Done — and to do

• By MICHELLE MILLHOLLON
• Capitol news bureau
• Published: Jan 4, 2009 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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In his first year as governor, Bobby Jindal dealt with two hurricanes, sparked speculation about his ambitions and made legislators disclose their finances.

Next up: Redesigning the state’s health-care system and grappling with a huge budget shortfall.

The Jindal administration compiled a 21-page booklet of accomplishments from the governor’s honeymoon year. However, several political watchers say Jindal has yet to articulate a real road map for the “new Louisiana” he talked about in his inaugural address.
Former Insurance Commissioner Jim Brown said the 37-year-old Republican governor is at a crossroads in his career.

“He needs more than perception,” said Brown, a Democrat and a political commentator on radio and the Internet. “He is going to have to produce and show tangible results in the coming year.”

Jim Brandt, president of the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, said the governor needs to cement his vision.
“Overall, I’m not clear that there is a clear picture of where he wants to move the state,” said Brandt.

PAR is a nonprofit group that studies state government.

The past 12 months had its highs and lows for Jindal.

The governor set about fulfilling campaign promises by changing the state’s ethics laws, pushing tax breaks for businesses and reorganizing work force training. He reduced the state’s reliance on one-time dollars — such as grants — for expenses that have to be paid year after year.

Nationally, Jindal became a darling of the conservatives. U.S. Sen. John McCain was said to have considered Jindal as a possible running mate. Later in the year, Jindal traveled to Iowa to speak to a pro-family organization, triggering talk that he is looking to run for the White House. Iowa has one of the first caucuses in the presidential election cycle.

Back home, Jindal acknowledges that he made a misstep in his handling of a legislative pay raise.

“Look, I’m going to make mistakes. ... We’ll make other mistakes,” Jindal said recently during an interview at the Governor’s Mansion.
Last summer, Jindal wavered on whether to veto a raise that would have more than doubled lawmakers’ pay. Jindal denounced the raise but refused at first to veto it.

In the end, the governor killed the raise, but only after recall efforts were launched against him and several legislators.

“Clearly the low was the pay-raise issue and the way that was handled all the way around. Him, us, everybody,” said House Speaker Jim Tucker, R-Terrytown.