louisiana state legislature

Gov. Jeff Landry’s ambitious tax plan, which had previously encountered minimal resistance, hit its first bump on Thursday as lawmakers balked at applying sales taxes to more goods and services that are tax-free now.

The special session on tax reform is underway at the State Capitol and Gov. Jeff Landry is encouraging lawmakers to pass all his bills to revise the state’s tax code. Landry’s proposal will reduce individual and corporate income taxes while expanding sales tax to more goods and services.

Louisiana lawmakers have so far filed seven maps to consider in a special session brought about after a federal court rejected a congressional redistricting proposal they approved earlier this year. The judge in the case has given legislators until Monday to submit a map with two majority-Black districts in order to comply with the Voting Rights Act.

A bill that would have allowed Louisiana residents to carry a concealed firearm without a permit or training was transformed Wednesday into a proposal to arm teachers in classrooms. A Senate committee amendment to Rep. Danny McCormick’s so-called “constitutional carry” legislation appears to have derailed his pro-gun campaign for the second straight year.

After weeks of debate, Republican state lawmakers ended Louisiana’s redistricting session by pushing through new congressional and state legislative maps that did not increase minority representation, despite Democrats’ and civil rights groups' claims that failing to do so could violate federal law.

In a surprising vote, a Republican-controlled House committee advanced a proposed state Supreme Court map that increases the number of majority-Black districts for the state’s highest court. It was the first time either of the Republican-controlled committees at the center of the redistricting process advanced legislation that would create new majority-minority districts in the state.

Louisiana Senate President Page Cortez and House Speaker Clay Schexnayder hired BakerHostetler law firm to provide “redistricting advice” for at least $10,000 per month for three months, according to a contract legislative staff provided Wednesday night in response to a public records request.

Republican state lawmakers narrowly passed a bill Tuesday that would rein in Gov. John Bel Edwards’ emergency powers, accomplishing the top item on...

Louisiana state lawmakers gave final approval Thursday to a supplemental spending plan that will send $85 million to the state’s bankrupt unemployment...

Another measure aimed at limiting Gov. John Bel Edwards’ authority to impose and enforce coronavirus restrictions advanced in the Louisiana Legislature...