The Joint Budget Committee went through the motions today of recognizing submissions of funding requests by non-governmental organizations, but members offered little hope that any will get money from a budget that lawmakers say is not yet balanced. “I want to say this on the record and y’all may want to kill me afterward,” says Speaker Jim Tucker. “I don’t want to get anyone’s hopes up these are going anywhere.” Senate President Pro Tem Sharon Broome noted that the state hasn’t funded NGOs in the past few budgets. This year local governments might also get shut out of earmarked appropriations by members, who were able to send home $20 million last year with amendments to the appropriations bill.
—The House is back up to its full complement of 105 members with the election Saturday of Gueydan Mayor Craig Hensgens over former Kaplan Mayor Linda Hardee. The all-GOP election tally was 52% to 48% percent with a 24% turnout. Hensgens, endorsed by the Tea Party of Lafayette, won big in Cameron Parish while barely losing the more populous Vermilion Parish. He will replace Sen. Jonathan Perry, who won a special election in February. The House now has 55 Republicans, 46 Democrats and four independents.
—The House started passing bills yesterday, though the Senate hasn’t yet. On the House floor today is the renewal of the $1 fee on the four-year driver’s license to fund litter abatement programs through Keep Louisiana Beautiful.
(John Maginnis will publish a daily update on the legislative session at 3 p.m., available to LaPolitics Weekly subscribers on the Subscribers Only page at LaPolitics.com. You can register your user name and password on the Lapolitics home page.)
