Governor Jeff Landry says his tax plan will offer Louisiana "a path forward (from) "Louisiana's failing tax system." Now, the race is on to convince Louisiana voters that the change is needed.
"The messaging is going to be income tax cuts for all," LAPolitics.com publisher Jeremy Alford said to WWL's Tommy Tucker on Wednesday.
According to Alford, Landry and a conservative think tank will be pushing to lawmakers and voters ahead of a November special legislative session that Landry says he will call.
"The Pelican Institute has launched a six-figure media buy starting this week to push what is there plan," Alford said. "There is some overlap between what the governor is talking about doing and what the Pelican Institute is talking about doing with a few exceptions. The Pelican Institute also wants to enhance spending limitations on the legislature so that there would be new expectations about how much spending could take place."
Alford says ultimately, Landry and special interest groups will have to convince both legislators and voters that these changes are needed to improve the state's finances.
"A lot of these big items are going to have to be approved by voters on the ballot so they can change the (state) constitution to implement some of these changes," Alford said.
But to get on the ballot, those items would have to clear the legislature. Alford says a single lawmaker could torpedo Landry's plan. That lawmakers, Alford says, is the same one who killed any chance of Landry getting the special session he wanted over the summer.
"Anyone who needs to do anything through both chambers has to go sit down and meet with Cameron Henry," Alford said. "His big thing has been that if you senators along for the ride on this, governor, you need to show us the details. That's been the big holdup. There have not been many details shown prior to these efforts."
Alford says he expects Landry to release more details about his tax reform plans during the day on Wednesday.
