Victor Theodore Stelly (January 11, 1941 – December 26, 2020) was an American politician who was a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, best known for the since repealed Stelly Plan tax-shifting amendment. He was also a member of the Louisiana Board of Regents for Higher Education from 2007 through 2013, resigning before his term ended because he was dismayed at cuts to higher education.[1][2]
Stelly authored an amendment to the Louisiana State Constitution which became known as the Stelly Plan.[4] This amendment eliminated the state sales tax on food, drugs, and utilities and raised the state income tax.[4] Lost state revenue was replaced with a state income tax increase primarily paid by upper bracket taxpayers.[5]
Personal life
Stelly was born in Carencro, Louisiana, and moved to Zachary, Louisiana, when he was four years old.[1] His father, Gordon Stelly, was a petro-chemical operator, and his mother Dorothea Olive Martin Stelly, was a stay-at-home mother.[6][1] He was an All-State football player at Zachary High School and graduated from Northwestern in Natchitoches where he also played football.[1] He taught high school in Louisiana, getting his M.A. from Louisiana State University in 1965.[1] Stelly was also an insurance agent for 25 years in Moss Bluff.[1][7]
Death
Stelly died from complications of COVID-19[8] on December 26, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Louisiana, just 15 hours before his wife Terry died of the same illness and sixteen days short of his 80th birthday.[9][10]
His papers are held by the Archives and Special Collections Department of the Frazar Memorial Library at McNeese State University.[4]
References
^ abcdef"Vic Stelly". BestOfSwla. November 4, 2016. Retrieved December 26, 2020.
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