LA. SPECIAL SESSION A Louisiana state House panel has advanced a temporary sales tax measure that would mean about $370 million toward the state's looming fiscal cliff — the first and so far the only significant movement of legislation in the special session that ends in just over a week. Yesterday, after hours of debate in the Ways and Means Committee, HB27 was approved by a near party line vote of 11 –6
The Bill would temporarily extend a third of a sales tax hike…. set to expire June 30th… through 2023 AND allow state sales taxes to be collected on some purchases previously exempt. The Bill’s Sponsor, was Rep. Lance Harris Republican from Alexandria. “This bill I brought forward because I think it probably has best chance of passing ---It’s not gonna be comfortable, but it's not gonna be catastrophic," he explained.
House Bill 27 now advances to the House floor. Other measures that failed like a bill sponsored by Rep. Terry Landry (D-New Iberia ) were aimed at making part of the penny sales tax permanent. “No one likes taxes, but people expect services, people expect hospitals to be operating, and with that comes a cost.”
Landry’s bill was backed by Governor John Bel Edwards and members of the Legislative Black Caucus. So far Harris’s bill is the only one that has been advanced to the House and if passed, would extend about a third of the sales tax for five years . Unless other revenue measures are adopted, it means more funding cuts may be needed balance the budget.
