BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana lawmakers on Thursday postponed a vote on a key bill in Gov. Jeff Landry’s sweeping and complex tax reform package.
Most of Landry’s proposed bills, granting approximately $2 billion in income and corporate tax cuts, have moved smoothly through the House of Representatives during the state’s third special legislative session of the year. But lawmakers have raised more resistance to a sales tax on dozens of services such as lawnmowing, getting tattoos and using coin-operated laundry machines.
Tabling the bill, which would have raised an estimated $500 million to plug the revenue hole created by the tax cuts, raises questions about whether Landry and his allies have rounded up enough support. The GOP-dominated House requires 70 of its 105 members to vote in support of the bill.
“I think the bill is on life support if it isn’t dead already,” said Republican Rep. Joe Stagni.
Exiting the House chamber on Thursday evening, Landry denied there were not enough votes to pass the bill.