98. Why Louisiana Lacks Economic Freedom with LA Rep. Richard Nelson | Ep. 21

In LPP Episode #21, I interview Louisiana Rep. Richard Nelson about reforming the state's tax code, limiting government spending, passing school choice & more to let people prosper.

Louisiana State Representative Richard Nelson joined the Let People Prosper show to share an inside scoop on why Louisiana lags behind. We discussed:

1. Why he believes it’s important to fight for change at the state level;

2. Why state-wide tax reform is critical to Louisiana’s improvement;

3. How state spending, income tax, and education inhibit Louisiana’s economic freedom;

4. How he plans to address these issues in 2023; and

5. Why Louisiana has the potential to pass up Texas and Florida in economic outlook.

You can watch this interview on YouTube or listen to it on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Google Podcast, or Anchor (please share, subscribe, and leave a 5-star rating).

Rep. Nelson’s bio (here):

• Richard loved growing up in Mandeville. Back then, traffic wasn’t as bad, and even without all the shopping centers there was still plenty to do. He was a member of the first graduating class of Pontchartrain Elementary. As an Eagle Scout with Troop 119, Richard spent a lot of time fighting mosquitos in the woods of south Louisiana. He was valedictorian of Mandeville High and voted most likely to succeed. A lifelong Republican, he cast his first vote at Mandeville High.

  Richard earned a degree in Biological Engineering from LSU before attending LSU Law School. He graduated at the top of his class in both. He was selected for the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State and moved to Washington right after graduation. As a Security Engineering Officer and a diplomat, he was responsible for protecting embassies overseas from terrorism and espionage. Richard and his wife, Ashley, were luckily posted to Frankfurt, Germany, for their first overseas assignment.

  While living in Germany, Richard worked across Europe but also volunteered to lead projects in war-torn countries in the Middle East. His next two-year assignment was to the Former Soviet Republic of Georgia. After returning to Washington, D.C., Richard went to work again where he was needed most: managing security projects in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan.

  Just months before their next overseas assignment, Richard had the opportunity to move his family home to Mandeville. He was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in 2019. Richard runs his own engineering and business consulting firm in Mandeville, and he and his family attend Christ Episcopal Church in Covington. Richard is committed to improving the opportunity for his three sons, Michael, Arthur, and Jack, and for all the citizens of this great state.

• Find him on Twitter: @NelsonforLA