The Jindal administration cleared its first hurdle toward the eventual sale of a medium-security prison in Marksville during a 4.5-hour hearing this morning. The House’s budget committee voted 13-11 to approve House Bill 850, with two Republicans voting no and two Democrats—including Chairman Jim Fannin, D-Jonesboro—voting yes. Before a room packed with employees of Avoyelles Correctional Center and central Louisiana officials and flanked by administration officials, Rep. Henry Burns, R-Haughton, framed his bill as a cost-savings measure in hard budget times. The bill would authorize the administration to send out requests for proposal to private companies to lease or buy the Avoyelles facility, which is appraised at $35 million. A sales agreement would go to the Joint Budget Committee for approval. An amendment to require the approval of the full Legislature failed, 11-10. The governor’s proposed budget calls for depositing the sales proceeds into the so-called rainy day fund, and counts on $40 million in operational savings over the next five years through privatization. But Chairman Fannin successfully urged members to defeat an amendment to put the rainy day fund language in the bill, in order to maintain flexibility in handling the budget. The amendment failed, 12-12. Read the full column here.
(John Maginnis will publish a daily update throughout the legislative session on Daily Report PM. The report is also available to LaPolitics Weekly subscribers on the Subscribers Only page at LaPolitics.com. Registration is available on the homepage.)
Louisiana Public Broadcasting is providing a daily video update featuring highlights of the session, which you can see beginning at 6 p.m. here.
