Legislator says tax reform that hurts poor would be ‘dead on arrival’

State Rep. Joel Robideaux, R-Lafayette and chairman of the House Ways and Means committee, says any tax reform package that increases the burden on the poor or working poor would be “dead on arrival.” He says lawmakers are discussing how to protect low-income workers and state retirees who otherwise would be losers if the state eliminates income taxes and raises sales taxes. The Jindal administration says it is working on ways to offset the impact on the poor. But state Rep. John Bel Edwards—an Amite Democrat who on Wednesday announced his intentions to run for governor in 2015—says any allowance made to one group in a revenue-neutral tax swap must be made up by taking more money from another group. He says oil and gas companies already are “screaming about” the possibility of losing severance tax exemptions. “I see this as a tax increase on most individuals” and a boon for high-earners, Edwards says. Jason DeCuir of the Department of Revenue says the administration envisions two bills: one that would eliminate the income tax and expand the sales tax base, and one that would create a single statewide sales tax collection body. Edwards says the first bill might run afoul of the state constitution’s requirement that bills have a single object, and suggests the state Legislature can’t constitutionally enlarge the scope of sales taxes beyond what voters have already approved in their local districts. Leaders With Vision, a new civic group, held a panel discussion about tax reform today. —David Jacobs