Tort Reform: Business and industry groups have already said they’re optimistic about making new strides in tort reform under the new, conservative legislative makeup. After successful attempts in the House, and failures in the Senate blamed on committee seats, state Republican leaders have already vowed to make tort reform a priority in 2020.
Oil and gas lawsuits: Gov. John Bel Edwards is not going to stop his legal pursuit against oil and gas companies in his quest for more coastal restoration dollars. Conservative legislators will continue to push back, now with even stronger numbers. It’s unlikely they’ll be able to stop the governor’s agenda anytime soon, but Republican members will continue to point to the lawsuits as a choke point for the state’s economy.
Education funding: Edwards has said he plans to prioritize making new investments in early childhood education in this new term. Meanwhile, he and some legislators will continue to push for fully funding TOPS and higher education and increasing teacher pay. Funding these initiatives has again been made slightly more complicated by the delayed approval—the second year in a row—of a budget forecast by the Revenue Estimating Conference.
Tax reform: Buddying up with tort reform, lawmakers are expected to continue pushing for state tax reform this year, although how much of that can be done in a non-fiscal session is pretty limited.
New leadership: All of these issues come at the behest of the new leadership in both chambers, and their respective committees. Sen. Page Cortez, R-Lafayette, is expected to be the next Senate president, and fellow Republican Rep. Sherman Mack of Albany is expected to be confirmed as House speaker. Both reportedly have been chosen without Democratic input—let alone that of the governor. Leadership will be finalized Jan. 13 after legislators have been sworn in for the new term. Those new leaders will then make committee appointments. As president, departing Sen. John Alario, R-Westwego, made appointments that gave Edwards’ agendas a better chance of making it to the floor for debate. That kind of bipartisanship power sharing is unlikely to continue in the new term.
Read the full story from Business Report, which details more about the legislative term’s expected power struggle.
