Sources are telling The Ind that Gov. Bobby Jindal's controversial proposal to eliminate the state's corporate and individual income taxes and replace the lost revenue with a sharp spike and expansion of the state sales tax is finally - and deservedly - dead.
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Sources are telling The Ind that Gov. Bobby Jindal's controversial proposal to eliminate the state's corporate and individual income taxes and replace the lost revenue with a sharp spike and expansion of the state sales tax is finally - and deservedly - dead. A House Ways & Means Committee meeting scheduled for Wednesday was cancelled, and a source close to the process tells us that state Rep. Joel Robideaux, R-Lafayette, has indicated the plan doesn't have enough support to get out of the committee, hence the meeting's cancellation today. Robideaux is Jindal's point man on the tax plan and chairs the committee.
The Louisiana Democratic Party is also announcing the death of the tax swap proposal on its Facebook page, adding that Jindal, whose penchant for retribution against lawmakers is legend, is trying to oust Robideaux as chairman of the powerful Ways & Means Committee. However, another source tells us this would be political suicide for Jindal due to Robideaux's popularity and pull in the lower legislative chamber.
We have a call into Robideaux and others close to the ground at the Capitol and will update this story as soon as possible.