Surprise amendment on House calendar

An unexpected House proposal that was filed last week by a Calcasieu Parish lawmaker is on the lower chamber’s agenda this afternoon, and passage of the measure would be a game changer for the ongoing session. House Resolution 27 by Rep. Brett Geymann, R-Lake Charles, would require a two-thirds vote of the House to pass any budget that includes non-recurring dollars. To be sure, stakeholders of the state’s massive budget have let their feelings be known. “You’re going to get phone calls,” Geymann recently told the House. “I’ve received them.” Judges, sheriffs and local school boards have been asking that the vote be put off, as has the administration of Gov. Bobby Jindal. Why all the hustle and bustle? Jindal is addressing about $474 million of the approaching $1.3 billion budget shortfall with one-time monies. —Jeremy Alford