Louisiana state government is projected to rake in $217 million more in tax revenue than state leaders anticipated in spring when they wrote this year’s budget — and the forecast for the next budget year has jumped by $214 million.

The economists who create the the state’s revenue forecasts say major changes to the tax code Gov. Jeff Landry and the Legislature passed last year have not reduced revenue from income taxes by as much as previously expected. And the new, higher sales tax rate has brought in slightly more money than expected, too.

With the higher tax collections, the state is now on track for a surplus of $293 million when the current fiscal year ends on June 30.

The forecast is what state lawmakers use to craft a budget each year, which means the larger numbers will give t

See Full Page