One-time money vote scheduled

It all started with a not-so-minor rule change in the House, and now the Senate could be poised to follow suit. At some point this morning, the Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee is expected to vote on Senate Resolution 66, which would require a two-thirds vote of the upper chamber to pass any budget that includes a major influx of nonrecurring dollars. Sen. Rob Marionneaux, D-Livonia, specifically wants a two-thirds vote for instances where one-time monies exceed $356 million or the year’s projected revenue growth. While the proposed rule change faces a tough fight in committee today, it will also meet opposition on the floor from Senate President Joel Chaisson, D-Destrehan, should it advance that far. It’s similar to a rule adopted by the House earlier in the session at the instigation of Rep. Brett Geymann, R-Lake Charles. It made a serious impact, forcing the House to shelve the budget bill for at least a day before finally sending it to the Senate without the one-time monies requested by Gov. Bobby Jindal. Although Jindal campaigned against the use of nonrecurring revenues, he has proposed that roughly $450 million in one-time monies be used in the upcoming budget. —Jeremy Alford