sessions of the Louisiana Legislature required to reach a revenue compromise that keeps most state services operating at current levels. (Source: Louisiana Legislature)
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June 22, 2018
June 22, 2018

The House stalls again

After a day of heated negotiations and long delays on Thursday, the House failed to pass any tax measures to replace expiring revenue and avoid the fiscal cliff.

Number of the Day

0.68 percent-  Louisiana’s population growth rate from 2007 to 2017. (Source: Pew Trust)
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June 21, 2018
June 21, 2018

Showdown in the House

Two-plus years of debates, multiple studies and three special sessions now come down to this: The Louisiana House will take up three revenue-raising bills today, each one renewing a different fraction of the temporary “clean penny” of sales tax that expires on June 30.

Number of the Day

$11 million - Remaining cut to local sheriffs’ funding for housing state prisoners, in budget plan passed by House Appropriations on Wednesday. (Source: Nola.com/TimesPicayune)
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April 17, 2017
April 17, 2017

So, what’s the plan?

A couple of things are clear as the Legislature begins its second week: First, Republicans in the House (who hold the key to any tax reform deal) are unhappy with Gov. John Bel Edwards’ plan to cut taxes for 95 percent of Louisiana households and make corporations pay more to fund state government. And second, those same House Republicans are nowhere close to coming up with a plan for solving the $1.4 billion fiscal “cliff” that will come when a slew of temporary taxes expire on July 1, 2018.

Number of the Day

$58.7 million - Estimated cost to Louisiana - over five years - of eliminating the state sales tax on diapers and feminine hygiene products, which is proposed in Senate Bill 24 by Sen. J.P. Morrell of New Orleans (Source: Legislative Fiscal Office)
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