Gov. Bobby Jindal has unveiled a K-12 education revamp agenda that goes broader and deeper than many thought he would go—and more than reform effort before—leaving legislators and advocates on both sides to wonder how much of it he can pass. Potentially the most explosive is Jindal’s plan to offer families vouchers for up to 380,000 students, more than half of public school enrollment. The issue could split the broad coalition supporting the governor’s plan, between progressive reformers and social conservatives, which could force a scaling-back on eligibility in order to get a statewide program passed. Hearing the scope and depth of Jindal’s plan at the LABI meeting, some new members of the legislative education committees were wondering aloud what they had signed up for. The governor and his legislative leaders have stacked those panels to ensure that the bulk of the education package makes it to the floor, where the real fights will be.
—In what appears to be the first move toward a contested 3rd Congressional District election this year, the Tea Party of Louisiana has put its support behind Congressman Jeff Landry to run against Congressman Charles Boustany in their merged district. The Tea Party statement says, “We have drafted Jeff because he will continue to represent the best interests of Louisiana, not the self-appointed ‘ruling class’ in Washington.” That’s a jab at Boustany, who is closer to the GOP leadership and Washington-based contributors.
They said it: “If you thought we did nothing last year, we’re really going to do nothing this year.” —Congressman Jeff Landry on Congress, in The Times-Picayune
(John Maginnis publishes LaPolitics Weekly, a newsletter on Louisiana politics, at LaPolitics.com.)
