With the session winding down to adjournment Thursday at 6 p.m., it appears lawmakers are getting wound up. Tensions remained high throughout Wednesday, with the House rejecting Senate amendments to the annual construction budget and sending HB 2 to closed-door conference committee meetings for a potential 11th-hour compromise.
Lawmakers took a lengthy break at midday for private negotiations over the state budget, but it was unclear what, if any, progress had been accomplished by the time both chambers reconvened. The same goes for the session’s key revenue bills as the Legislature tries to dislodge a disagreement over how much to increase a proposed cigarette and tobacco tax. Senators are on the higher end of that spectrum while conservatives in the House are lobbying for a smaller hike.
With the cigarette and tobacco tax expected to change, there’s talk of widening the proposed suspension of an exemption on business utilities. Lobbyists for business and industry say a bigger hit is very possible at this hour and the lawmakers involved contend they’re unwilling to compromise on their push for tax money from the companies that pay the utility bills.
With the House and Senate meeting somewhat sporadically as the private negotiations continue, Rep. Chris Broadwater, R-Hammond, took it upon himself to request a report from the Board of Regents on what would happen to colleges and universities if Gov. Bobby Jindal vetoes the key revenue bills and the Legislature fails to override him. The public institutions would lose up to $282 million collectively, with LSU’s flagship campus in Baton Rouge suffering a $41.8 million cut. Baton Rouge Community College would bleed to the tune of $5.2 million and Southern University in Baton Rouge $7.4 million
Jindal has said he would only veto the revenue bills if lawmakers send him a budget with a net tax increase.
—Before the session ends, the Louisiana Senate may vote on a resolution that would allow members to use secret balloting for the election of its next president. The resolution is the brainchild of Sen. Eric LaFleur, D-Ville Platte. “It’s about making the process as independent as possible,” he said. “A secret ballot means there’s no retribution and anybody has a shot at making it.”
Lawmakers have long bemoaned the hidden hand of governors in choosing the House speaker and Senate president. While a governor does not appoint the top chamber leaders, an endorsement or quiet nod often leads to their selection. “If the resolution passes, I think the House might follow suit,” said LaFleur.
Several senators interviewed Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning said they were supportive of the resolution and that they expected Senate President John Alario, R-Westwego, to abstain from the vote. It comes at a time when many in the Senate have raised objections to advancing offset bills, such as the so-called SAVE legislation, to meet Gov. Bobby Jindal’s revenue neutral rule—a rule the Senate leadership has been pushing hard to enforce.
It also precedes what could be an emotionally-charged gubernatorial election in the fall. “This would be the time to do it,” said one senator. “We won’t be able to do this once a new governor is in Baton Rouge.”
LaFleur said that roughly 16 senates around the country already use secret balloting to elect their top leaders. While the move would certainly give the Senate more independence, it would also shield the votes of senators from their constituents. “This is a personnel issue,” LaFleur said. “This isn’t a vote on a tax issue or bill.”
Jeremy Alford and Jeremy Harper will publish a daily update throughout the legislative session on Daily Report PM. Alford reports on Louisiana politics at LaPolitics.com. Follow him on Twitter or on Facebook. He can be reached at JJA@LaPolitics.com.
