BATON ROUGE – Committees on opposite sides of the Louisiana state Capitol went in different directions Wednesday on bills meant to prevent auto insurance companies from setting rates based on factors other than the customer’s driving record. The Senate Insurance…
BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana House voted to divert hundreds of millions of dollars in automobile taxes from the general fund to a fund dedicated to road and bridge construction. Members also voted Monday to ask the southeast Louisiana parishes…
BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana Senate Education Committee agreed Thursday to call for bigger raises for teachers and school support personnel than the state education board’s recommended spending plan includes. The main state spending bill is $5.6 million short of…
BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana House endorsed a pair of bills Monday that would cut tax rates for some corporations while eliminating a major corporate tax break for paying federal income taxes. The tax swap is part of a broader…
(The Center Square) – A Louisiana Senate committee advanced legislation Wednesday that supporters said would ensure money collected for violations of coastal permits is dedicated to coastal restoration and protection. An attorney for parishes that are suing oil companies over…
BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana House's tax-writing committee narrowly advanced most of a complex tax overhaul Tuesday that even skeptics called “bold,” though one piece of the package didn’t quite make the cut. House Bill 526 and the associated bills…
BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana House's tax-writing committee advanced without objection Monday competing bills to reduce state income tax rates while cutting tax breaks to make up the difference in state revenue. The House Ways and Means Committee also shot…
BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana House's tax policy committee voted unanimously Thursday to make it more difficult to enact and maintain state tax breaks. Under House Bill 202 by Rep. Stuart Bishop, R-Lafayette, creating a new tax exemption, deduction, rebate or credit…
BATON ROUGE – A Louisiana Senate committee advanced without objection Thursday a proposal to extend the life of the state’s film subsidy program, which may be a tough sell for lawmakers looking to trim or eliminate tax incentives. The motion picture…
BATON ROUGE – A Louisiana House committee has advanced a bill to create a “regulatory sandbox” for companies that use blockchain technology. Blockchain is a type of database for storing digital information, such as cryptocurrency transactions. With his House Bill 482,…
BATON ROUGE – A Louisiana House committee advanced a possible constitutional amendment Tuesday to create a single statewide entity to collect sales taxes. House Bill 199 is the session’s top priority for Republican House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, who is the bill's…
BATON ROUGE – Gov. John Bel Edwards announced his agenda Thursday for the legislative session that starts Monday, including his support for making kindergarten mandatory for every Louisiana student. The estimated cost of the change to the state’s multibillion education budget…
BATON ROUGE – A Louisiana task force voted Thursday to recommend using federal stimulus money to raise the balance of the fund that pays for unemployment benefits to $750 million. The fund has been exhausted by unprecedented demand during the COVID-19-related…
BATON ROUGE – A majority of Louisiana residents favors raising the state’s gasoline tax, though most rather would see the additional money spent improving existing infrastructure instead of building new projects, according to a new survey. Participants in the 2021 Louisiana…
BATON ROUGE – Almost one-third of Louisiana residents, including almost half of the state’s Republicans, don’t want to get vaccinated against COVID-19, according to a new poll. LSU’s Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs conducts the annual Louisiana Survey.…
BATON ROUGE – Colleges and universities have increased fees charged to students as lawmakers cut state spending on higher education, adding thousands of dollars to the cost of getting a degree, according to a new Louisiana Legislative Auditor report. Higher…
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana’s state economic development department estimates the tax incentives it oversees will be worth almost $473 million during the fiscal year that begins July 1. That estimate does not represent proposed state spending. Instead, it’s an estimate…
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana lawmakers should dedicate all of the tax proceeds from legal sports betting to early childhood education, a state commission recommends in a new report. The Louisiana Early Childhood Care and Education Commission is urging the state to immediately…
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana has a long way to go until its economy resumes pre-pandemic economic growth, which wasn’t particularly strong to begin with, the Louisiana Legislature’s top economist said Thursday. “I’ve gotten a lot more optimistic in the last…
BATON ROUGE – Though state government cannot dictate how Louisiana municipalities and parishes use their shares of billions in federal stimulus money, legislators plan to remember how local leaders spent the money when the locals come to Baton Rouge seeking…
BATON ROUGE – Every operating river-adjacent Louisiana casino took in less money last month than the month before and during the same month last year, according to the newest report to the Louisiana Gaming Control Board. The state’s river-adjacent casinos collectively…
BATON ROUGE – With billions in federal stimulus dollars headed to Louisiana, deciding how much money to spend and how to spend it during this year’s two-month fiscal legislative session will be more complex than usual, members of the State…
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana residents can schedule an appointment to receive a COVID-19 vaccine at one of 628 providers this week, the Louisiana Department of Health announced Monday. That total doesn’t include community vaccination events happening around the state this…
BATON ROUGE – New money coming into the state, including federal stimulus and disaster recovery dollars, could help Louisiana seize an opportunity to be more competitive in international trade, a legislative subcommittee heard Thursday. “We’re not doing as much as…
BATON ROUGE – U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 ranking of the best states to live in has Louisiana last for the second year in a row in an analysis that looks at things like healthcare, education and opportunity. The…
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana residents who are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine can schedule an appointment with one of 618 providers this week, the state health department announced Monday. That’s in addition to community vaccination events being held around…
BATON ROUGE– A new business partnership is strongly considering investing $800 million in Gramercy, officials announced Friday. The project could spur the creation of hundreds of permanent jobs and more than 2,000 temporary construction jobs, officials said. A final decision…
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry announced Thursday he signed off on a deal to resolve litigation involving an oil-and-gas company and coastal parishes alleging environmental damage. The Louisiana Legislature would have to create the framework to implement…
BATON ROUGE – Days after announcing their intention to “fundamentally change” the state’s tax structure, the Louisiana Legislature’s top two elected leaders said centralizing the state’s tax collections is their biggest goal for the upcoming legislative session. “That’s our big ask…
BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana State Bond Commission approved up to $300 million in borrowing Thursday for construction projects. The bonds will fund about $288 million in lines of credit, of which $250 million is for state projects, $29 million…
