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Interviews with members of Baton Rouge’s delegation in December revealed that the group didn’t formally meet once last year outside of convening with the Legislature.

Another round of inquiries conducted this month produced similar findings. Even with a pivotal session under way, lawmakers from the Capital City have yet to gather collectively to discuss issues or strategies, and there isn’t an official plan—that is, aside from directives from Mayor Kip Holden’s office.

The group hasn’t had a chairman since former Sen. Jay Dardenne was elected secretary of state in September 2006.

“This has always been a problem with the Baton Rouge delegation,” says Rep. William Daniel, a term-limited Republican. “We’ve never been able to get it together, and I don’t know why. We come together on important issues and can work together, but getting behind an agenda we’ve crafted has never been our trademark. We do things on an individual basis.”

In published reports, members of the delegation separately identified roads and transportation as the primary objective of the regular session, but very few of them filed legislation. Holden, however, outlined priorities that many say they are following. If there is a trend among the bills being filed by the delegation, it’s the attention to initiatives that have crossover appeal.

There is one proposal noticeably absent from legislation being filed. Originating as a policy piece in a community newspaper and subsequently picked up by local media, the controversial plan called for breaking East Baton Rouge Parish into four new community school districts, in contrast to the omnibus hub that exists today. Baker, Zachary and Central have already branched off in this fashion, to varied fanfare, and interest was running high earlier this year.

Rep. Hunter Greene, a freshman Republican, became a face for the issue, arguing the concept needed public discussion. But don’t plan on him carrying the banner during session. “I don’t have a bill or a draft of a bill,” he says. “I’m not planning on filing anything like that.”

On the community level, Rep. Regina Ashford Barrow, a Democrat, has legislation to create the Greenwell Springs-Airline Economic Development District. Her House Bill 491 would create an oversight board with members from the Monticello Civic Association, Park Forest Civic Association and the Liberty Bank and Trust Company, along with a handful of political appointees. The district would have all the powers of any political subdivision, such as adopting rules for the area, the ability to sue and enter into contracts. It is not a taxing body, but rather a trade group similar to what exists in Mid City.

Rep. Michael Jackson filed House Bill 525 to create a tax increment-financing district around the Westmoreland Shopping Center on Government Street. The TIF debate is well-known to Baton Rouge. It’s a financing tool for community-improvement projects used often by municipalities or local groups missing out on state and federal funding. But it also receives heavy criticism for assuming tax revenues will increase in the area because of the upgrade. In theory, that additional money is used to pay down the debt issued for the project.

With two failed redevelopment attempts in as many years, Westmoreland is ripe for such a program, Jackson says. In the end, the resulting incentives, supported by tax dollars, could lure serious developers. “Everything is well-documented, and everyone knows the last two developers interested in the property couldn’t make it financially work,” he says. “The intent of this legislation is to make the property viable. The surrounding community demands that something is done.”

In an effort to help the Baton Rouge Area Convention and Visitors Bureau relocate their North Boulevard headquarters, Rep. Avon Honey, a Democrat, is pushing House Bill 750 to expand the powers of the tourism group.

Paul J. Arrigo, president of the CVB, says he is considering the proposed entertainment district, anchored by Third Street and River Road, for a future home. The group has a budget of $1.3 million to make the move, but it needs the authority to buy property. “It’s a quirky law, and it doesn’t give us explicit power to buy new office space,” Arrigo says. “It’s a very specific bill, and it limits the area to the entertainment district and only allows us to buy a new place.”

As for when the delegation might actually meet again formally, that’s anyone’s guess. There are meetings scheduled. “Whatever we do, we better do it fast,” says Jackson, who plans to run for delegation chairman. “I’d like to see us come together more.” The session must end no later than 6 p.m. on June 28.

Greene, who also plans on running for chairman, isn’t so sure there will be quick action. “Things are already moving along pretty quickly, and there’s a lot going on right now,” he says. “We may have to wait to see what happens after session shakes out. But I think this is going to be a bigger deal for the new lawmakers coming in in 2008.”

So while other delegations—Acadiana, Terrebonne-Lafourche, Orleans—are meeting as groups this session, Baton Rouge lawmakers seem content with continuing their long-standing tradition of coming together only when it counts. They have met sporadically on a proposed ethics package being pushed by the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, Daniel says, but even those gatherings didn’t offer a quorum. “I don’t see us getting together unless it’s impromptu,” he says. “We’re just not that kind of delegation.”