La. Gov. Can’t Drum up Votes for Spending Plans

Republican lawmakers in Louisiana’s House of Representatives helped stall Gov. Kathleen Blanco’s spending plans, but the governor said she’s not negotiating with the GOP legislators any further in the special session.

“I’m not. The legislators can try to do that,” the Democratic governor said.

Republicans kept Blanco from getting the two-thirds vote required to raise a state spending cap and dole out dollars for a scaled-back set of the governor’s budget proposals for pay raises, roads and incentives for a German steel mill.

The vote blocked most of Blanco’s money proposals in the special session she called, and the governor said she will seek to block Republican-backed tax break bills if she can’t get her spending plans passed. Lawmakers said if the House couldn’t approve the legislation by Tuesday, it likely would be dead for the special session, which must end by Dec. 17.

“They’re trying to play Washington gridlock, and it doesn’t look good on them. It’s a game for some,” Blanco said.

Critics of Blanco’s plans say the governor is trying to spend too much money with too little debate, only days after the new money was recognized for state budgeting.

“A constituent of mine called me over the weekend and said, ‘Only in Louisiana can we recognize $1.6 billion in new money on a Tuesday and try to start spending it on a Friday,” said Rep. Ronnie Johns, R-Sulphur.

The state has $1.6 billion in unbudgeted dollars this year and an expected $827 million surplus from last year because of boosts in state taxes in the post-hurricane recovery and with a continuing rise in oil and gas prices.

The critical legislative debate centers on a provision that limits the state’s spending each year, designed to constrain some of the growth of government. The state can spend another $194 million this budget year before hitting the cap. To raise the limit or spend above it requires a two-thirds vote, 70 votes in the House.

Blanco sought an increase in the cap, initially upward of $2 billion but she ran into opposition. A reworked version of the legislation, to raise the limit by $800 million, failed Dec. 11 in a 59-40 vote, 11 votes short of what was needed for passage.

The revamped proposal would have doled out $400 million for highways, $300 million to try to draw a steel mill to Louisiana and $100 million for pay raises for public school teachers, police officers, firefighters, college faculty, state employees and more.

The governor said her allies would bring the legislation up again.

“We’re going to work to see if we can come up with some sort of compromise,” said Rep. Eric LaFleur, D-Ville Platte, chairman of the House’s Democratic Caucus.

But days of lobbying hadn’t gotten the administration the needed votes, and LaFleur acknowledged it would be difficult to change enough Republican minds to get approval of the spending cap increase.

All but three Republican members of the House – along with two Democrats – rejected the spending cap change. Two Republicans voted for the spending limit increase, and one didn’t vote.

“My question on this is what’s the hurry?” said Rep. William Daniel, R-Baton Rouge.

Opponents said the state’s financial future was too uncertain after the hurricanes. They said lawmakers should first look for cuts in the existing budget before spending the new largesse.

“It’s close to Christmas. I would urge you not to feel the need to put on the red suit and play Santa Claus,” said Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Metairie.

Blanco said delaying the steel mill spending could take the state out of the running for the new plant entirely. She and her supporters said partisan politics was stalling plans that lawmakers have talked about as priorities for years.

“If you want to see this governor fall on her face, that’s your prerogative … I think we ought to stand up and say that we’re bigger than that,” said Rep. Taylor Townsend, D-Natchitoches.

“All of the issues that are before us have been hashed and rehashed over and over again,” Blanco said.

The governor called the session despite requests from lawmakers and critics for postponement.

Even if she gets her legislation through the House, she likely will run into problems from the Senate, where many senators including the Senate president have questioned the need to have a pre-holiday session in which money would be spent quickly. The Senate returns Dec. 13.

House Concurrent Resolution 6 can be found at www.legis.state.la.us.