Lawmakers wrap up session

• By MARSHA SHULER AND JORDAN BLUM
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Jun 26, 2009 - Page: 1A

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Area lawmakers agreed that tempering Gov. Bobby Jindal’s proposed budget cuts to higher education and health care was the best thing accomplished in the 2009 legislative session that ended Thursday.

Lawmakers interviewed in the session’s final hours were hard-pressed to come up with anything else significant.

“This has not been a pretty session,” said state Sen. Rob Marionneaux, D-Grosse Tete, chairman of the Senate’s tax-writing committee. “Those who have said it is real easy to cut $1 billion out of the budget realized it’s not so easy.”

The $28 billion state budget had to take into account a $1.3 billion drop in projected state revenue for the fiscal year that begins Wednesday. Higher education and health care faced the brunt of cuts.

The effects of term limits with lots of new legislators on “a learning curve” and political partisanship in the House brought problems in dealing with thorny tax and spend issues, they said.

“I don’t think any of us could stand another week to be honest,” said state Rep. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge.

Some said Jindal added another complicating factor to the situation.

“I was frankly disappointed with the lack of leadership,” said state Sen. Dan Claitor, R-Baton Rouge. “I think it’s the general public’s perception as well.”

He quickly added: “That doesn’t mean I don’t support the governor or want him to be successful.”

“After delivering the budget he kind of left us to find additional revenues,” said state Sen. Dale Erdey, R-Livingston, who described the session as the most “contentious” he’s faced in his 10 years as a lawmaker.

Some legislators raised the specter of a fall special session depending on the fallout that comes as remaining budget cuts in higher education and health care are felt.

“The implementation will be the telling facts in all of this,” said Senate President Pro Tem Sharon Broome, D-Baton Rouge.

“I think the people are going to demand it,” said state Sen. Yvonne Dorsey, D-Baton Rouge, when poor people cannot get their medicine and there are employee layoffs at colleges that are “economic engines” in communities.