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Sunday, November 22, 2009
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Louisiana House approves state budget
Liz Condo/The Advocate
State Rep. Jim Fannin, D-Jonesboro, pauses Thursday after getting choked up during his closing statements on the state's $27 billion spending plan for fiscal year that begins July 1. House Bill 1 advanced to the Senate.
The Louisiana House approved a $27 billion state budget Thursday despite complaints about cuts to higher education.
Lawmakers debated House Bill 1, the main budget legislation, for about seven hours before voting 87-17 in favor of advancing the measure. Much of the discussion focused on higher education, which is facing sizable cuts.
HB1 now moves to the state Senate, which will have an opportunity to amend the legislation. The bill usually ends up in a conference committee, where lawmakers from both chambers work on a version to send to the governor.
A number of Democratic lawmakers in the House voted against the measure because of proposed cuts to higher education and programs that serve the poor.
House Speaker Pro Tem Karen Peterson, D-New Orleans, said she hopes the Senate is more enlightened.
“We still have time for real Louisiana solutions,” Peterson said.
State Rep. Jim Fannin, D-Jonesboro and HB1’s sponsor, said the state is short of money.
“What has happened in higher education is unfortunate, but it’s happened in our homes and everywhere else,” he said.
Fannin paused when his emotions got the better of him, prompting a standing ovation from the House.
“We did the best we could,” he said.
The state is facing a $1.3 billion shortfall for the fiscal year that starts July 1. Oil prices dipped and state tax collections are down. The economic woes are expected to continue for several years.
Money from the federal stimulus package partially closed some of next year’s budget gaps. Lawmakers put the stimulus funds in a separate bill from HB1.
Fannin said the move meant the budget was only $25.5 billion.
Total spending for the upcoming year is $27 billion between the budget bill and the stimulus appropriation.
The House proposed 35 new amendments Thursday. Only six of them were adopted.
The House moved money around to provide:
- $79 million in federal funds for hospitals.
- $7.5 million in spending for local governments.
- $7.3 million for high school students who take courses at a vocational school or college.
- $6.2 million for public college libraries.
Legislators tried multiple times to minimize reductions in higher education funding.
Gov. Bobby Jindal proposed cutting $219 million from the state’s public colleges and universities because of a revenue shortfall. A House committee reduced the cuts to existing programs to about $159 million.
Several members of the House tried to go even further in lessening the cuts to higher education.
State Rep. Roy Burrell, D-Shreveport, wanted to spend $250,000 on a higher education study of small and minority farmers. The House rejected his proposal.
Peterson then suggested taking $59 million from an economic development megafund and directing the money to the Board of Regents.
“I’m not for cutting $219 million,” she said, referring to the governor’s original proposed cuts.
Fannin listed the amount of money that lawmakers have directed to higher education since the legislative session began.
He said the state’s public colleges and universities are slated to receive money from a tax amnesty program, economic development incentives, increased tuition and the federal stimulus package.
Peterson accused the Jindal administration of putting forth a blanket position for legislators not to touch the megafund.
She said higher education is the biggest economic development tool that lawmakers can embrace.
“I expected something different. I expected the governor ... to put higher education first,” Peterson said.
The amendment failed with 43 lawmakers voting for it and 52 voting against it.
The House also rejected spending $1 million on the LSU Hurricane Center, earmarking an additional $16 million to LSU and $50,000 for a dyslexia center at Nicholls State University.
An attempt to limit the amount of rent the state would pay Saints owner Tom Benson failed as well.
As part of a long-term deal to keep the Saints in Louisiana, the state plans to lease office space from Benson in Dominion Tower at $24 per square foot. The rent is generally more than what the state is paying now for office space in New Orleans.
State Rep. Karen St. Germain, D-Pierre Part, wanted to amend House Bill 1 to require state agencies to pay Benson what they are currently paying in rent.
“This is not about stopping anything, taking anything away ... We are in a budget crunch,” St. Germain said.
She said one agency is only paying $1 a year in rent but would pay $9,072 to Benson.
House Speaker Jim Tucker, R-Terrytown, said the Dominion rent also includes parking and renovations.
State Rep. Sam Jones, D-Franklin, accused the Jindal administration of being adverse to capitalism.
“This is not about the Saints. This is about one guy,” he said, referring to Benson, who made his fortune as a used car salesman.
Fannin said the state pays more than $24 a square foot in Baton Rouge. He predicted that office space in New Orleans will increase in price as the city recovers from Hurricane Katrina.
“(I) understand you’re trying to divert from a gentleman who has a lot more than most of us,” he said.
Fannin said the new deal pays Benson a lot less than what he is receiving now.
He said he hopes the state will continue to wean the Saints off state funds.
The House rejected the amendment with 27 voting for it and 72 voting against it.
The majority of the House voted in favor of sending HB1 to the Senate.
Voting FOR the budget (87): Tucker, Abramson, Anders, Armes, Arnold, Aubert, A. Badon, B. Badon, Barras, Billiot, Burford, H. Burns, T. Burns, Carmody, Carter, Champagne, Chaney, Connick, Cortez, Cromer, Danahay, Doerge, Dove, Downs, Edwards, Ellington, Ernst, Fannin, Foil, Geymann, Greene, E. Guillory, M. Guillory, Guinn, Harrison, Hazel, Henderson, Henry, Hill, Hoffmann, Howard, Hutter, G. Jackson, M. Jackson, Johnson, S. Jones, Katz, Kleckley, LaBruzzo, Lambert, Landry, LeBas, Leger, Ligi, Little, Lopinto, McVea, Mills, Monica, Montoucet, Morris, Nowlin, Pearson, Perry, Ponti, Pope, Pugh, Richard, Richardson, Ritchie, Robideaux, Roy, Schroder, Simon, Smiley, G. Smith, J. Smith, P. Smith, St. Germain, Stiaes, Talbot, Templet, Thibaut, Waddell, White, Williams and Willmott.
Voting AGAINST the budget (17): Baldone, Barrow, Brossett, Burrell, Dixon, Franklin, Gallot, Gisclair, Hardy, Hines, Honey, R. Jones, LaFonta, Norton, Peterson, Richmond and Wooton.
NOT VOTING (1): Chandler.
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