La. ranked 19th for 2012 economic outlook

Published Jun 26, 2012 at 3:00 pm (Updated Jun 26, 2012)

Louisiana appears at its lowest ranking in recent years in the American Legislative Exchange Council's fifth edition of the Economic Outlook Ranking, which is included in ALEC's "Rich States, Poor States" report. Louisiana is ranked 19th among the 50 states by ALEC for economic outlook, compared to rankings of 15 in 2011, 16 in 2010, and 18 in 2009. Louisiana was ranked 24th in 2008, the first year ALEC released the report. The Economic Outlook Ranking is a forecast based on a state's current standing in 15 state policy variables, each of which is influenced directly by state legislation. Generally speaking, states that spend and tax less are projected to experience higher growth rates than states that tax and spend more. In addition, Louisiana holds spot No. 25 in ALEC's Economic Performance Ranking, which ranks states' performance over the past 10 years based on the same criteria used in the Economic Outlook Ranking. The 125-page "Rich States, Poor States" report for 2012, which you can access in its entirety here, also says Louisiana had the fourth-highest sales tax burden in the nation at the start of the year, with $40.04 of every $1,000 in personal income going to sales taxes. It was also home to the ninth-lowest total state and local tax burden as a percentage of personal income, at 8.2%.