by Sheila McCant, Public Information Officer
The Stelly Plan was the focus of one of the House Ways and Means Committee hearings this week. More than 25 bills have been filed in the House to repeal or amend the plan. Although there was considerable debate of the issue, no action was taken. The committee is expected to vote on the issue later in the session when there is a better idea of how all tax exemptions will affect the budget.
The full House also considered tax breaks this week, including House Bill 772 which was introduced in an effort to attract the ThyssenKrupp AG steel mill. Less than 24 hours after the House unanimously passed the legislation, the company announced it had selected Alabama for the site of its new mill.
The House Insurance Committee considered bills this week to lower the cost and increase the availability of property insurance in the state. Some of the bills of interest considered by committees and the full House this week can be found in the full edition located here.
Showing posts with label Stelly plan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stelly plan. Show all posts
May 15, 2007
April 02, 2007
WHAT ABOUT OUR MIDDLE CLASS?
STATE SPENDING BALLOONS: BUT WHAT ABOUT OUR MIDDLE CLASS?
By: Rep. Tim Burns, District 89
Mandeville, LA
PLIGHT OF THE MIDDLE CLASS
The plight of Louisiana’s middle class was poignantly illustrated in an article which recently appeared in the Times Picayune entitled “Broken Dreams.” The byline of the article stated that many residents in the post-Katrina era are finding themselves faced with higher expenses and struggling to simply make ends meet. The article profiled Demetrious and Sondra Dillon, a working couple and parents trying to rebuild their lives after Katrina. Like so many who evacuated after the 2005 hurricanes, they were forced to live off of their savings, their credit cards and their cash at hand. Many also lost their jobs in addition to their houses. The Dillon’s tale is repeated over and over throughout Southeast Louisiana as residents struggle to rebuild their careers, their families and their lives.
Couples such as the Dillons are the fabric of our society, hard-working, taxpaying citizens. Yet they seem often ignored by state government. The 2007-2008 budget recently unveiled by the administration contains spending of nearly $30 billion dollars, which puts Louisiana 3rd in the nation in terms of per capita spending according to the latest figures by the Tax Foundation.
TAX REFORM
Rather than spend all of the surplus, why not return some of it to the people who need it most, namely the taxpaying citizens, who are trying to get back on their feet and are burdened with higher insurance payments. Many of my constituents told me that they paid more state income tax when they filed their return than federal income tax. When our citizens are paying more state income tax on tax filing day then federal income tax, then there is definitely a problem. The 2002 Stelly plan, which I vigorously opposed as a citizen activist, (I was not yet elected to the legislature) was inaccurately sold to the voters as an equitable swap in income taxes for sales taxes. Unfortunately, it has turned out to be is a boondoggle for the state and a burden for the middle class, resulting in significantly higher tax payments. I will be filing several bills in the upcoming legislative session to repeal all or part of Stelly.
INSURANCE REFORM
Last year I was successful in passing legislation giving citizens an extra year to file their damage claims from hurricanes. This year I want to help further reform Louisiana’s insurance laws to make coverage more affordable for residents. Ideally, a program could be underwritten by the federal government (like federal flood insurance), which would provide affordable wind and hail coverage for our citizens. Although several bills are pending in Congress, the state needs to act also. I intend to file legislation giving tax credits for making one's home more storm proof and requiring insurer discounts for any hazard mitigation provisions. I would also favor making the insurance industry more competitive so that we are not held hostage by a few big insurers. Finally, I will continue to promote and file legislation to prohibit insurance companies from taking advantage of ordinary citizens.
By: Rep. Tim Burns, District 89
Mandeville, LA
PLIGHT OF THE MIDDLE CLASS
The plight of Louisiana’s middle class was poignantly illustrated in an article which recently appeared in the Times Picayune entitled “Broken Dreams.” The byline of the article stated that many residents in the post-Katrina era are finding themselves faced with higher expenses and struggling to simply make ends meet. The article profiled Demetrious and Sondra Dillon, a working couple and parents trying to rebuild their lives after Katrina. Like so many who evacuated after the 2005 hurricanes, they were forced to live off of their savings, their credit cards and their cash at hand. Many also lost their jobs in addition to their houses. The Dillon’s tale is repeated over and over throughout Southeast Louisiana as residents struggle to rebuild their careers, their families and their lives.
Couples such as the Dillons are the fabric of our society, hard-working, taxpaying citizens. Yet they seem often ignored by state government. The 2007-2008 budget recently unveiled by the administration contains spending of nearly $30 billion dollars, which puts Louisiana 3rd in the nation in terms of per capita spending according to the latest figures by the Tax Foundation.
