Governor Bobby Jindal

Tobacco Tax Hike Proposals Shelved

Ashley Westerman — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 17:44:44 +0000

All four bills seeking to increase taxes on tobacco products in the state have been voluntarily tabled amid legislative opposition to raising taxes.

WEDNESDAY: Political Pollster Bernie Pinsonat

Jim Engster — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:22:29 +0000

Jim talks with pollster Bernie Pinsonat, with Southern Media and Opinion Research, about Governor Bobby Jindal's sagging approval ratings.

TUESDAY: State Representative Franklin J. Foil, Former MLB Pitcher Dennis Dale "Denny" McLain

Jim Engster — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 16:48:39 +0000

Jim talks with Republican State Representative Franklin J. Foil about the upcoming legislative session and Governor Bobby Jindal's proposed tax plan.

Former MLB Pitcher Dennis Dale "Denny" McLain discusses his experience as the pitcher for the Detroit Tigers and also the upcoming MLB season.

THURSDAY: Blogger Jeff Sadow, Physicist and Author Leonard Mlodinow

Jim Engster — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 14:10:32 +0000

LSU-Shreveport political science professor and blogger Jeff Sadow talks with Jim about Governor Jindal's policies and his support for the Governor.

Physicist and author Leonard Mlodinow discusses his new book, "Subliminal: How Your Subconcious Mind Rules Your Behavior"

Jindal Promises Revenue Neutral Tax Swap

Kelly Connelly — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 18:31:24 +0000

Gov. Bobby Jindal went before the legislature Thursday to unveil his tax proposal. He wants to eliminate the income tax and says the state can make up the gap with a higher and more expansive sales tax.

The proposal would make Louisiana the state with the highest sales tax in the nation. Combined with local sales taxes, Louisianians would pay an average of 10.75 percent in sales tax. And the state would start taxing things that haven’t been taxed before – like landscaping, haircuts, and cable and Internet services.

Tax Reform Risks Local Services, Tax Elections

Kelly Connelly — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 22:28:08 +0000

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are voicing their skepticism of Governor Bobby Jindal’s tax overhauls. The forum this morning: an annual pre-session briefing hosted by the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry.

Jim Patterson of LABI kicked off the presentation with what he’s heard from legislators about their private talks with Governor regarding his still unreleased tax overhauls. "[Gov. Jindal] does want to conform the local sales tax base to the state tax base," Patterson said. "This will help local governments to absorb what are going to be some relegation of services by the state to them.

Jindal Plans Media Campaign For Tax Swap Proposal, But Why Now?

Ashley Westerman — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 13:25:20 +0000

Governor Bobby Jindal wants to eliminate the state income tax and make up for the lost revenue by increasing state sales taxes. He is seeking money to run a media campaign in support of his proposal.

But Louisianians are not likely to be asked to vote on the tax reforms until late 2014. So why lobby support from the general public now?

WRKF’s Ashley Westerman put that question to LSU professor and director of the Manship School’s Public Policy Research Lab Kirby Goidel.

Billion Dollar Decrease in Proposed Budget

Kelly Connelly — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 00:06:24 +0000

Gov. Bobby Jindal invited the press to the Governor's Mansion for a brief preview of his budget, which will be unveiled in full Friday morning before the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget.

The budget totals $24.7 billion. The governor says that's a billion dollar decrease from last year.

The Dept. of Health and Hospitals will see a cut of about $50 million because of a drop in federal funds. Jindal says the budget for higher education will see reductions because of the privatization of some of LSU’s hospitals, but not in other areas.

Jindal Shrugs Off Polls, Denies ALEC Association

Kelly Connelly — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 00:22:27 +0000

Governor Bobby Jindal held an impromptu press conference at a ceremony at the Governor's Mansion honoring the longest-married couples in Louisiana on Valentine’s Day.

When reporters asked about the polls released by the Louisiana Medical Society and Public Policy Polling, which showed approval of the governor below 50 percent, Jindal shrugged off the numbers.

Legislators Again Aim for Executive Branch Transparency

Kelly Connelly — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 21:57:17 +0000

After running on a platform of increased transparency, the Gov. Bobby Jindal has relied on a law that shields gubernatorial documents from public view to dodge open records requests from the press.