State Rep. Roger Wilder urges ‘yes’ on Amendment 2, outlines income-tax cuts and teacher pay

State Representative Roger Wilder III told the Livingston Parish Council on March 2025 that he will vote “yes” on Amendment 2 and asked parish voters to do the same, saying the measure lowers personal and corporate income taxes and directs money to teacher pay.

"Amendment 2 does do the following: it does lower the maximum state income tax from 4.75 to 3 percent," Wilder said, adding that the proposal raises the individual standard deduction from $4,500 to $12,500 and doubles the deduction for many seniors. He described the plan as a permanent $3,000 pay raise for certified and noncertified teachers and said the state will apply money from the Millennium Trust Fund to pay down $2 billion of teacher-retirement debt.

Wilder said the amendment would also cut the corporate tax rate from 7.5 to 5.5 percent, remove the franchise tax and allow elimination of corporate inventory taxes. He cited a Tax Foundation analysis he said would change Louisiana’s ranking on tax competitiveness from the bottom half of states to roughly the low 20s.

He addressed concerns that the amendment would remove longstanding property-tax exemptions for houses of worship. "Regardless of the narratives that are out there, Amendment 2 will not place property taxes on churches," Wilder said. He added that chairwoman Julie Emerson, who wrote the legislation, inserted language she and religious leaders supported to protect houses of worship and move other nonprofit exemptions into the tax code.

Council members asked Wilder about the related ballot measures. Wilder said he intends to vote yes on amendments 1, 3 and 4 as well and explained amendment 3 would allow the legislature to update the constitution’s list of offenses that can result in adult prosecution for some 17‑year‑olds. He summarized amendment 1 as allowing discipline of out‑of‑state attorneys and enabling specialty courts, and said amendment 4 would help expedite filling judicial vacancies.

Parish leadership voiced support for the tax changes’ local economic effects. The parish president told the council the switch away from inventory taxes is a "game changer" for Livingston Parish and said seven nondisclosure agreements in recent weeks show businesses are already considering relocation to the parish.

Wilder closed by noting early voting starts Saturday and saying he will be at local polling sites. He urged listeners to read the legislation and op-eds he cited for fuller background, and he provided sources including committee members and organizational endorsements during his remarks.

Why it matters: Wilder framed the package as tax relief and an economic-development measure that, if approved by voters, would free local school boards from some debt-service obligations and create a state-level mechanism to fund teacher raises. Supporters at the meeting argued the changes would help attract commercial and industrial employers to Livingston Parish; opponents outside the meeting have raised church-tax and constitutional-protection concerns that Wilder addressed during his remarks.

What the council did: The presentation was for information; no council action on Amendment 2 was required or taken at the meeting.

Sources and on-record speakers: State Representative Roger Wilder III; Parish president (comments recorded during parish president report); Councilman (identified in the record as) Angus asked follow-up questions during the presentation.

Ending note: Wilder encouraged parish voters to review the language and vote in the upcoming election.