Can’t say. I only read some of this dirt on Jindal the last few days. I suppose we’ll have to hear more from the Lousiana locals over time.
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/capital/index.ssf?/base/news-6/121082989540410.xml&coll=1
Jindal agrees to eliminate Stelly plan’s tax increases
Starting Jan. 1, rates would fall to 2002 levels
Thursday, May 15, 2008
By Jan Moller
BATON ROUGE — Facing growing momentum for some sort of tax cut, Gov. Bobby Jindal and legislative leaders agreed Wednesday to roll back the 2002 Stelly plan income tax increases starting in 2009.
The deal emerged after several days of backroom negotiations and appears to defuse a politically tenuous situation for Jindal, who did not initially embrace a tax cut even though the state treasury is brimming with record revenue.
Although the agreement still needs ratification from the Legislature, Jindal’s support makes approval of a tax cut likely before the session adjourns June 23.
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http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/18962514.html?showAll=y&c=y
Jindal agrees to compromise on bill
* By MICHELLE MILLHOLLON
* Advocate Capitol News Bureau
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SB87 would tax individual income between $12,500 and $50,000 at 4 percent.
State Rep. Joel Robideaux, No Party-Lafayette, said an additional $25,000 in income would be taxed at 4 percent instead of 6 percent.
The savings will be a significant amount of money, he said.
Jindal initially refused to back the bill.
The legislation — which the Senate turned into an elimination of the state income tax — quickly picked up momentum, especially after an additional $824 million over two financial years was recognized for state government. The Jindal administration and the legislative leadership pulled Shaw into a huddle to talk about a compromise.
The compromise announced Wednesday in a hastily called news conference was to return the bill to its original form with the tax break going into effect on Jan. 1, instead of sooner.
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http://www.americanpress.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2625&Itemid=105
Jindal blesses tax cut (5/15)
Multimedia
By JIM BEAM
AMERICAN PRESS
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Jindal said his stance on the legislation changed because the House Appropriations Committee had removed all one-time money in the proposed 2008-09 budget that was being used for ongoing expenses. He called that legislative fiscal discipline.
Sen. Buddy Shaw, R-Shreveport, is sponsor of the legislation, which started out returning income tax brackets to where they were before the Stelly Plan was enacted in 2002. The plan eliminated state sales taxes on food, utilities and prescription drugs in exchange for higher income taxes.
Shaw said during Senate and House debate that the voters in his area made it clear in his election campaign last fall they didn’t like the increased income taxes they were paying as a result of the Stelly Plan. He said it has been his No. 1 objective to roll back those increases.
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