TAX REFORM
Rather than spend all of the surplus, why not return some of it to the people who need it most, namely the taxpaying citizens, who are trying to get back on their feet and are burdened with higher insurance payments. Many of my constituents told me that they paid more state income tax when they filed their return than federal income tax. When our citizens are paying more state income tax on tax filing day then federal income tax, then there is definitely a problem. The 2002 Stelly plan, which I vigorously opposed as a citizen activist, (I was not yet elected to the legislature) was inaccurately sold to the voters as an equitable swap in income taxes for sales taxes. Unfortunately, it has turned out to be is a boondoggle for the state and a burden for the middle class, resulting in significantly higher tax payments. I will be filing several bills in the upcoming legislative session to repeal all or part of Stelly.
INSURANCE REFORM
Last year I was successful in passing legislation giving citizens an extra year to file their damage claims from hurricanes. This year I want to help further reform Louisiana’s insurance laws to make coverage more affordable for residents. Ideally, a program could be underwritten by the federal government (like federal flood insurance), which would provide affordable wind and hail coverage for our citizens. Although several bills are pending in Congress, the state needs to act also. I intend to file legislation giving tax credits for making one's home more storm proof and requiring insurer discounts for any hazard mitigation provisions. I would also favor making the insurance industry more competitive so that we are not held hostage by a few big insurers. Finally, I will continue to promote and file legislation to prohibit insurance companies from taking advantage of ordinary citizens.
March 30, 2007
A LOOK AT THE STELLY PLAN
by Rep. Steve Scalise
District 82
With a projected surplus of more than $1 billion, we have a unique opportunity this session to make significant reforms to our state's tax code. Rather than spending all of the surplus on new government programs, we should use at least half of this money to reduce the tax burden on families and businesses throughout Louisiana.
The most effective way the Legislature can help families is to repeal the tax increases brought on by the Stelly Plan. The Stelly Plan made a number of changes to our tax code. While it repealed the state sales tax on food and household utilities, it also increased personal income tax brackets and repealed some tax deductions that were enjoyed by families. The overall result of this change has turned out to be a multi-million dollar net increase of new taxes the state is collecting.
Legislation has already been pre-filed this year to modify the Stelly Plan to make it revenue- neutral rather than a large tax increase. Some bills will restore the excess itemized deductions for things like home mortgage interest and charitable contributions that were eliminated by the Stelly Plan. Other legislation will reduce income taxes by compressing the brackets closer to their levels before the plan took effect. Of course these proposals will spark an interesting debate on tax policy that will impact hundreds of thousands of families in Louisiana.
Over the last 20 years, Louisiana has been the only state in the South to lose population. Based on the loss of population we have been experiencing, we will lose a seat in Congress after the next reapportionment in 2010 unless we quickly start making our state more competitive. A large part of that exodus has been middle-class families. If we pass these tax cuts, we will be sending an important message to middle-class families that we want to become more competitive with states like Texas and Florida that have no personal income tax. We will also be sending a message that we want to reverse the trend of out-migration and bring back families who have left.
District 82
With a projected surplus of more than $1 billion, we have a unique opportunity this session to make significant reforms to our state's tax code. Rather than spending all of the surplus on new government programs, we should use at least half of this money to reduce the tax burden on families and businesses throughout Louisiana.
The most effective way the Legislature can help families is to repeal the tax increases brought on by the Stelly Plan. The Stelly Plan made a number of changes to our tax code. While it repealed the state sales tax on food and household utilities, it also increased personal income tax brackets and repealed some tax deductions that were enjoyed by families. The overall result of this change has turned out to be a multi-million dollar net increase of new taxes the state is collecting.
Legislation has already been pre-filed this year to modify the Stelly Plan to make it revenue- neutral rather than a large tax increase. Some bills will restore the excess itemized deductions for things like home mortgage interest and charitable contributions that were eliminated by the Stelly Plan. Other legislation will reduce income taxes by compressing the brackets closer to their levels before the plan took effect. Of course these proposals will spark an interesting debate on tax policy that will impact hundreds of thousands of families in Louisiana.
Over the last 20 years, Louisiana has been the only state in the South to lose population. Based on the loss of population we have been experiencing, we will lose a seat in Congress after the next reapportionment in 2010 unless we quickly start making our state more competitive. A large part of that exodus has been middle-class families. If we pass these tax cuts, we will be sending an important message to middle-class families that we want to become more competitive with states like Texas and Florida that have no personal income tax. We will also be sending a message that we want to reverse the trend of out-migration and bring back families who have left.
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