LaPolitics: How transformational of a governor has Jeff Landry been over the first half of his first term, compared to other governors?
Steven Procopio, president of the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana: It’s tough, because all governors did transformational work. You have to look at specific things, like the tax reform. I think that was a really big deal that could have long-term impacts upon the growth of the state. The DOTD restructuring, a lot of these executive branch restructurings are still underway. I think that is going to have to play out over time.
Are lawmakers doing enough to prepare for expected revenue reductions in future years, including federal spending cuts?
I think the best answer is to say ‘probably not yet.’ This session hasn’t started yet, and we’ll have to see how they address it. And they still have time, even if they don’t address it now, to wait until next year. It’s always better to start acting sooner, especially with financial issues, rather than wait. I think a good chunk of that probably is going to be handled by just changing the law. The motor vehicle sales tax is slated to go from the general fund to transportation. They can fix that relatively easily by just saying, ‘Yeah, we’re not doing that.’
How do you expect voters to react to the new party primary system?
I expect there’s going to be a lot of confusion and anger. And that is why PAR tried to spend a lot of time working to educate people about what’s going on. We had two publications that we’ve put out. We’re going to have a webinar later. I think this is going to be a tough transition for a lot of voters. We’re hoping that we can help smooth that over. I know the secretary of state is doing a lot of work on that as well. But the arcane machinations of voting systems are not necessarily at the top of people’s minds. They have busy lives that they have to lead.
—They said it: “The congresswoman is kind of like Vice President Kamala Harris, but with more bartending experience.” –U.S. Sen. John Kennedy about Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on Fox News
