Hammons just won't quit on his 'don't park in your yard' ordinance
Plus — Gov. Landry launches special session to cut taxes. Hurricane Rafael takes a turn west. Bossier City free-time calendar.
Bossier City weather — Today: Mostly cloudy. Highs in the mid-70s. Tonight: Cloudy. A slight chance of showers after midnight. Lows around 60. Chance of rain 20%. Friday: Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers. A slight chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Highs in the mid-70s. Chance of rain 50%. Friday night: A chance of thunderstorms. Showers. Lows in the lower 60s. Chance of rain 80%.
Beyond Bossier
Hammons just won't quit on his 'don't park in your yard' ordinance
South Bossier councilmember Brian Hammons is nothing if not persistent. And he wants a ban on vehicles parked in front and side yards in Bossier City.
He has brought it up for a vote before the city council more than a handful of times. It fails. And the vote is always two for and five against.
And yet he brought it to another vote at Tuesday's City Council meeting.
"This is nothing new, like I've said before. This is already a law," Hammons told the council. "All this is doing is helping property standards and giving the police the ability to help property standards and write a ticket if need be. That is all this is doing. And I know that we've talked about it's gonna help in lower-income subdivisions."
Each time, he pitches his ordinance to fellow councilmembers with an "I can't believe you won't go along with me on this" tone in his voice.
"The police can come out and write a ticket, and then those people have to appear in court. It's not saying the police are gonna be driving around. They've got better things to do than to drive around every subdivision looking for cars parked in front yards," Hammons added.
Vince Maggio, in a rare show of engagement at the meeting, asked a question.
"Brian, does that count if somebody has a yard trailer parked beside the house?"
"Well, you're not supposed to have a trailer parked in the yard anyway," Hammons answered.
"But beside the house, though, some people can't, you know. The driveways are small, that's how they live. You know, the yard trailer and stuff."
"Well, I understand that, but that's what people are complaining about," Hammons said. "This may not affect your area, but it is affecting my district. And I get complaints on it every single day. And that is why I keep bringing this up. You shoot it down today, I'll bring it up again. I'll just keep bringing it until I can get through to y'all that this is helping the city of Bossier."
Tuesday, the vote was the same: two for, five against.
"So that means when I come to y'all's house, I'm going to park in the front yard," Hammons said after one more defeat — and then added: "Y'all are a joke."
Gov. Landry launches special session calling for the largest tax cuts in Louisiana history
Gov. Jeff Landry launched his ambitious tax plan Wednesday in a speech before a legislative special session and called for revamping the state tax code, positioning it as the largest tax cut in Louisiana history.
At the heart of Landry’s plan is a call for slashing the personal income tax to a flat 3% rate and making the temporary 0.45% state sales tax permanent. Ultimately the governor’s goal is to pave the way for the elimination of the income tax in its entirety.
The proposal also includes significant changes to the corporate tax structure, including the elimination of the corporate franchise tax and a reduction of the corporate income tax rate.
Landry described the franchise tax as a burden on Louisiana’s economy that discourages companies from setting up shop in the state.
Landry aims to offset these reductions by broadening the sales tax base and reducing special-interest tax breaks. He says these changes will help fix Louisiana’s negative population growth and encourage businesses and families to stay in the state.
Eliminating the sales tax on drugs, doubling tax breaks for seniors
“If we do not act, studies show that one in four children will leave our state for better opportunities,” he said. “The time for piecemealing, stalling and kicking the can down the road is over,” Landry told lawmakers.
Beyond income and corporate tax reductions, Landry’s plan includes eliminating the sales tax on prescription drugs and more than doubling the income tax deduction for seniors.
He also proposed finding money for permanent pay raises for teachers by tapping into a $2 billion fund to pay down debts from a teacher retirement program.
The governor framed these reductions as essential investments in Louisiana’s future, suggesting that this relief for seniors and teachers would allow the state to retain talent and improve quality of life.
“Cutting our personal income tax by 30% will trumpet a new day in Louisiana,” he said. “We will effectively eliminate the income tax for the working poor, putting us on a path for eliminating the income tax once and for all,” Landry said.
