BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) – Louisiana is one of the most federally dependent states in the country, ranking 10th in a recent analysis. The personal finance website WalletHub released a report Wednesday that ranked states’ dependency on the federal…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) – The Louisiana Department of Revenue understated revenues in its 2022 fiscal report by nearly $40 million and failed to maintain controls over payroll processing, the Louisiana Legislative Auditor reports. LLA Mike Waguespack recently published…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) – Louisiana’s combined state and local sales taxes are the highest in the nation, a reality critics contend is one of several tax and spending issues plaguing the state. The Tax Foundation released a report…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — The Louisiana Senate Finance Committee is reviewing two bills Thursday to address the state’s insurance crisis, one to appropriate funding for an incentive program, and another to restrict use of those funds. The third…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — Public transportation use in Louisiana trails the national average, though its rate remains higher than in many southern states, according to analysis from the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana. PAR analyzed federal data…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — Louisiana lawmakers on Thursday approved $22.1 million in education spending from the Education Excellence Fund, a component of the Millennium Trust tied to a 1999 tobacco settlement. State education officials on Thursday presented a…
BATON ROUGE — (The Center Square) — Louisiana tax collections from online sales eclipsed $1 billion in November, just over two years after the state established a commission to tax remote sellers. Renee Roberie, director of the Louisiana Sales and…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — A new Louisiana law regarding age verification for pornographic websites is drawing controversy for several reasons, despite overwhelming support from all but one member of the Louisiana Legislature. Act 440 took effect on Jan.…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — Louisiana took in more money than it spent in 2022, due to higher tax collections and an influx of federal funds, though expenses increased as well, according to the state’s comprehensive annual financial report.…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — The Louisiana Office of Group Benefits filed inaccurate financial reports for the fifth consecutive year in 2022, due in part to the lack of an "effective review and reconciliation process," according to the Louisiana…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — The University of Louisiana System’s total expenses were up while revenues were down in fiscal year 2022, due in part to student enrollment declines and student loan forgiveness, according to the Louisiana Legislative Auditor.…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — More than a third of Louisiana households in the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program will face benefit cuts next year as a result of cost of living adjustments to federal programs. The Louisiana Department of…
NEW ORLEANS (The Center Square) — Entergy Louisiana is proposing a 10-year, $9.6 billion plan to harden the electrical grid in Louisiana, and is seeking approval for the first five years from the Louisiana Public Service Commission. Entergy filed a…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — The Louisiana Firefighters' Retirement System lost $247.4 million in fiscal year 2022, as the system added 91 retirees that increased benefit payouts by $6.2 million, according to a recent financial statement audit. The Louisiana…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — Louisiana is among the worst states in the nation for efforts to "advance energy efficiency in service of decarbonization," according to a recent report. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy released its 2022…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — The Louisiana Office of Tourism should do more to measure the effectiveness of advertising contracts and to improve transparency on how tourism money is spent, according to the Louisiana Legislative Auditor. Auditor Mike Waguespack…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — A new report is putting Louisiana’s crime statistics in the proper perspective, illustrating the dynamic between reforms and public safety using the most recent data. The Pelican Institute released the report "Crime in Louisiana,…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — Issues with pay, caseload and unrealistic expectations were the top themes of a recent job satisfaction survey at the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services, according to the Louisiana Legislative Auditor. Auditor Mike…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — Louisiana’s electricity costs were more than 2 cents per kilowatt hour cheaper than the national average in 2021, according to recent analysis from the U.S. Energy Information Administration. The EIA published new state electricity…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — Louisiana lawmakers studying the state's tax structure reviewed severance, gas, property and other taxes on Wednesday as they prepare for possible changes in the 2023 legislative session. Members of the House Ways and Means…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — The state-funded boarding school Thrive Academy in Baton Rouge continues to struggle with controls over payroll, leave records and other issues, according to the Louisiana Legislative Auditor. Louisiana Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack issued an…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) – Criticism of the Department of Transportation and Development’s plans for Interstate 10 by Attorney General Jeff Landry is getting pushback from DOTD Secretary Shawn Wilson. Landry recently called on DOTD officials to provide more…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — Louisiana and Texas are expected to gain thousands of oil and gas jobs in the coming months, though employment numbers likely won't return to pre-pandemic levels any time soon, according to a new report.…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — Officials with the Louisiana Department of Revenue and Legislative Fiscal Office presented lawmakers with information on the state's sales tax Wednesday as they prepare for potential changes in the 2023 legislative session. Louisiana imposes…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — Louisiana voters approved just three of eight proposed constitutional amendments Tuesday night, all aimed at reducing the burden on taxpayers. Veterans with disabilities will now pay less for property taxes after voters approved Amendment…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — Officials with the Louisiana Department of Revenue and Legislative Fiscal Office broke down the state's income tax structure for lawmakers on Wednesday in the latest meeting focused on revamping the tax system. Lawmakers on…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — Louisiana Lottery sales slumped some in 2022 after a record year in 2021, though revenues remained high, contributing $191.2 million to the state treasury, according to an annual financial report. The Louisiana Legislative Auditor…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — The Louisiana Public Service Commission voted unanimously this week to allow two electrical nonprofit cooperatives to buy power from a Florida-based supplier, overriding objections from power companies Entergy and Cleco that currently control the…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — The Louisiana State Employees' Retirement System lost $1 billion in investments last year, as the plan's unfunded liabilities increased $600 million, according to an independent auditor's report. The Louisiana Legislative Auditor issued a contracted…
BATON ROUGE (The Center Square) — A recent audit of a Louisiana agency that manages flood protection in three parishes found a variety of human resources issues, from alleged discrimination, to civil service rule violations to problems with the agency’s…
