It goes on and on: The Louisiana Supreme Court is giving its justices an extra month to weigh in on a debate over naming the court’s next chief justice. Chief Justice Catherine “Kitty” Kimball had set a July 31 deadline for the justices to file briefs on which colleague is the “oldest in point of service” under terms of the state constitution. Kimball amended the deadline Friday, and it is now Aug. 31. Justice Bernette Johnson sued earlier this month to block her colleagues from debating whether she is entitled to succeed Kimball when she retires next year. Justice Jeffrey Victory also stakes a claim to being the court’s longest-serving justice.
At the starting line: A new study panel is starting an in-depth review of the billions of dollar of state tax breaks on the books, looking at whether they are worth keeping as Louisiana faces repeated rounds of budget cuts. The 14-member review commission of legislative leaders held its first meeting today. The commission will study the list of tax exemptions, rebates and credits that take money from the state treasury each year and determine if the tax breaks are beneficial to the state. It will recommend the reduction or elimination of tax breaks deemed to be low-performing or antiquated. The panel’s suggestions are due to be compiled by Feb. 1.
In the dark: Louisiana lawmakers are bristling about getting few details and no ability to decide the $523 million in budget cuts Gov. Bobby Jindal’s administration has made to health care programs. Several complained the governor’s staff wasn’t explaining the gravity of the slashing and the implications on the LSU network of public hospitals and clinics that care for the poor and uninsured. The cuts are tied to a drop in Louisiana’s federal Medicaid funding that was passed in federal legislation after the state’s 2012-13 budget was already crafted. The Jindal administration levied two-thirds of the cuts on the LSU safety-net hospital system, which will lose $329 million.
