In the past 20 years, Louisiana’s State Historic Tax Credit program has been a huge economic engine, helping to rehabilitate more than 1,600 commercial properties in 31 parishes. The property owners invested more than $4.5 billion in credit-eligible repairs and an additional $1.6 billion in related improvements.
The State Historic Tax Credit pays long-term dividends and generates substantial private investment by turning underutilized, often blighted buildings into catalytic, commercial engines of vitality. As the Louisiana Legislature considers the future of numerous tax incentives, they need to hear from voters about the power of preservation.
Now the incentive program that fueled those renovations is being weighed by the Louisiana Legislature as it considers the future of numerous tax incentives. The State Historic Tax Credit program creates thousands of construction jobs; generates payroll, property and sales taxes; and leaves lasting physical improvements in our communities.
No other tax credit provides a comparable return on investment to the state by more than paying for itself in increased sales and payroll taxes.
Please write or call members of the Louisiana House Ways and Means Committee to ask for their support for HB 483 (Rep. Tanner Magee), which extends the State Historic Tax Credit until 2029 and makes it available to more rural projects. The committee could evaluate the bill as soon as Monday, May 15.
Below is a list of committee members and a sample letter. Click here to find your legislators.
List of House Ways and Means Members
- Stuart J. Bishop: (Lafayette, LA) - bishops@legis.la.gov
- Rhonda Gaye Butler: (Ville Platte, LA) - hse038@legis.la.gov
- Mandie Landry: (New Orleans, LA) - hse091@legis.la.gov
- Joseph Orgeron: (Larose, LA) - hse054@legis.la.gov
- Malinda White: (Bogalusa, LA) - whitema@legis.la.gov
- Gerald “Beau” Beaullieu, IV: (New Iberia, LA) - hse048@legis.la.gov
- Phillip DeVillier: (Eunice, LA) – devillierp@legis.la.gov
- Tanner Magee: (Houma, LA) - mageet@legis.la.gov
- Tammy Phelps: (Shreveport, LA) - hse003@legis.la.gov
- Matthew Willard: (New Orleans, LA) - hse097@legis.la.gov
- Ryan Bourriaque: (Abbeville, LA) - hse047@legis.la.gov
- Les Farnum: (Sulphur, LA) - hse033@legis.la.gov
- Wayne McMahen: (Minden, LA) - mcmahenw@legis.la.gov
- Neil Riser: (Columbia, LA) - risern@legis.la.gov
- Speaker Clay Schexnayder: (Gonzales, LA) - schexnayderc@legis.la.gov
- Marcus Anthony Bryant: (New Iberia, LA) - hse096@legis.la.gov
- Jeremy LaCombe: (Livonia, LA) - hse018@legis.la.gov
- Buddy Mincey, Jr.: (Denham Springs, LA) - hse071@legis.la.gov
- Laurie Schlegel: (Metairie, LA) - hse082@legis.la.gov
Draft email or comments to personalize:
Dear _______:
As a constituent who cares deeply about the economic development and rich history of our state, I am reaching out to express my support of HB 483 by Rep. Tanner Magee, which extends the sunset of the State Historic Tax Credit from 2026 to 2029. It will come before the House Ways and Means Committee within the next week. I ask that you support and vote in favor of HB 483 and vote in favor of our gold-star historic tax credit program.
Louisiana has long been a leader throughout the country in utilizing historic rehabilitation tax credits to revitalize neighborhoods and Main Streets. Since 2002, the Louisiana Commercial Rehabilitation Tax Credit, better known as the State Historic Tax Credit, has led to the renovation of 1,621 buildings, totaling more than $6 billion in private investment in Louisiana’s historic downtowns and cultural districts.
The State Historic Tax Credit pays long-term dividends and generates substantial private investment by turning underutilized, often blighted buildings into catalytic, commercial engines of vitality. A study commissioned by Lieutenant Governor Nungesser found that for every $1 of State Historic Tax Credits, $8.76 in additional economic activity results. The credit generates 1,725 direct jobs in design and construction annually, plus an additional 1,429 indirect and induced jobs.
HB 483 simply seeks an extension of the State Historic Tax Credit and a few modifications that to aid rural parishes:
- Increasing the credit amount to 30 percent for rural areas
- Adding eligibility for buildings individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
No other tax credit has had such a positive impact on so many Louisiana parishes and communities, adding value to local property roles and generating new sales taxes. No other tax credit provides a comparable return on investment to the state by more than paying for itself in increased sales and payroll taxes. The State Historic Tax Credit returns 42 cents per dollar to the state during the construction phase alone. No other tax credit provides comparable infrastructure improvements that do not pick up and leave our state.
I ask that you vote in support of HB 483 to extend the program.
