By Bonnie Culverhouse
Minden Greater Chamber President/CEO Jana Morgan comes from a background where a chamber shows an interest in the political realm.
“This chamber (Minden) in the past has not been political-heavy. We never take sides about participating and putting information out there,” Morgan said. “I come from the Bossier Chamber where they are politically-heavy. They are very involved in what goes on in Baton Rouge.”
The Minden Chamber, she said, is more “event-driven, and has been forever.”
Morgan plans to do more to share information from the state Legislature with the Chamber’s members.
“We will have to watch the sales tax issue,” she said. “That’s going to affect every small town.”
House Bill 199, sponsored by House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, R-Gonzales, would create the State and Local Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Commission to eventually handle sales tax administration and collections. Cities, parishes and other taxing authorities would retain their powers to set and levy taxes. The legislation is one of a number of different tax reform bills that lawmakers are considering this session.
HB 199 passed the House 97-4. It is now on the Senate floor.
“It’s great for the business owner to consolidate in one, but some city leaders across the state aren’t liking it because they’re afraid they’re not going to get their portion of their money back,” she said.
That bill will take some time, she pointed out. “It could be another three or five years before it’s actually in place,” Morgan said. “If it does pass all aspects of Legislation, they have to take it back and approve the process.”
