Baton Rouge, LA - With seventy 'Together Louisiana' leaders in attendance, Governor John Bel Edwards issued an Executive Order overhauling the nation's largest state program of corporate subsidies, the Industrial Tax Exemption Program (ITEP).

Reforms include requirements that impacted local tax authorities approve the subsidy, including municipal government, school boards and law enforcement; exemptions demonstrate a Return on Investment (ROI) for new jobs or retention of good jobs; and that subsidy applicants sign contractual agreements based on promised investments and local hires.

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One month after 400 'Together Louisiana' leaders secured the commitment of Governor John Bel Edwards to work towards tax fairness, the organization released a groundbreaking study demonstrating that Louisiana's Industrial Tax Exemption Program (ITEP) amounts to giveaways of over $1.6 Billion per year. In response to the organization's call on Governor Edwards to use his constitutional authority to reform the program, the Governor's office has announced there will be an executive order.

Study findings show that over the last 10 years, $16.7 billion in local tax revenue has been redirected to subsidize heavy manufacturing, amounting to over $535 thousand per job reportedly created. Louisiana's top 5 environmental polluters, according to the EPA, received $506 million in taxpayer subsidies. Even British Petroleum (BP) received $9.4 million in state subsidies during and after the Deepwater Horizon spill. Louisiana is the only state in the country with a board that gives away local tax revenue, without approval from the local governments losing the money.

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In front of 400 leaders assembled at Mt. Zion First Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, Together Louisiana leader Rev. Theron Jackson of Shreveport laid out the source of the state's budget shortfall (corporate exemptions and lower income taxes on the wealthy), referred to the reliance on sales taxes as "the big swap" and bluntly stated, "This calls for righteous indignation."

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On his first full day in office, newly elected Governor John Bel Edwards made good on a pledge to 'Together Louisiana' to expand Medicaid. Edwards signed the executive order for this expansion flanked by Together Louisiana leaders Fr. Rick Andrus, Rev. Patti Snyder, Ms. Pat LeDuff and Ms. Alma Stewart (with LA Health Equity). The expansion is expected to provide healthcare to an additional 300,000 Louisiana residents within the next six months.

This expansion came two months after what many called "an intervention" in the gubernatorial runoff election, which had devolved into a brawl of personal attacks. At the only event in which both candidates appeared jointly, more than four hundred Together Louisiana leaders assembled from 38 cities to put family issues like healthcare, wages, higher education and transportation back at the center of the campaign.

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Over 150 leaders from Northern & Central Louisiana Interfaith assembled with three candidates for US Congressional District 5 including Republican incumbent Vance McAllister, Dr. Ralph Abraham and Mayor Jamie Mayo. Leaders succeeded in leveraging bipartisan agreement to work with the organization to:

- Expand Medicaid in Louisiana;

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Undeterred by the Louisiana legislature's reluctance to pass payday lending reform this year, Together Louisiana leaders turned their attention to the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, taking over a hearing on mobile banking and pointing out the need for intervention on payday lending.

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"Interfaith members who met with The Times editorial board last week, said their interest in this legislation is about helping consumers avoid entering a debt loop they often find it difficult to escape from. Interfaith and other organizations around the state have joined forces as "Together Louisiana" to highlight the matter before the public and lawmakers.

'We are not asking that the payday industry be outlawed,' Interfaith members stated in a news release. 'Banks and credit unions have a cap on the number of loans one person can receive. We do not think it unreasonable that the payday industry should adhere to the same rules.'"

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Northern & Central Louisiana Interfaith leaders and clergy, joined by Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover, gathered on the State Office Building lawn to garner the support of local senators. Said Rev. Aaron Dobynes of Evergreen Baptist Church, "We have gathered here to urge our senators, Sen. (Greg) Tarver and Sen. (Sherri) Buffington to support this bill that says we need to reduce the kind of criminal interest that's being paid by many of these persons that have to secure payday loans."

Interfaith Seeks Support for Payday Lending Reforms, Shreveport Times

This legislative session, with the support of Together Louisiana, lawmakers will evaluate whether to pass a bill limiting how much payday lenders can make on the backs of their customers.

Ms. Thelma Fleming, a leader with Elm Grove Baptist Church, once spent $2,500 to get out of a $300 debt trap, eventually costing her her car, bank account and gifts from her children. Her institution is a member of Together Louisiana which is on the forefront of this legislative fight.

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Northern and Central Louisiana Interfaith leaders hosted a summit in which university presidents responded to questions about the impact of state budget cuts to economic growth in Louisiana and about investments universities need to provide quality affordable education. Leaders highlighted the importance of affordable high education as a gateway to the middle-class for lower income residents. They additionally drew attention to studies documenting that for every $1 invested in higher ed, the state enjoys $8 in additional economic activity.

The summit was held in collaboration with the University of Louisiana at Monroe, Grambling State University, Louisiana Delta Community College and Louisiana Tech University. In photo, Grambling President Frank Pogue and ULM President Nick Bruno lead a discussion.

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