Community Corner
Lawmakers Punt On LSU, Southern Football Ticket Tax For Trains
A legislative committee sacked a bill that would have levied a tax on certain college football tickets to help pay for a rail project.
April 24, 2023
13:53
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Lawmakers punt on LSU, Southern football ticket tax for trains
By: Piper Hutchinson - April 24, 2023 1:53 pm
Find out what's happening in Across Louisianafor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Clouds pass over Tiger Stadium on Monday, March 20, 2023, on LSU’s campus in Baton Rouge, La. (Matthew Perschall for Louisiana Illuminator)
A Louisiana legislative committee sacked a bill that would have levied a tax on certain college football tickets to help pay for a passenger rail project between Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
House Bill 621, sponsored by Rep. Mack Cormier, D-Belle Chasse, would have levied a $1 per ticket tax on LSU and Southern football tickets to fund a long-anticipated passenger rail project that’s estimated to cost $1.4 billion.
The bill would have brought in approximately $1 million per year.
The committee killed the bill on a 10-4 vote, with Rep. Joseph Orgeron joining Democrats in supporting the bill.
The bill’s primary opposition came from Speaker Pro Tempore Rep. Tanner Magee, R-Houma, who questioned why the tax would not apply to the Saints, Tulane or sports beyond football.
Magee pointed out that the burden of the tax would fall primarily on Baton Rouge, while no entities in New Orleans would be impacted.
Cormier said he wanted to only levy the tax on public universities, which would rule out Tulane and the Saints, and only on football tickets, which would rule out other public universities in New Orleans.
Rep. Matthew Willard, D-New Orleans, echoed Magee’s concerns, but asked Cormier to consider amendments that would place the tax on events in New Orleans to make the cost more equitable. Cormier indicated he would be open to amending the bill on the house floor.
Committee Chair Stuart Bishop objected to advancing the bill, forcing a committee vote, which ultimately failed.
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Piper Hutchinson is a reporter for the Louisiana Illuminator. She has covered the Legislature and state government extensively for the LSU Manship News Service and The Reveille, where she was named editor in chief for summer 2022.
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The Louisiana Illuminator is an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization driven by its mission to cast light on how decisions are made in Baton Rouge and how they affect the lives of everyday Louisianians, particularly those who are poor or otherwise marginalized.
