The early developing U.S. Senate race took an unexpected turn last week with Republican Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne’s sudden interest in it, telling Roll Call magazine that he is “pondering” running against Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu next fall. But those who know him believe his heart is still set on running for governor in 2015. “It’s not something I went out looking for,” Dardenne tells LaPolitics. “I said it was something I would think about. But obviously my focus has been on Louisiana and probably it will tend to stay that way.” While Dardenne ponders, Republican U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy of Baton Rouge, who has been quiet since he fired his political consultant Timmy Teepell, resurfaced in campaign mode this week. He showed up at the Republican State Central Committee meeting with his two new advisors, Jason Hebert and Scott Hobbs of The Political Firm. Meanwhile, GOP U.S. Rep. John Fleming of Shreveport demonstrated this week why he is the favorite of social conservatives when he filed his Health Care Conscience Rights Act, which would allow businesses to opt out of parts of the Affordable Care Act for religious reasons, such as objecting to coverage for certain forms of contraception. It’s almost inconceivable for both Dardenne and Cassidy to run from the south Baton Rouge base they share. GOP politicos are counting on the field shaking out by this summer.
—Education stakeholders who supported the overturned voucher and tenure laws will meet Monday to determine a legislative strategy while the administration pursues appeals to the state Supreme Court. “Then we will talk to the governor” about what to do in the session, says Rep. Steve Carter, R-Baton Rouge, the lead author on Acts 1 and 2. One difficulty in seeking a legislative re-do is that, in a fiscal session, many lawmakers have committed their five general bills. If the tenure law is separated into two or three new bills, then Carter says he thinks they will individually pass. “He can pass them through his committee,” retorts Rep. John Bel Edwards, D-Amite, who led opposition to the bills last year, adding: “The appetite on the floor will be different this year.”
They said it: “(It’s) sucking the air out of the room.” —Jim Patterson, LABI vice president of governmental relations, on the Jindal administration’s proposed tax swap plan, on KPLC-TV in Lake Charles.
(John Maginnis publishes LaPolitics Weekly, a newsletter on Louisiana politics, at LaPolitics.com.)
