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Louisiana lawmakers are expected to have about $1.6 billion more in revenue to spend in upcoming budget cycles than previously projected, according to predictions from economists at a Revenue Estimating Conference.
Ben Vincent, chief economist at the Legislative Fiscal Office, told the conference revenues in 2021 came in 8% higher than a prior projection of $12.3 billion, resulting in $970 million in excess. For the general fund, revenues were $565 million above the previous projection of $9.9 billion, or about 5.5% above.
“The largest contributors are sales, personal income, and corporate tax,” Vincent said at Tuesday’s meeting. “Roughly $300 million in personal income, $258 (million) in general sales (tax) alone. Combined corporate income and franchise – $255 million. And motor vehicle sales tax adding on another $36 million.”
Vincent pointed to a loss of about 15% of total nonfarm jobs, or roughly 285,000, during the pandemic that since has recovered to about 6% below pre-pandemic levels.
“Like a lot of tourism and or oil dependent states, we’re just doomed to suffer a little more for a little longer,” he said.
The situation means the state is expected to collect about $1.2 billion more for the general fund than projected for the current budget cycle and about $770 million extra for the budget cycle that begins July 1.
About $275 million is expected to be set aside for dedicated uses, while another $400 million will go to pay off a federal loan used to rebuild the New Orleans’ levee system from damages from Hurricane Katrina, leaving lawmakers with $1.6 billion for the current and next budget cycles.
“It just shows how conservative our forecast was previously when we last met, and how well the economy is performing in these key areas,” Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne said.
Those funds are in addition to $1.4 billion the state received in federal pandemic relief, as well as about a $500 million expected budget surplus from last year.
Senate President Page Cortez, R-Lafayette, who took over as chair of the four-member Revenue Estimating Conference on Tuesday, said he expects the Legislature to use some of the excess funding for road and bridge projects, as inflation and the increased cost of materials have driven up the cost of approved projects.
Cortez also pointed to a backlog of maintenance and infrastructure projects at state universities and colleges.
The Revenue Estimating Conference – comprised of Cortez, Dardenne, House Speaker Clay Schexnayder and economist Stephen Barnes – ultimately adopted Vincent’s forecast, the more conservative of two presented Tuesday, for a variety of reasons.
Officials expect economic activity to plateau as federal pandemic assistance tapers off, and the state is expecting a decrease in revenue in 2025 as the state’s sales tax is scheduled to revert from 4.45% to 4%, Cortez said.
Members of the conference are expected to meet with Gov. John Bel Edwards’ administration in the coming weeks to help draft a proposed budget for consideration during the 2022 legislative session.
The executive budget is due Jan. 25. The 2022 regular legislative session begins March 14.

A pair of agreements — one with the city of Rayne and one with the South Rayne Water District — will finally dissolve water issues at the Crowley-Rayne Industrial Park.
“We’re really just ratifying stuff we’ve been talking about for a coupla months now,” Brett Bayard, engineer with Mader Engineering, told jurors during their January meeting.
The issues with the water system first rose to the surface in September, 2020, when Bayard told jurors that a sanitary survey inspection conducted by the Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Public Safety, found the system non-compliant.
Bayard explained at the time that the system had not been inspected “in years,” adding, “It kind of fell through the cracks and was forgotten about.”
But the inspectors in 2020 determined that the system, which uses the same lines for potable water and for fire protection, does not comply with current health standards.
Various scenarios were explored by the police jury, which owns the property (roads) and infrastructure in the park located along U.S. Highway 90 between Crowley and Rayne.
For years, Rayne had provided the potable water and water for the park’s 500,000-gallon water storage tank for fire protection.
The city also pumped sewerage from the park to its wastewater plant, billing the individual park businesses for water and sewerage services.
The end result of the project is that the South Rayne Water District has taken over as the provider of potable water for the businesses. New lines were laid and the company tapped in from a main line located across U.S. 90.
However, the district could not provide water for fire protection.
“The police jury still owns the fire protection system — lines, pumps and hydrants — with water provided by the city of Rayne,” Bayard explained, adding that the Rayne City Council had approved the agreement at their January meeting held the night prior to the jury’s.
“All previous agreements will go away,” the engineer said, referring to the previous deals for water and sewerage.
“The sewer system has been abandoned and each business will have to get its own plant,” Bayard said. “They’ve all been informed.”
The SRWD will bill the individual businesses for potable water and the city of Rayne will bill the police jury for water for fire protection under the two agreements.
Also concerning the project, jurors approved a pair of change orders adding $9,156 to the contract cost, which totaled out at $145,803, according to Bayard.
In other business during the monthly meeting, jurors approved a resolution canvassing the returns and declaring the results of the special election held Dec. 11 when voters approved renewal of a 3.18-mill tax for roads and bridges.
The tax, which passed by a final vote of 952-425, generates about $1.4 million annually.
