For the first time in his career as an elected official, Gov. Bobby Jindal’s job approval ratings have sagged into negative territory. A new poll, commissioned by the State Medical Society, shows that only 46% of voters like what he is doing and 48% do not. The best time for the governor to have a bad poll is well into his second term. The best reason is that he is trying to get some hard and controversial things done, and is taking heat for it. After a conflict-averse first term, Jindal these days is taking strong forward positions on education, health care and taxes, the outcomes of which will largely frame his legacy and enhance, or not, his presidential aspirations. Even with his school voucher and tenure changes tied up in court, the expansion of charter schools and toughening of teacher evaluations are leaving their mark. Student achievement, ultimately, will determine whether the mark is pass or fail. His tax quest is to come in the spring session of the Legislature. The governor will try selling lawmakers and the public on his big idea to repeal personal and corporate income taxes, which will require many small ideas on how to fill the $3 billion (probably more) revenue gap. But the real pressure on him now, and part of the reason for his popularity decline, comes from his drive to transform the state health care system within the hostile environment of the historic change of the national health care system. Read the full column here.
(John Maginnis publishes LaPolitics Weekly, a newsletter on Louisiana politics, at LaPolitics.com.)
