Vote "YES" for More Jobs, Lower Tax Rates in Louisiana

Louisiana REALTORS • October 21, 2021

Louisiana REALTORS® officially endorses Constitutional Amendment #1 and #2 on November 13th ballot.

Attendees at a recent Louisiana REALTORS® Town Hall meeting overwhelmingly indicated support for Constitutional Amendment #1 and #2 after a presentation by Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives Clay Schexnayder, Chair of the House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee Stuart Bishop, and Representative Beau Beaullieu. View the recording of that presentation here. 


Louisiana REALTORS® Board of Directors at the October 6 meeting in Lafayette, LA voted for the association to officially endorse the two proposed constitutional amendments. These two amendments are part of major tax reforms that policy groups and task forces have been discussing for years and now is the time to make these discussions a reality.


In supporting these measures, Louisiana REALTORS® joins countless business groups that have publicly expressed support for the fiscal reform amendments.

  • Constitutional Amendment #1 : Streamline Local Sales Tax Collection

    Louisiana ranks 49th out of 50 states in terms of how we collect sales taxes. That’s because where almost every other state has just one, we have 54 local tax collectors for our 64 parishes, and among them are more than 100 different local tax rates. 


    In-state businesses required to charge local sales tax have to remit to these collectors separately, while out-of-state retailers like Wayfair have one simple portal. 


    The current system is archaic and cumbersome and puts our home-grown businesses at a disadvantage.

  • Constitutional Amendment #2: Simplify Our Tax Code

    Tax Simplification would lower tax rates in exchange for removing the FIT from the State Constitution, and if passed by voters, this amendment triggers a trio of companion bills into effect that together create a simpler system with lower rates, helping Louisiana

    to recruit more jobs here. Specifically, the amendment and accompanying bills:


    • Cap personal income tax at 4.75% - that would be the lowest in the South and fourth lowest in the country (amendment)
    • Remove current individual income tax brackets from the State Constitution, allowing the Legislature to lower rates (amendment)
    • Remove the FIT requirement from Louisiana’s Constitution (amendment)
    • Lower rates in the 3 brackets for personal income tax, lowering the highest from 6% to 4.25% (HB278)
    • Collapses corporate tax brackets from 5 to 3, capping the highest at 7.5% (HB 292)
    • Eliminate the Corporate Franchise Tax on the first $300,000 of taxable capital, lowers the tax from $3 to $2.75 per thousand on capital greater than $300,000 (SB 161)

    In an analysis of the plan, the Washington DC-based Tax Foundation predicted that these tax reform measures will finally move Louisiana out of the bottom ten states in business tax climate rankings.

View Sample Ballot Language

The proposed amendments do not impose or raise new or existing taxes but seek to put us in line with how almost all other states collect sales taxes and stabilize our state income tax rates and budget. 


Both amendments will help all businesses and individuals as it relates to sales tax collections and personal & corporate income tax rates being lowered.  Louisiana REALTORS encourages you to learn more facts about these amendments by visiting untangleourtaxes.com or by viewing the Public Affairs Research Council 2021 Guide to Constitutional Amendments.
Download Campaign Details

2026 Legislative Session Scoop - Week 1 Recap

By Louisiana REALTORS® • March 13, 2026
Louisiana’s 2026 Regular Session opened this week with several developments that matter directly to REALTORS ®, property managers and housing providers, alongside some broader political shifts worth watching. HB 292: Security Deposit Return Timelines Rep. Delisha Boyd’s HB 292, which addresses procedures for returning residential security deposits, was deferred to next week. This provides additional time for stakeholders to engage with members on practical impacts for lease administration, move out inspections and documentation standards. We’ll continue working to ensure any changes to deposit law are clear, workable and do not expose housing providers to unreasonable liability. Land Use and Development: St. James Parish Decision The Louisiana Supreme Court’s recent St. James Parish decision significantly tightens the standards for overturning local land use decisions, reinforcing that zoning and permitting authority rests with parish and municipal governments as long as their decisions are not arbitrary or capricious. For real estate and development, that means more predictability if projects are aligned with adopted plans and ordinances, but also higher stakes in local elections, planning processes and parish-level negotiations. Governor’s State of the State In his State of the State address, Governor Jeff Landry reiterated his push to phase out the state income tax, expand the LA GATOR and MJ Foster scholarship and workforce programs, and replace vehicle inspection stickers with a QR code system. These programs frame a debate around long-term competitiveness, workforce readiness and household cost of living which are all key drivers of housing demand and migration patterns. Business & Market Trends The business community is focusing the session on insurance, workforce and energy. Commercial and property insurance costs remain a top concern for employers and property owners, and we are monitoring civil justice and insurance reform proposals that could affect market stability and availability. At the same time, Louisiana is seeing more than $100 billion in announced industrial and data center projects, which could reshape local markets, labor conditions and housing needs in multiple regions of the state. Please view the weekly bill tracking report at the link below provided by our lobbying team over at Harris, DeVille and Associates.
Louisiana real estate regulations are designed to protect consumers

How Real Estate Regulations and Recent Policy Updates Protect Louisiana Homebuyers

By Louisiana REALTORS® • March 11, 2026
Learn how Louisiana real estate regulations, disclosure laws, and licensing standards help protect homebuyers and create safer, more transparent transactions.

2025 Awards Nominations

By Louisiana REALTORS® • March 9, 2026
Nominations are open now through April 24, 2026, for the Louisiana REALTORS® 2025 REALTOR® of the Year & the 2025 Lawrence R. DeMarcay, Jr. Distinguished Service Award. Both awards are aimed to showcase an individual who has volunteered their time in service to the real estate industry. Recipients of the awards will be recognized during the Spring Legislative Conference. (Registration coming soon!) Please see the below links with the selection criteria and consider submitting a nomination today. Contact Donna Teekel at (225) 224-0704 or dteekel@larealtors.org with any questions.
Show More