Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Legislative Affairs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lobbyist flags severance-tax bills, carbon-sequestration debate and raises lithium royalty questions for DeSoto Parish
Summary
The parish’s lobbyist told jurors he expects several severance-tax bills in the coming session, noted carbon-sequestration debates could affect local policymaking, and said he will research how lithium extracted from produced water may be measured for royalties and severance tax.
The parish’s contracted lobbyist updated the jury on the legislative outlook ahead of the session starting March 9. He said he met with the commissioner of administration about the parish’s capital outlay request and expects several severance-tax measures to be filed (including a constitutional amendment and statutory alternatives). He described carbon capture and sequestration as a recurring and potentially contentious local-government issue that other parishes are pursuing for local control.
The lobbyist noted a bill filed by Representative Bagley regarding DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office health insurance premiums and said he would study that measure’s potential parish impact. A juror also raised a technical concern about gas-well produced water being shipped out of state for lithium separation; the juror asked how the state would measure volumes to collect royalties and severance tax when separation occurs elsewhere. The lobbyist said he was not familiar with the operational details and would research and report back to the jury.
What’s next: Lobbyist will provide periodic updates as bills are filed and will follow up on the lithium/severance question and any bills affecting the parish.
