(The Center Square) — The bill that would create a flat income tax rate of 3% started to move through the committee process on Thursday.
House Bill 1 was presented by Rep. Julie Emerson, R-Lafayette, to the House Ways and Means committee.
The committee approved the bill and it is now headed to the appropriations committee on Friday for a second round of deliberation.
In total, the bill could cost the state approximately $1.3 billion in revenue, leaving many legislators uncertain whether or not the rest of the reforms will be able to find new funding.
Gov. Jeff Landry’s proposal includes an equally monumental increase in the list of taxed goods and services, 111 and 41, respectively.
When presenting the reform, Rep. Mandie Landry, D-New Orleans, and Emerson sparred over whether these new taxes could be justified.
“I thought Republicans didn’t want to [add new taxes],” Landry said. Landry, along with many in the Democratic party are “apprehensive” about the changes, as the party said on Wednesday on X.
“We like lowering the rates and broadening the base. We like more taxpayers coming in, people who are driving through pay sales tax,” Emerson responded.
Without a vote of approval, much of Landry’s tax reform package could be left in limbo. Legislators would be more than apprehensive of expanding the list of taxed goods and services without a reduction of the income tax.
“The people need the entire package, not just a slice,” Landry said in his testimony before the committee. “As I visit with businesses, again and again, and stakeholders and investors around the country…are consistently complaining and begrudging the complexity in navigating our tax code.”
