By Stacey Tinsley, Bossier Press-Tribune
Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson returned to his home district on Wednesday, Sept. 24, as the featured guest at the Public Policy Kickoff, hosted jointly by the Bossier Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Shreveport Chamber.
The luncheon drew business leaders, elected officials, and community members eager for updates from Washington. Johnson delivered a broad policy briefing, zeroing in on tax relief measures designed to support working families. He emphasized the “working families tax cut” as a priority in ongoing congressional negotiations, framing it as an effort to ease financial pressures on households facing higher costs of living.
“Small businesses are the backbone of our community and the backbone of America,” Johnson said, underscoring provisions in recent legislation that remove taxes on tips and overtime, accelerate write-offs for research and development, and expand deductions for capital improvements. “These pro-growth policies give families breathing room and help businesses invest in their future.”
Lisa Johnson, President/CEO of the Bossier Chamber, said the event offered a rare chance for direct engagement with federal leadership.
“It’s an honor to be able to host Speaker Johnson in Bossier City,” she said. “Through this event, we were able to provide a platform for our local Bossier-Shreveport business community to submit their questions and have the Speaker answer them. It’s a great accomplishment that we were able to provide that direct connection to the federal government for our members.”
During the Q&A portion, Johnson also addressed current events, including the assassination of activist Charlie Kirk, which he called a “pivotal political and cultural moment.” He noted that Kirk’s organization, Turning Point USA, has seen more than 65,000 new chapter inquiries since his death.
On the Sept. 24 shooting at an ICE facility, Johnson condemned violence against federal officers and reiterated his party’s immigration stance. “Political violence, ideological violence has reached a crisis point in America,” he said. “You cannot demonize law enforcement in this country. They’re being targeted because of that rhetoric, and it needs to stop.”
Locally, Johnson responded to questions about the stalled I-49 Inner City Connector, blaming federal bureaucracy for project delays and pointing to recent NEPA reforms as a way to cut through red tape. He also tied Louisiana’s growth potential to energy independence, trade deals, and the reshoring of American jobs.