Jurors also approved:
• the reappointment of Paul Miller Sr. to the Egan Fire District No. 2;
• the reappointment of Steve Hooper, Steve Daigle and Shannon Richard to the Mire Fire District No. 7;
• the reappointment of Jody Viator and the appointment of Roland Leleux to the Lyons Point Fire District No. 8;
• the reappointment of Alton Thibodeaux to the Rayne Fire District No. 9;
• the reappointment of Glenn Hebert to the Crowley-Eunice Fire District No. 11;
• the reappointment of Darrell Fruge and Eddie Ortego to the Acadia Evangeline Fire District; and
• the appointment of Megan Duhon, interim CEO of the Acadia Parish Chamber of Commerce, as a board member of the Acadia Parish Tourist Commission.

Six LSU baseball players appear in the 2022 Perfect Game list of Top 100 College Sophomores, as the Tigers lead the nation with the most prospects in the Top 100 ranking.
Outfielder Dylan Crews is No. 1 on the list; infielder Jacob Berry is No. 4; first baseman Tre’ Morgan is No. 8, shortstop Jordan Thompson is No. 61; left-hander pitcher Javen Coleman is No. 77; and right-handed pitcher Ty Floyd is No. 87.
Crews, the 2021 Perfect Game National Freshman of the Year, hit .362 (89-for-246) in 2021 with 16 doubles, two triples, 18 homers, 42 RBI, 64 runs scored and 12 stolen bases. The product of Longwood, Fla., also received All-America, Freshman All-America, Second-Team All-SEC and Freshman All-SEC recognition, and he was voted the Louisiana Freshman of the Year.
Crews’ total of 18 home runs represented the most by a freshman in LSU single-season history, surpassing the mark of second baseman Mike Fontenot, who launched 17 dingers as a freshman in 2000.
He finished No. 1 in the SEC last season in total bases (163), No. 3 in batting average, No. 3 in on-base percentage (.453), No. 4 in base hits, No. 4 in runs scored, No. 5 in doubles and No. 5 in home runs.
Berry, who transferred this summer to LSU from Arizona, led the Wildcats to the 2021 College World Series and the Pac-12 championship.
A product of Queen Creek, Ariz., Berry batted .352 in 2021 with team highs of 17 homers and 70 RBI, and Collegiate Baseball newspaper named him the National Co-Freshman of the Year.
Berry earned first-team All-America recognition from the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association, and he received second-team All-America honors from D1Baseball and Perfect Game.
Morgan, a product of New Orleans, batted .357 (89-for-249) in 2021 with 16 doubles, four triples, six homers, 42 RBI, 64 runs scored and 15 stolen bases.
He received Freshman All-America, Second-Team All-SEC and Freshman All-SEC honors, and he was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team.
Morgan collected six hits, including a double, in the NCAA Eugene Regional to go along with three RBI and three runs scored. He finished No. 4 in the SEC in batting average, No. 4 in base hits, No. 4 in runs scored, No. 4 in triples, No. 5 in doubles, No. 5 in stolen bases and No. 7 in on-base percentage (.441).
Thompson, a product of Chula Vista, Calif. was named 2021 Freshman All-SEC, as he hit .250 with four doubles, one triple, eight homers, 26 RBI, 32 runs and five stolen bases. He was voted to the NCAA Eugene Regional All-Tournament Team after batting .333 (6-for-18) in the regional with two doubles and two RBI.
Thompson was named SEC Co-Freshman of the Week on April 12 after he batted .600 (9-for-15) with one triple, three RBI and six runs scored in four games during the week of April 6-11. In the Tigers’ series win at Kentucky (April 9-11), Thompson hit .667 (8-for-12) with one triple, two RBI and three runs scored.
He was named SEC Co-Freshman of the Week for the first time on March 15, as he batted .381 (8-for-21) in five games and played a huge role in LSU’s extra-innings wins over UT San Antonio on March 13 and 14. Thompson launched a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 13th inning on March 13 to lift the Tigers to a 10-9 victory over UTSA.
Coleman, a product of Richmond, Texas, was voted to the 2021 NCAA Eugene Regional All-Tournament Team after he posted a brilliant relief win over Oregon in the first game of the championship round. Coleman limited the Ducks to one run on three hits in six innings with three walks and six strikeouts.
Coleman appeared in 14 games (two starts) last season, posting a 3-2 record and a 5.79 ERA in 32.2 innings with 18 walks and 43 strikeouts, and he pitched effectively late in the year as the Tigers surged toward a postseason berth.
He recorded four relief innings at Texas A&M (May 20), limiting the Aggies to one run on three hits in four innings with one walk and five strikeouts. Coleman also turned in a superb relief outing on May 15 versus Alabama, allowing one run on four hits in four innings with no walks and five strikeouts.
Floyd, a member of the 2021 SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll, made 20 relief appearances last season, recording 14 walks and 39 strikeouts in 24.1 innings while limiting opponents to a .195 batting average.
The product of Rockmart, Ga., posted an outstanding relief outing at Texas A&M (May 21), allowing no runs on one hit in in 3.2 innings with no walks and four strikeouts.
He enjoyed an excellent SEC debut vs. Mississippi State (March 21), striking out the first four batters he faced – all three hitters in the 7th inning and the first hitter of the 8th inning.