Income tax amendment headed to voters this October
The constitutional amendment will lower the cap on state income taxes to 4.75%.
The constitutional amendment will lower the cap on state income taxes to 4.75%.
For the second time this week, a proposed constitutional amendment that would have expanded the Louisiana Supreme Court from seven to nine members fell short of the needed two-thirds majority.
The Senate moved aside contentious bills to advance legislation. The House approved a state holiday for Juneteenth.
Legislation is advancing in a hurry as the session’s end nears.
Legislators are spending a lot of money on roads, bridges and pet projects. Lafayette Parish is a big winner there.
Since consolidation, the city of Lafayette has spent more than $100 million propping up the parish’s perpetually faltering finances. $100 million can buy a lot of opportunity.
After a roughshod search, the Guillory administration appointed LUS Fiber’s first-ever independent director, moving forward with a hire against the advice of its expert consultant.
The bill, HB274 by Rep. Stuart Bishop, R.-Lafayette, failed to pass Wednesday on a 66-26 vote, four votes short of the 70 needed for passage. It passed upon reconsideration Thursday by a landslide.
The administration took advantage of emergency declarations made by LCG and the state to push the appropriations through. Now it’s got a pool of funding that can be deployed without going to bid, just ahead of hurricane season.
A crucial 14 members were not recorded voting on the constitutional amendment, including Rep. Julie Emerson, R-Carencro, who was absent Wednesday, and Rep. Vincent Pierre, D-Lafayette, who was present and had voted on other bills shortly before.
The past and current mayor-president have used loopholes to appoint unqualified directors for LUS and LUS Fiber without the City Council’s approval.
Gov. John Bel Edwards has vowed to veto any bill removing the training requirement, but both the House and Senate versions passed by more than a two-thirds vote.
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