Louisiana governor calling legislature into special session to address tax reform

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said he will call the legislature into session in November “to solve the fiscal crisis and implement the “Louisiana Forward plan.”

He talked about his plan to address tax reform and said it “will provide an immediate increase in take-home pay for every Louisiana taxpayer.” He also noted an estimated shortfall that could affect services like education, higher education and health care.

“When fully implemented by the legislature, and ratified by the people of this state will produce more jobs, a greater prosperity, lower our taxes, and bring us a sustainable budget,” Landry said.

Voters will determine whether to adopt the plan at the March election.

Earlier this year, Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming pushed for the elimination of personal income taxes . He said this would lead to more jobs, investments and economic growth.

At the time, Fleming said, “Louisiana does not have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem.”

Part of Landry’s proposal is to reduce the income tax and expand the sales tax to more items.

He said, “we must address our failing tax system that continues the fits of revenue shortfalls that we have all become accustomed to.”

If unaddressed, he said, the state will face a crisis.

The governor said, “we are estimating an over $700 million shortfall which possibly could balloon to $1.5 billion in the near future based upon impending statutory revenue impacts.”

Budget cuts, he said, would jeopardize more pay for teachers, recent education reforms that were passed, health care infrastructure and higher education.

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