State Tax Renewal Fails In House By 7 Votes

A $360 million tax renewal has failed to pass in the Louisian House of Representatives.

State representatives voted 63-38 Friday afternoon. That was seven votes short of the 70 need to pass HB 27 sponsored by State Rep. Lance Harris (R-Alexandria).

The bill would fill about $360 million of the budget gap looming over the state's coffers come July 1. Even if the bill, advanced by the Republican controlled House Ways and Means Committee, had passed, lawmakers would still have to find about $300 million to avoid cuts to state services for fiscal year 2018-2019.

Four days into the special session and the tax renewal was, so far, the only significant piece of legislation that has made it to the House floor.

The measure would have resulted in consumers paying a state sales tax of 4.3 percent after July 1st and it’s expected to generate 370-million dollars in revenue, but the shortfall is pegged at 648-million.

Public Affairs Research Council President Robert Travis Scott said the bill was the best opportunity at reducing the proposed cuts within state government.

But it’s unclear if this legislation has the 70 votes to get full House approval. Below is a list of how legislators voted on HB 27.

HB 27 Final Vote ( www.legis.la.gov)