The Louisiana House of Representatives rejected a bill that would have established a tax credit for low-income homeowners who pay insurance premiums. The bill, Senate Bill 235, was defeated by a 53-48 vote.
Authored by Sen. Royce Duplessis (D-New Orleans), the bill was presented to the House by Rep. Neil Riser (R-Columbia). Despite attempts to amend the bill to limit the tax credits to $1 million, many Republicans remained opposed, citing concerns about establishing additional tax credits.
During the debate, Rep. Mandie Landry (D-New Orleans) expressed frustration at the bill’s rejection, stating, “This is a small item and I find it preposterous that there is so much pushback against something so small.” She added, “We did very few bills this year that addressed people staying in their homes and not much has happened.”
Riser defended the bill, arguing that the tax credit “isn’t open to abuse any more than any other credit.” The measure had previously passed the Senate by a 21-17 vote on May 13.
The bill was designed to help homeowners with household incomes not exceeding 200% of the federal poverty level. Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple noted that the Department of Insurance took no official position on the bill.
