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BATON ROUGE -- The House Ways and Means Committee took steps Sunday toward achieving the governor’s tax overhaul by advancing a bill to cut the corporate income tax rate, now one of the highest in the nation, in stages from 7.5% to 3.5%.
The full House voted 69-6 to send the plan to the House Appropriations Committee for further consideration.
Also on Sunday, the Ways and Means Committee voted to allow parishes to eliminate the business inventory tax.
If passed by the House and the Senate, any parish that elects to exempt business from the business inventory tax will receive anywhere from $500,000 to $15 million from the state. The inventory tax largely benefits the local parish government.
The inventory tax exemption bill passed 15-2 in committee with Democratic Rep. Mandie Landry and Rep. Matthew Willard, both of New Orleans, in opposition. 
Both bills are part of the three-week special session called by Republican Gov. Jeff Landry.
Landry wants to shift to a 3% flat tax on individual income and cut corporate income taxes. He would try to make up that revenue by reducing other tax breaks, extending part of the state sales tax and adding sales taxes to the cost of 40 services like car washing and pet grooming.
Lobbyists for various industries oppose the loss of their tax breaks, and other critics say the increasing reliance on sales taxes would hurt lower-income people.
But state Rep. Chance Henry, R-Crowley, said a comprehensive simplification of tax policy is the practical, common-sense thing to do.
“I think the definition of insanity in the state of Louisiana is what we have done to address the fiscal cliff and our tax code over the last at least 20 years,” Henry said.
The Ways and Means committee also has advanced proposals to double the standard deduction for seniors, provide pay raises for teachers and exempt the purchase of prescription drugs from local sales taxes.
Willard, the New Orleans Democrat, said he opposed the corporate income tax cut because it would allow the state’s economic development officials to decide which corporations get tax breaks or, as he said, “essentially be selecting the winners and losers.” 
Secretary Susan Bourgeois of the Louisiana Economic Development agency, which will be making the decisions for tax credits given, referred to the “trust-us factor” in this special session. 
“I’m not under any illusion when I sit here and say ‘trust me’, or any of y’all, trust us!” Bourgeois said. “That’s really what we’re telling the market right now.” 
Bourgeois compared the corporate income tax change to the corporate tax in North Carolina, which is the lowest in the country. “If we’re looking for a track record, let’s look at other states who do it like this,” she said.
Referring to luring new employers and business investment, Louisiana Secretary of Revenue Richard Nelson, who is overseeing the governor’s plan, said: “It’s hard to attract people when you have literally the highest rate in the South.”
Nelson and Gov. Landry have held private meetings with legislators and special interest groups in an effort to get the bills passed. The state is heading for a fiscal cliff next year, thanks to the expiration of both the 0.45% state sales tax and a 2% business utilities tax in June.
Much of the Landry strategy is to cut rates for individuals and corporations and to reduce or eliminate business tax exemption. He also wants to broaden sales tax collections.
One hot topic is the removal of the tax credit for historic structures. Lobbyists took turns defending to lawmakers that restoration of historic structures eliminates blight and oftentimes cannot happen without those credits. The planned renovation of the U.S. post office in Ruston, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was cited as an example.
“There are things like this that are hard to put a number on,” said Rep. Landry, “because you’re not rehabilitating a house from the 1800s to make money off it. You’re doing it because you want to keep those structures, you know, maybe movies will be filmed. Maybe just to keep the structure of the neighborhood or of the city.” 
Rep. Marcus Bryant, D-New Iberia, said he was concerned about the removal of the historic tax credit and the authority of economic development officials to divvy out credits. “Now, you’re the gatekeeper for who is getting the credit and who is getting an incentive,” he said. 

A 50-yard field goal with a minute remaining gave HCU its first lead of the day and Nicholls was unable to tie it back up after its own attempts as the Colonels suffered a 24-21 loss on Saturday afternoon at Husky Field.
Nicholls (4-6, 2-3 SLC) moved into field goal range in the final seconds but Gabe Showalter pushed a 39-yard attempt to the right. However, HCU (4-6, 2-3) was flagged for running into the kicker but the Colonels could not capitalize as the 34-yarder also sailed right as time expired.
The loss snapped a nine-game winning streak in the series against HCU. Nicholls entered the matchup with a 9-1 record all-time versus the Huskies.
The Colonels outgained HCU on offense, 342-293, but the bulk of the Huskies’ total came in the second half as they erased a 14-0 halftime deficit. Nicholls had chances to score twice in the opening period but missed on 51- and 44-yard field goal tries.
After another long field goal miss in the second quarter, Kendarius Smith tallied an interception to give Nicholls the ball back.
The Colonels were able to turn that into a 1-yard touchdown run by Collin Guggenheim for a 7-0 lead. Guggenheim totaled 50 yards rushing on 20 carries. 
The defense forced another punt with two minutes remaining and Terry Matthews doubled the lead with a 66-yard punt return for a touchdown. It marked the Colonels’ first punt return TD since 2014.
Nicholls started the second half with the ball and moved inside the HCU 10. 
Jason Barnes Jr. sparked the drive with a 35-yard catch and finished the day with a career-high 10 receptions for 91 yards. But the offense was stuffed on runs on third and fourth down, leaving the score at 14-0.
It then only took two plays for the Huskies to strike for their first points of the day. After being limited to 35 yards of offense in the opening half, HCU nearly tripled the production on one play as AJ Wilson caught a short pass and went 97 yards for a touchdown.
Later in the third, Cutter Stewart found Champ Dozier for a 35-yard score which tied it at 14-14. But Nicholls responded with a 12-play, 75-yard drive early in the fourth that ended on Guggenheim’s second rushing TD.
HCU found the end zone for the third time when Stewert rushed for a 9-yard score with 3:46 remaining, tying it back up at 21. Then after forcing a three-and-out, HCU grabbed the late lead on Dillon Fedor’s 50-yard field goal and held on for the win.
Eli Ennis had 14 tackles to lead the Colonels while Hayden Shaheen totaled eight stops with two tackles for loss with one sack. 
Ty Marsh added six tackles and an interception.
Showalter pulled triple duty with punter Kylan Dupre out for the game. Along with field goal and kickoff, Showalter punted seven times with a 36.4-yard average.
Pat McQuaide completed 26 of 47 for 246 yards. Scrappy Osby finished with six receptions for 79 yards.
Nicholls will head to Lamar for its final road game on Saturday, Nov. 16. Kickoff is slated for 3 p.m.

Former members of the military services were the guests of honor Monday at a Veterans Day observance at Ochsner St. Mary. The guest speaker was Coast Guard veteran Joe Pasqua. The Morgan City High band provided music, and Junior ROTC members presented the colors.

The Review/Bill Decker

Central Catholic and Patterson are among the St. Mary Parish schools that have qualified for the LHSAA prep football playoffs.

Both teams will play Friday in the opening bi-district round.

On the schedule:

--Central Catholic, 5-4, is seeded 14th in Select Division IV and will host No. 19 Lincoln Prep, 7-3, at 7 p.m. Friday.

--Patterson, 1-8 and seeded 27th in Non-Select District III, will be on the road at No. 6 Sterlington, 6-4, also at 7 p.m. Friday.

--Centerville, 4-5 and No. 21 in Non-Select Division IV, will travel to No. 12 Gen. Trass in Lake Providence, 6-4.

--Franklin, No. 19 in Non-Select Division III, will be at No. 14 White Castle, 4-5.

--West St. Mary, 5-4 and No. 24 in Non-Select Division III, will play at No. 9 Welsh, 5-5.