Tax reform briefing set for Thursday

The Jindal administration will brief lawmakers on the governor’s tax reform package at Thursday’s joint committee meeting, says Speaker of the House Chuck Kleckley, R-Lake Charles. A meeting of the House Ways and Means and Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs committees is scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday. Kleckley expects Lafayette Republican Rep. Joel Robideaux, chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, to hold several hearings at which the tax package can be examined, starting next Tuesday. Kleckley says he’s unsure of the details of the package, but adds administration officials have worked hard to keep the sales tax increase in the 1% to 2% range and to minimize the impact on low-income and fixed-income residents. “I talk to legislators from other states across the country,” he says. “Their eyes are on Louisiana. They want to see what we’re going to do and how we’re going to do it. If we’re successful with this tax reform, I think other states will follow our lead.” The Jindal administration says it hopes to eliminate income taxes and corporate franchise taxes, while raising the same amount of revenue by raising sales taxes, scaling back exemptions and broadening the sales tax base. —David Jacobs