Pelican Policy

Regressive or Progressive: What is Louisiana’s Income Tax Structure?

Fairness, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. This popular sentiment is certainly true in a free market where buyers and sellers determine prices instead of a third party picking winners and losers. Unfortunately, taxes in Louisiana and other states get caught up in this subjective determination when the questions that really matter...

By Vance Ginn, Ph.D., Jamie Tairov

Op-Ed: Louisiana’s Success Hinges On Reforming State Income Taxes

Originally published in The Center Square. The Pelican State has tremendous opportunity and potential. It’s got a diverse culture, renowned festivals, terrific people, and, of course, delicious food. Yet the burdensome and complicated tax code continues to hold it back from becoming what should be an economic powerhouse. The big first step to propel the...

By Vance Ginn, Ph.D.

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Epic Games is in trouble. The creator of the popular video game Fortnite has reached an agreement with the FTC to pay $520 million in relief over allegations that the company violated the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Allegedly, the company used underhanded tactics to cause players to make unintentional purchases. Epic will pay...

By John Kay

Correcting Corrections: Louisiana Works to Fix Prisoner Overdetention

The New York Times and Reuters recently reported a finding by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) that the Louisiana Department of Corrections is detaining inmates well past their legal release date. In a statement, the DOJ says it “has concluded there is reasonable cause to believe that the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and...

By Jamie Tairov

Louisiana Jobs Report: January 2023

Our new jobs report highlights Louisiana’s economic situation based on the most recent data. The report is based on several key factors that indicate how the economy, labor market, and public policy influence the lives of everyday Louisianans. While some of these data indicate a relatively strong labor market–such as the historically low unemployment rate–there...

By Vance Ginn, Ph.D.

Solutions Summit Nostalgia

Register for Solutions Summit 2023 here! Curious about Solutions Summit? Check out some of the action from previous years… Last year’s Solutions Summit was an extraordinary opportunity for engaged citizens across Louisiana to come together to find solutions for the most significant issues facing our state. From occupational licensing reform to promoting school choice to...

By Chris Lowery

And So It Continues

Yesterday, the DOJ–infused with the spirit of “hipster antitrust”–filed a lawsuit against Google, seeking to break up what they perceive to be Google’s “monopoly” in digital advertising. The suit claims that Google has “monopoly power in the ad-tech industry, hurting web publishers and advertisers that try to use competing products.” The suit has the same flavor...

By John Kay

Solutions Summit 2023: Registration Is Now Open!

Registration for Solutions Summit 2023 is now open! The Pelican Institute for Public Policy will host its annual Solutions Summit on March 9th, bringing policy experts and elected officials from across the country and state together to discuss the most critical policy issues facing Louisiana. Our previous Summits were huge successes and featured speakers such...

By Aly Rau

Is Louisiana’s Coming Fiscal Cliff a Fiscal Farce?

On January 20th, Louisiana’s Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget approved the continuation budget for fiscal years 2024 to 2027 without a single question or comment. The continuation budget is a legally required reference document used for budget planning. It shows how much funding would be needed to carry on all programs and activities in...

By Jamie Tairov

I’ve Got The Power

Antitrust is now front and center in the national debate. Under the leadership of Lina Khan, the FTC has pursued an aggressive new “Neo-Brandeisian” philosophy of antitrust regulation—or, what you could call “hipster” antitrust. This philosophy believes antitrust should not be limited to the “consumer welfare standard” that has dominated antitrust legislation since the 1970s....

By John Kay

Lighting Up The Dome For National School Choice Week

What: Sunday kicks off the annual National School Choice Week across America! All week long, the Pelican Institute will join others in Louisiana, and across the country, in celebrating the many types of schools and educational programs that exist for our kids. National School Choice Week highlights the importance of giving all parents the ability to select a...

By Chris Lowery

Release: Louisiana’s Sales Tax System is Unconstitutionally Complex

For media inquiries, please contact Chris Lowery at (225) 726-1822 or chris@pelicaninstitute.org New Orleans — Yesterday, Halstead Bead’s attorneys filed a reply brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The brief is part of its legal challenge to Louisiana that forces out-of-state small businesses to comply with an overly complex local tax...

By Chris Lowery

Statement: BESE Elects New Leadership

For media inquiries please contact Chris Lowery (225) 726-1822 or chris@pelicaninstitute.org. BATON ROUGE–CEO of the Pelican Institute, Daniel Erspamer, released the following statement after BESE elected new leadership: “Congratulations to Holly Boffy, Preston Castille, and Ronnie Morris on their election as officers to the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. We thank former president Jim...

By Chris Lowery

STATEMENT: Pentagon Ends COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate After Pelican Center For Justice Filed Lawsuit

For media inquiries, please contact Chris Lowery (225) 726-1822 or chris@pelicaninstitute.org. New Orleans — General Counsel for the Pelican Center for Justice, James Baehr released the following statement after the military vaccine mandate was ended. This comes on the heels of a recent lawsuit the Center filed on behalf of Master Sergeant Robert W. Galey, Jr....

By Chris Lowery

We believe every Louisianan should
have the opportunity to flourish.

Regressive or Progressive: What is Louisiana’s Income Tax Structure?

Regressive or Progressive: What is Louisiana’s Income Tax Structure?

Op-Ed: Louisiana’s Success Hinges On Reforming State Income Taxes

Op-Ed: Louisiana’s Success Hinges On Reforming State Income Taxes

tsk tsk tsk

tsk tsk tsk

Correcting Corrections: Louisiana Works to Fix Prisoner Overdetention

Correcting Corrections: Louisiana Works to Fix Prisoner Overdetention

Louisiana Jobs Report: January 2023

Louisiana Jobs Report: January 2023

Solutions Summit Nostalgia

Solutions Summit Nostalgia

And So It Continues

And So It Continues

Solutions Summit 2023: Registration Is Now Open!

Solutions Summit 2023: Registration Is Now Open!

Is Louisiana’s Coming Fiscal Cliff a Fiscal Farce?

Is Louisiana’s Coming Fiscal Cliff a Fiscal Farce?

I’ve Got The Power

I’ve Got The Power

Lighting Up The Dome For National School Choice Week

Lighting Up The Dome For National School Choice Week

Release: Louisiana’s Sales Tax System is Unconstitutionally Complex

Release: Louisiana’s Sales Tax System is Unconstitutionally Complex

Statement: BESE Elects New Leadership

Statement: BESE Elects New Leadership

STATEMENT: Pentagon Ends COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate After Pelican Center For Justice Filed Lawsuit

STATEMENT: Pentagon Ends COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate After Pelican Center For Justice Filed Lawsuit

Learn More About Restoring Louisianans' Right to Earn a Living