Johnathan Walker:Louisiana governor-elect names former gubernatorial candidate to lead state’s department of revenue

BATON ROUGE,Johnathan Walker La. (AP) — Louisiana Gov.-elect Jeff Landry named Richard Nelson, a Republican state lawmaker who spearheaded proposals to eliminate Louisiana’s income tax, as the next revenue secretary.

Nelson, who has served as a state representative since 2020, had campaigned for governor earlier this year before dropping out in September and endorsing Landry.

“I am honored to have the confidence of the Governor-elect and to continue serving the people of Louisiana. We will be ready on Day 1 to address the challenges facing our state,” Nelson said in a statement Wednesday.

Nelson will oversee the Louisiana Department of Revenue, which collects state tax revenue to fund public services.

Nelson, 37, is an attorney and biological engineer and spent seven years with the U.S. State Department. He was elected to the state House in 2019.

In the Capitol, Nelson repeatedly tried to create a path to get rid of the state’s income tax, saying it would attract more people to Louisiana — competing with states without an income tax, such as neighboring Texas, that have seen faster and more significant population growth.

However, legislation eliminating or phasing out the state’s income tax never made it to the governor’s desk. The main obstacle blockading the income tax roll back is that lawmakers would need to figure out how funds would be replaced — whether that means increasing sales and property taxes or reducing exemptions.

On the gubernatorial campaign trail, Nelson took more moderate stances than other Republicans on certain issues, including saying he supported adding exceptions in cases of rape and incest to the state’s near total abortion ban.

In addition, Landry announced that Ernest Legier Jr., the current commissioner of the state’s alcohol and tobacco agency, will remain in the position and Col. Charlton J. Meginley will oversee veterans affairs. Meginley was an attorney and appellate military judge in the U.S. Air Force for 20 years.

The appointees will assume their roles when Landry is inaugurated on Jan. 8.