Political Horizons for April 26, 2009

• By MARK BALLARD
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Apr 26, 2009 - Page: 7B

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Monday at noon the Louisiana Legislature starts its annual session. Gov. Bobby Jindal will speak to the assembly at 1 p.m. The legislators adjourn no later than  6 p.m. on June 25th.

Because of the pressure of declining revenues, this session could change the size and mission of state government in Louisiana. But all the elements also are in place for the session to turn into a massive, two-month long gridlock.

Having to cut spending on taxpayer-funded programs to match $1.3 billion less revenue from taxes, royalties and fees means significant cuts in  spending or increases in taxes.

The magnitude of the financial situation probably hasn’t registered yet for many of the 144 legislators, said House Speaker Jim Tucker. To quote the Terrytown Republican, “Louisiana no longer faces the traditional debate of whether to buy an apple or a pear. Fruit is no longer affordable.”

There have been lots of grumbles about how Gov. Bobby Jindal proposes to balance spending with the amount of money expected to come in. Artists and educators, in particular, have complained and threatened large marches on the Capitol.

But few critics present an alternative plan that says, “Raise this tax, spend this trust fund, turn this four-year university into a community college, shut down this department and lay off these state employees.” Members of the Democratic caucus met on the State Capitol steps demanding more money for education — without any suggestion of how.

Careful debate with a goal of making the best choice — among a bunch of bad choices — likely will not be the order of the day.
Jindal told the Press Club of Baton Rouge last week that he expects disagreements. “That’s the way democracy works,” Jindal said. “Things need to be debated.”

But, the governor’s team is all about winning.

Already Jindal’s acolytes are aggressively flogging those opponents who offer unambiguous alternatives by raising a bewildering array of small-print factoids that often are irrelevant. And, as of last week, the state Division of Administration started a blog for pointing out details that will “correct misconceptions” as they occur.

One wonders if all this shuffling of specificity will, like a three-card monte dealer, end up confusing the points.
Also, there is a time element.

Legislators on the fiscal committees have been taking testimony on the state budget for nearly a month now.

The state House of Representatives plans to finish the state budget in about three weeks — an astonishing pace for government — and send it to the state Senate on May 15, Tucker said, while snapping his fingers to a four-four beat. The Senate is set to finish the bill by June 4.

This timing means that, unlike last year, the Legislature should still be in session and ready to override any line-item veto of a favored expenditure.