What Rep. Regina Barrow of Baton Rouge, Rep. Clif Richardson of Central and other members of the House Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs Committee did yesterday on HB 877 is absolutely disgusting.
I’m not talking about the specifics of the TIF-related bill, which has dropped developer Mike Wampold’s proposed Bluebonnet project and replaced it with a request from Tommy Spinosa to get tax increment financing for a proposed limited-service hotel in Perkins Rowe. [Wampold asked to be removed from HB 877, opting to cast his TIF-lot with SB 333 which already has Senate approval and awaits a full vote in the House.]
What’s appalling is the procedural garbage that allows a defeated measure to be brought back for debate after opponents—both in the crowd and on the committee—left the room. The bill, which was defeated 8-6, was reintroduced two hours later after all but three of the earlier “no” voters (and all of the opponents in the audience) left the room and three other members, not present during the original vote, joined the committee meeting. On the second go-round the measure, sponsored by Richardson, passed without objection. [Richardson is a good friend of Bobby Simpson, the former Baton Rouge mayor and current Spinosa employee.]
This, on top of the stunts by Rep. Avon Honey and Rep. Steve Carter earlier in the session, gives not only the Legislature a black eye—but the Baton Rouge delegation in particular.
It’s true that I personally do not support giving a TIF to Wampold’s hotel and conference center project. I have even stronger objections to giving TIF status to a cash-strapped Spinosa and his proposed limited-use hotel project. But that’s a different argument for a different day. The outrage isn’t the substance of the bill; it’s the way it was handled.
It’s because of nonsense like this that people have so little faith in government. And rightly so.
Send comments to editors@businessreport.com.—JR Ball
This story has been changed since it was originally published.
