BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) – House Republicans are pushing ahead with a proposal to undo the seven-year sales tax passed last year to stabilize Louisiana state finances. Controversial efforts to boost the state’s gas tax and to centralize sales tax collections have fizzled.
 
The House Appropriations Committee voted 12-5 to advance GOP leader Lance Harris’ bill to phase out the 0.45% state sales tax over four years, eliminating it by mid-2023. Republicans backed advancing the measure to the House floor. Democrats opposed.
 
As the phase-out legislation advanced, two House Republicans stalled other tax proposals that faced significant opposition.
 
Rep. Steve Carter shelved his bid to raise Louisiana’s gasoline tax to pay for road projects. Rep. Tanner Magee jettisoned his proposal to start the centralization of sales tax collections, rather than having local officials do collections.