As he tries to find support for a tax plan, Gov. John Bel Edwards describes himself as “almost agnostic” about which approach Louisiana should take, as long as it gives the state long-term financial stability.
Edwards is looking for a tax package that the majority-Republican Legislature, particularly the more conservative House, could support to close a looming $1 billion-plus budget gap that hits in mid-2018 when temporary sales taxes expire.
To fill the shortfall, the Democratic governor told a Baton Rouge luncheon crowd today that he’d support any mix of ideas for a tax overhaul recommended by the nonpartisan study group created last year by lawmakers.
He added, however, that a good place to begin would be to lessen the number of tax breaks that Louisiana has on the books.
