By MELINDA DESLATTE Associated Press
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards is suggesting he’d jettison any pricey tax exemptions that might reach his desk this legislative session.
The Democratic governor says lawmakers shouldn’t be creating new tax break programs less than a year after reaching a tax compromise that ended nearly a decade of budget instability.
Lawmakers are proposing to restore suspended sales tax holidays. Republicans and Democrats have suggested creating new tax exemptions for low-producing oil wells, rural job investments, certain health providers and feminine hygiene products. And some Republicans want to rework or remove the state sales tax passed last year as the centerpiece of the tax deal.
Edwards left himself wiggle room, not saying he’d reject every tax break that reaches his desk. But he says he won’t support “any high-dollar” tax breaks.