Louisiana House of Representatives. (JC Canicosa/Louisiana Illuminator)
The central elements of a bid to revamp Louisiana’s tax system by swapping more sales taxes for a lower flat tax on income cleared the state House of Representatives on Tuesday.
House lawmakers approved a handful of bills from Gov. Jeff Landry’s tax package, which would affect virtually every worker, business and local government in the state.
The bills each received support from roughly 78% or more of the Republican-majority House voting in favor of the changes. Opposition came from around a dozen or so lawmakers, mostly Democrats.
Tax bills require passage with two-thirds of the Legislature, which equates to 70 votes in the House and 26 in the Senate. Voters statewide have to approve the changes when they appear on the ballot next March.
Louisiana Revenue Secretary Richard Nelson has touted the plan as a way to broaden the state’s tax base by getting more people into the system, which could ease the burden on those who currently pay taxes and also increase state revenues.