Talking taxes: On Wednesday, SSA Consultants CEO Christel Slaughter testified during the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship hearing on expanding opportunities for small businesses through the tax code. Slaughter is the chair of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Council and was one of four witnesses to testify during the committee hearing. Her testimony focused on current tax reform issues and their effect on small businesses across the U.S.
Shmoozing: Gov. John Bel Edwards has met with eight major film production companies to discuss filming opportunities in the state this week. Edwards has talked with Netflix, Warner Bros., NBC, Universal, HBO, Hulu, CBS and Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group. He urged them to use the state’s Motion Picture Production tax credit, which was implemented in 2002 to attract productions and boost the economy. The tax credit attracted productions such as “Django Unchained” and “12 Years a Slave.” Read the full story.
Power in numbers: New Orleans’ service and hospitality workers are asking for better pay and benefits from a city that drew in billions of dollars last year from the tourists they serve. Workers and others spoke before the New Orleans Community Development Committee on Tuesday to advocate for “sustainable tourism.” Advocates assert the city’s largest economic driver, tourism, is built on the backs of the working poor. Workers are calling for improved affordable transit, local hiring and apprenticeship programs and representation on City Hall’s various committees and boards, news outlets reported. Read the full story.
