Only a few bills remain for the Legislature to dispose of before final adjournment at 6 p.m. today. Without a budget battle or other highly charged issue that has marked past final days, Speaker Jim Tucker sees the session coming in for a “soft landing,” though these things have a way of getting bumpy in the final hours. Both houses await a conference committee report on the unconventionally combined TOPS/tobacco tax constitutional amendment. Its author, Sen. John Alario, R-Westwego, has said he would not object to the surprise House amendment to add the tobacco tax renewal that Gov. Bobby Jindal vetoed. Another conference committee is trying to work out differences over the so-called GRAD Act 2.0, which would give universities more autonomy over purchasing and contracts. Senators have a problem with an amendment by Rep. Steve Carter, R-Baton Rouge, to link autonomy steps to colleges’ achieving performance standards, including retention of students. This is a requirement pushed by a group of House Republicans who have been pressing colleges for more accountability to go with increased flexibility.
— The Senate still has confirmations to vote on, including that of healthcare Secretary Bruce Greenstein, who has been recommended by the Senate & Governmental Affairs Committee despite problems some members had with his handling of a major contract that his former employer is in line for. Hanging over the Senate is the expected response from the U.S. Justice Department on whether that body’s redistricting plan will be accepted, as the House’s was earlier this week. The feds’ 60-day deadline is up at 6 p.m. tonight, at which time it will be too late to make any changes if they are ordered.
(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.)
