Conservative state lawmakers fail to block budget bill

A bloc of conservative Republicans in the Louisiana House of Representatives couldn’t stall a budget bill today that taps into one-time dollars to help piece together spending plans for the next fiscal year. The House voted 63-38 to send the bill to the Senate, raising questions about whether the coalition was fracturing and would be unable to hold together in negotiating a final version of next year’s $25 billion operating budget with the Senate. The group of GOP lawmakers objects to using the one-time cash, calling it an irresponsible way to pay for state operating expenses that reappear year after year. The Republican Jindal administration and other lawmakers argue removing the one-time money would force steep cuts to public colleges and health services. In an unrelated matter at the Capitol today, a proposal to ban the use of hand-held cell phones while driving failed to win support in the Louisiana Senate. The Senate Transportation Committee voted 2-1 against the House-backed proposal. New Orleans Rep. Austin Badon, a Democrat, says he proposed the bill as a safety measure. Under terms of the bill, drivers could legally use a hands-free device to talk on the phone behind the wheel. Critics say cell phone use by drivers isn’t any more dangerous than actions like drinking coffee while driving, eating while driving or reading the newspaper while driving. Livingston Sen. Dale Erdey, a Republican, says hands-free devices aren’t any safer than holding a phone to the ear. Louisiana currently has a ban on texting while driving.