“We have told the Governor we give up. We’re ready to go home,” Senator Robert Adley announced, prompting laughter from his fellow lawmakers, as Senate President John Alario responded, “Very good.”
2014 can be viewed as a session of hits and misses. Governor Jindal told the press he believes he scored a hit with his budget, which includes pay raises for state workers, as well as a bit more money for higher education.
Ville Platte Senator Eric LaFleur says at least this year’s budget debates didn’t prompt a bench-clearing brawl.
“There was not as much infighting, so at the end of the day we did a pretty good job with the budget—with the resources we had,” LaFleur reflected.
But Plaquemine Representative Karen St. Germain says the group of bills to curb environmental lawsuits--supported by the governor—were a miss.
“The Bayou Corne area has suffered greatly,” St. Germain said of her constituents who lost their homes to the sinkhole. “I don’t think the things that have been passed this year to limit lawsuits and to be retroactive to lawsuits are going to help my people at all.”
Baton Rouge Representative Steve Carter, House Education committee chairman, says he felt like he was playing a lot of defense this session—especially with the push to get Louisiana out of Common Core.
“This year, it seemed to me that a lot of the bills in the House Education committee were trying to undo a lot of the things we did a couple of years ago,” Carter said, “But I feel comfortable and good that we have sustained where we are.”
No matter how you tally the score, the game—for this year—ended with Delhi Senator Francis Thompson making the motion.
“Mr. President, members, I move we adjourn sine die!”
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