CHICAGO - Louisiana would need $21.6 billion to pay all of its bills, including public employers’ pension benefits, according to a new ranking of the states’ fiscal health based on pre-pandemic data. Louisiana ranked 40th among the 50 states on fiscal…
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana lawmakers advanced two new tax breaks for individuals on Monday while punting on a corporate tax incentive proposal tied to a pending constitutional amendment. House Bill 78 by Rep. Beau Beaullieu called for allowing local political…
BATON ROUGE - Bring in at least $423,138 in yearly income, and you’ll be among the top 1 percent of earners in Louisiana, according to a 24/7 Wall St. analysis of the ultra wealthy in every state. The $423,138 threshold…
BATON ROUGE – A Louisiana Senate committee on Wednesday trimmed a House-passed tax break for the oil-and-gas industry, hoping to balance economic benefit with state government needs. In its original form, House Bill 29 by Rep. Phillip DeVillier, a Eunice…
BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana House of Representatives on Wednesday night put off voting on a $100 million-plus spending bill after members balked at committing money to local projects at the expense of public defense and the state’s unemployment trust…
METAIRIE - Ochsner Medical Center was rated the best hospital in Louisiana, according to a U.S. News & World Report analysis that ranked the top medical facilities in states and metro areas. The New Orleans hospital is nationally ranked in one…
BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana House of Representatives on Tuesday voted to spend more taxpayer money on this fall’s elections while banning local officials from taking private money to fund election expenses. Though there was little discussion by the full…
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana’s House of Representatives on Tuesday approved a tax break for the oil and gas industry that could be worth $157 million, though supporters said the estimate is exaggerated. House Bill 29 by Rep. Phillip DeVillier, a…
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana legislators are looking to carve out money from a $275 million federally funded small-business relief fund, though the state treasurer says the money already has been claimed. Lawmakers created the Louisiana Main Street Recovery Grant Program…
BATON ROUGE – A Louisiana Senate committee on Tuesday began the process of suspending laws that call for raising taxes and cutting benefits when the state’s unemployment trust fund balance runs low. Taken together, the bills and resolutions essentially freeze…
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana legislative leaders this summer ousted John Carpenter, head of the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Office, and replaced him Christopher Keaton, a veteran Fiscal Office analyst. Senate President Page Cortez, a Lafayette Republican, expects the change in leadership…
BATON ROUGE – The $48 million Louisiana lawmakers recently appropriated for public defense is appreciated but not enough to ensure defendants get fair trials, officials said Monday. The $45 dollar “conviction fee” public defenders rely on for much of their…
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana officials on Friday temporarily avoided triggering the business tax increases and worker benefit cuts that could be needed to replenish the state’s shrinking unemployment insurance trust fund, though no one has yet proposed a permanent solution.…
BATON ROUGE – State Treasurer John Schroder said he is about to stop taking applications for the $275 million Main Street Recovery Grant Program because of the high demand. The Louisiana Legislature create the program to reimburse small businesses for…
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana’s fiscal health before the coronavirus hit was dismal, and the state is likely to come out of the current financial crisis even worse, a new report says. Louisiana’s elected officials have made repeated financial decisions that…
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana has regained more than half of the jobs it had lost since the low point of the pandemic-related recession, the Louisiana Workforce Commission reported Friday. The state has gained 133,400 jobs since April, according to preliminary…
BATON ROUGE – The federal government has granted Louisiana a $1.2 billion line of credit for flood mitigation, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Thursday. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is providing the funding to support the flood mitigation…
BATON ROUGE – Every casino in Louisiana took in less money in August than during August 2019, according to the latest revenue report made public Thursday. Every casino but one took in less money last month than the month before.…
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana legislators are hoping to find a way to avoid the higher business taxes and fees that could kick in next year to replenish the state unemployment insurance trust fund. Employers pay taxes to support the fund…
BATON ROUGE – The Louisiana State Bond Commission on Thursday approved 61 local tax elections that will appear on voters’ December ballots, amid discussions about whether commission members should get involved in the policy debates behind those proposals. The commission…
BATON ROUGE – Hurricane Laura caused about $1.6 billion in agriculture and forestry losses in Louisiana, more than hurricanes Katrina and Rita combined, according to a preliminary estimate. Laura caused about $525.4 million in damage to Louisiana farmers and $1.1…
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana legislators asked Monday if a program meant to help small-business owners with COVID-19-related expenses could be streamlined. Lawmakers created the Main Street Recovery Grant Program with $275 million allocated through the federal CARES Act. Business owners…
BATON ROUGE – The federal program meant to help workers who lost wages due to the COVID-19 pandemic and response has ended. The White House authorized the Federal Emergency Management Agency to spend up to $44 billion to add $300…
BATON ROUGE – Hurricane Laura caused significant but not catastrophic damage to oil and gas infrastructure in southwest Louisiana, officials said Wednesday. Restoring electricity and helping workers return home are bigger concerns, they said. “This has been a tremendous hit…
BATON ROUGE - Hotel job losses in Louisiana will number 54,182 this year, out of a total of 120,404 hotel jobs in the state, according to projections by the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Hotel job losses and employee furloughs…
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana’s Republican legislative majority and Democratic governor couldn’t agree on how to safely hold an election during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the decision may be out of their hands. Three Louisiana voters, the state chapter of the…
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana’s response to Hurricane Laura likely will cost more than $700 million, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Wednesday. If spending reaches that threshold, the state’s share of the cost would be 10 percent, with the federal government…
BATON ROUGE - Taxpayers in Louisiana turn over 9.9 percent of their income per capita to state and local governments, the 20th highest percentage among the 50 states, according to an analysis by the website 24/7 Wall St. State residents…
BATON ROUGE – Louisiana will stay in “phase two” of the White House-approved restrictions meant to control the spread of COVID-19 for at least two additional weeks, Gov. John Bel Edwards said Wednesday. Crowds will remain limited to 50 people,…
BATON ROUGE – Casino revenue in Louisiana was down about 10 percent last month compared to last July, though the Baton Rouge market was up almost 5 percent, according to state regulators’ most recent report. The state’s gaming sector was…