Ending tax exemptions
To offset those tax cuts, at least in part, Landry wants lawmakers to abolish tax credits and exemptions that currently cost the state $300 million. Ending those exemptions would mean taxing for the first time several dozen services and digital items, such as streaming services that currently are tax-free.
Landry said that if the Legislature does not accept his tax plan in full, then residents will be “stranded halfway across the river.” He said every aspect of his plan must coincide with other parts of the proposal to achieve the kind of change that Louisianians need.
State legislators are privately expressing concern that they will not have enough time or information to make the changes that Landry wants without causing more problems than they solve.
Landry and Revenue Secretary Richard Nelson have been holding private meetings with various lawmakers and making public presentations to promote the plan.
Reaction to the plan
Alan Boxberger, the legislative fiscal officer, told lawmakers his office does not have the time to properly analyze the financial impact of the proposed tax changes on local government revenue in the time frame given, according to the Louisiana Illuminator.
“Landry's trying to make both the largest changes to our tax system that we've seen in 50 years and the largest changes to our Constitution that we've seen in more than 50 years, and he wants to do this in essentially two weeks.” Jan Moller, the executive director of Invest in Louisiana, said in an interview on Audacy.
While there have been some criticisms, Landry has received support from several Republican state representatives thus far, including Rep. Jay Gallé of Mandeville, who expressed optimism about the effort.
"The corporate side of the package is good," Gallé said, adding, "I hope for success. By lowering it during this session, we are setting up for the complete elimination of personal income tax."
Landry has also gained broad support from small business owners, teachers, military veterans, pharmacists and others. Representatives of each group were invited by Landry to attend the session on Wednesday.
In the chamber, Landry acknowledged his guests in the balcony, including Kimberly Wixson, a pharmacist with the Louisiana Pharmacists Association who is currently battling cancer.
Landry’s proposal to expand the sales tax exemption on prescription drugs resonated deeply with Wixson.
“We are the only state to tax prescription drugs. How insane is it that we make people pay for being ill, and in a tax?” Wixson asked.
The House Ways and Means Committee, which initiates tax measures, could begin meeting today to begin hearing bills.
– By Quinn Marceaux, Anna Puleo and Avery Sams/LSU Manship School News Service
Hurricane Rafael enters the Gulf, takes a turn to the west
At 6 a.m. Thursday, the center of Hurricane Rafael was moving through the Gulf of Mexico toward the northwest near nine mph. A turn toward the west at a slower forward speed is expected later today, with this general motion continuing through Saturday.
On the forecast track, Rafael is expected to move over the southern Gulf of Mexico for the next few days.
Maximum sustained winds are near 105 mph with higher gusts. Some weakening is anticipated during the next few days.
Bossier City free time calendar
Live music in Bossier City and other notable events in the area for your free time consideration. If you would like to add an event to the Bossier City free time calendar, send the details to email@bossiernow.com.
November 9: A Candlelit Evening with The Wilder Blue at the Louisiana Grandstand.
November 14: Gabby Barrett live in the Paradise Theater at the Margaritaville Casino.
November 16: Creed, Are You Ready? Tour at the BGA with 3 Doors Down and Mammoth WVH.
November 22: John Michael Montgomery at the Riverdome in the Horseshoe Casino and Hotel.
November 23: William Clark Green brings his "Whole Lotta Lubbock" tour to his debut appearance at the Louisiana Grandstand. Green is tearing up Texas dance halls and filling venues nationwide with his hits like "She Likes The Beatles" and "West Texas in My Eye."
November 29: Neal McCoy in the Paradise Theater at the Margaritaville Casino.
December 5: The Trans-Siberian Orchestra performs The Lost Christmas Eve at the BGA.
December 6: Neo-traditional country artist Braxton Keith at the Louisiana Grandstand.
December 7: Williamson Branch, one of Nashville's fastest-growing family bands, is touring the country with their traditional country sound and will perform at the Louisiana Grandstand.
December 13: Creed Fisher at the Louisiana Grandstand.
December 14: A Candlelit Evening with Marc and Ted Broussard.
December 19: Marcus King, the southern blues & rock guitar phenom, is coming to the Louisiana Grandstand. Marcus will be playing an intimate acoustic evening featuring Drew Smithers.
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