Beyond the dozens of new faces shaking up the Louisiana Legislature, an unusual spirit of collaboration between the new House speaker and Senate president could rework lawmaking dynamics across the entire four-year term of state government.
Leaders of the two legislative chambers haven’t necessarily worked together on the crafting of bills over the years—and while many House speakers and Senate presidents have given lip service to the idea of partnership, their practices have been much different.
More often than not, friction has existed between the House and Senate.
Those frayed relations intensified over the last four years, as Republican House leaders including then-Speaker Taylor Barras frequently sparred with Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards over financial issues while GOP Senate President John Alario became Edwards’ closest legislative ally.
But term limits forced the exits of Barras and Alario in January—and their Republican replacements, House Speaker Clay Schexnayder and Senate President Page Cortez, seem to be forming a tighter bond in their new leadership roles.
Cortez and Schexnayder regularly talk of cooperation with each other, and they’ve taken similar positions on some of their first key financial positions and talking points.
“Clay and I have a similar appreciation for teamwork and for working together,” said Cortez of Lafayette, sitting next to the House speaker at a recent talk at the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry annual meeting.
In that discussion, Schexnayder repeatedly followed Cortez’s comments with statements such as, “I feel the same,” or “I agree.”
That could force Edwards to rework his approach with lawmakers, if he’ll face a united front between the GOP-led House and Senate, rather than divisions among the chambers.
Edwards often worked out deals with Alario that helped kill House-passed bills the governor didn’t want to reach his desk, and the former Senate president also helped muscle through budgetary approaches Edwards preferred. Those days appear to be done.
Cortez sided with Schexnayder over the Edwards administration in refusing to adopt income projections the governor wanted—and economists recommended—to build next year’s budget. Schexnayder proposed a smaller forecast increase, and Cortez voted with the House speaker. No agreement has been reached. Read the full analysis from The Associated Press.
