District 26 State Senator Nick Gautreaux (D-Meaux) wants to make sure that state lawmakers have the option of giving back to taxpayers when the state ends up with surplus state revenues after all the bills are paid each year. The problem is the State Constitution limits what lawmakers can do with such one-time state tax dollars and giving the money back to taxpayers is not on the list. So, Sen. Gautreaux plans to change that.

  "It's just simple common sense to me. What we take from taxpayers we ought to be able to give back when we can," Sen. Gautreaux said. "It was extremely frustrating to realize during the last special session that we had over $1 billion in surplus state revenues and couldn't find a way to give back one penny to the hard-working families who are footing the bill. I was particularly frustrated that the Jindal administration was not willing to work with me to find a constitutional way to return money to taxpayers. I am proposing the change in the State Constitution to make sure that doesn't happen again."

  The State Constitution now limits the use of one-time state surplus dollars to reducing state debt, paying down the unfunded accrued liability of the state's retirement systems, funding capital outlay projects, funding the state's "Rainy Day" Fund, funding the Coastal Protection and Restoration Fund and funding certain highway construction projects. Senate Bill 328 by Sen. Gautreaux would add to that list state tax refunds or rebates to those who file individual state income returns.

  "Making needed investments in our infrastructure needs, protecting our coast, paying down our state debt and the other current allowable uses for surplus money are all important, but so is making sure we give our taxpayers a break," Sen. Gautreaux said.