LABI Newsroom.

• Thank You Businesses of All Sizes

  June 8, 2015

  By: Stephen Waguespack A message to the Louisiana employers out there:  Thank you for what you do to make this state great. Much has been discussed over the last two months about the legislative session and its crusade to raise taxes…. (Continue)

• Texas’ Best Friend: A Louisiana Inventory Tax

  June 1, 2015

  By: Stephen Waguespack Does the law of economics work the same for cigarettes as it does for inventory? This question is critical to determine how much damage may be done to Louisiana’s private sector economy by the tax increases on employers… (Continue)

• Trade Vital to Louisiana’s Economic Growth, Job Creation

  May 26, 2015

  By: Stephen Waguespack A coalition of 48 U.S. Senate Republicans and 14 Democrats made an important step toward moving our nation’s trade agenda forward last week when they voted for the Bipartisan Congressional Trade Priorities and Accountability Act of 2015,… (Continue)

• Guest Column: Corporate Welfare? What Does That Even Mean?

  May 18, 2015

  By: Terry Baugh As I have written before, it offends me when Louisiana businesses are referred to as if they were not citizens of our state. I am referring to the actual business entities. Elected and appointed officials often talk… (Continue)

• A Taxing Effort

  May 11, 2015

  By: Stephen Waguespack Last Thursday was quite a taxing day in the Louisiana Legislature. Not in the sense of being long and tiresome, rather, it was taxing in the sense that many votes were taken to raise your taxes. On May 7,… (Continue)

• 50 Years is Long Enough

  May 5, 2015

  By: Stephen Waguespack Should government collect membership dues for a private lobbying organization? Imagine the reaction from journalists across the country if the law required the government to collect membership dues from public employee gun owners and distribute those dollars to… (Continue)

• A Reputation in the Balance

  April 27, 2015

  By: Stephen Waguespack A good reputation is hard to earn, but often easy to lose. A bad reputation is the exact opposite.  Over time, Louisiana has earned a national reputation as a state with a poor legal climate. Sensible and fair-minded people… (Continue)

• The Numbers Game

  April 21, 2015

  By: Stephen Waguespack If the old saying is true that the numbers don’t lie, then the story of this year’s legislative session is quantifiably easy to tell. The 144 members of the Louisiana Legislature face a $1.6 billion governmental operating… (Continue)

• Working on the Water

  April 13, 2015

  By: Stephen Waguespack Louisiana’s residents have always enjoyed having fun on the water in the Sportsman’s Paradise, but a new study shows that more of our people can enjoy a successful career on it also. Louisiana recently ranked No…. (Continue)

• College and Industry Partnerships Are Stronger Than Ever

  April 6, 2015

  A Joint Column by Stephen Waguespack, president of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI), and Dr. Monty Sullivan, president of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System (LCTCS) To meet the demands of a growing economy, Louisiana has a… (Continue)

• Clear as Day

  March 30, 2015

  By: Stephen Waguespack It was a chamber of commerce weather weekend. All throughout Louisiana, the sunshine, nice temperatures and clear skies replaced the rain that had saturated most of the state over the last few weeks. It was a great weekend… (Continue)

• March Madness

  March 23, 2015

  By: Stephen Waguespack Well, that didn’t last long. With my NCAA March Madness bracket already destroyed and the talented but unpredictable LSU basketball team abruptly ending their season after coughing up a big lead to NC State, I guess it is… (Continue)

• Evolve or Die

  March 16, 2015

  By: Stephen Waguespack Those that stay one step ahead of the game are best able to avoid falling two steps behind the competition. Currently, the New Orleans Saints are trying to exemplify this principle, restructuring their roster and locker room chemistry… (Continue)

• A Tale of Two States

  March 9, 2015

  By: Stephen Waguespack There are two states of Louisiana right now. One Louisiana is the private sector economy. This state is on the verge of sustainable growth not seen in generations. As I travel the state to visit with LABI’s business… (Continue)

• Read My Lips

  March 2, 2015

  By: Stephen Waguespack What constitutes a tax increase? While making his acceptance speech for the 1988 presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention, then Vice President George H. W. Bush told the nation, “Read my lips:  No new taxes.” A few… (Continue)

• It’s Not You…It’s Us

  February 23, 2015

  By: Stephen Waguespack Relationships can be easy to start but difficult to end. The trepidation that comes with breaking a heart or hurting a friend can incentivize a person to stay in a relationship that is clearly not working. In the… (Continue)

• Grinding of Teeth

  February 11, 2015

  By: Stephen Waguespack Can you hear it? Do you hear that gnashing and grinding noise? You may have to be very quiet and cup your hand around your ear, but if you concentrate for just a moment, I bet you can… (Continue)

• Small Business Has Big Community Role

  February 9, 2015

  By: Stephen Waguespack Small businesses make a big impact at home. There are more than 424,000 small businesses in Louisiana, employing more than 892,000 people. In fact, small businesses make up more than 97 percent of Louisiana’s employers, providing jobs to… (Continue)

• Quiet Noise

  February 2, 2015

  By: Stephen Waguespack You don’t always have to be loud to make a lot of noise. Last week, the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI) kicked off our 40th Anniversary with our 2015 annual meeting in Baton Rouge. Joining us… (Continue)

• Louisiana Crossroads

  January 26, 2015

  By: Stephen Waguespack Louisiana is on the road to progress, but has suddenly come to a crossroads.  The state’s budget challenges are a hot topic these days, yet many of the root causes have not been fully explored. Instead of targeting… (Continue)