URGENT ALERT ON SENATE BILL 335
by GOP CHAIRMAN ROGER VILLERE

Please call your state senator at (225) 342-2040 and urge him/her to vote NO on Senate Bill 335 by Lydia Jackson.

SB 335 is a $118 million dollar per year Income Tax increase. It was passed a yesterday by the Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee. It is being personally and heavily lobbied by liberal Democrat Senate President Joel Chaisson and may very well pass the Senate late next week.

Current law phases out provisions of the Stelly Plan to allow taxpayers 100% of their federal itemized deductions on their state returns for 2009. Jackson’s bill freezes deductions at their current level for another three years – effectively raising taxes retroactively during a recession.

Did you know that state spending grew from $10 billion in 1996 to $30 billion last year? It is time to trim the size and scope of state government. But some legislators seem obsessed with raising taxes instead. Please make your voice heard at the State Capitol!

I have heard the suggestion today that we allow as many Democrats as possible to vote for this tax increase and then wrap it around their necks at re-election time. And while I certainly plan to do so, we must lobby all senators to vote NO and not take this vote for granted. After all, few expected the bill to make it this far. Therefore, I am calling on all Republican voters to contact their state senators immediately and urge them to vote NO on SB 335.