Latest news with #JeffLandry
American Press
a day ago
- Automotive
- American Press
Jim Beam column:Landry threats get bill passed
Louisiana's Republican Gov. Jeff Landry gets legislators to pass a bill that critics say weakens other bills designed to lower auto insurance premiums.(Photo courtesy of Meg Kinnard of AP). Anyone who doubts that Republican Gov. Jeff Landry is the most power hungry governor since the late-Huey P. Long (1928-32) hasn't been following legislative deliberations on auto insurance reform. Long was famously known as 'The Kingfish' because of his autocratic style, and Landry is a carbon copy. Legislators have approved some excellent bills designed to lower what are among the nation's highest auto insurance premiums. Unfortunately, Landry has strong-armed lawmakers to pass one bill that might just wipe out the progress from those good measures. The legislation that is now House Bill 148 was born as HB 576 by Rep. Robby Carter, D-Amite. The legislation would allow the state insurance commissioner to reject rate increases, even if facts show they are justified. Commissioner Tim Temple says the bill will make it harder for insurance companies to raise rates and will discourage other companies from coming to Louisiana. Landry testified for over 30 minutes in support of the bill before the House Insurance Committee and said if it didn't pass, he was going to 'bring it back again, again and again.' Carter's bill got out of committee but he apparently didn't have the votes to pass it in the full House and returned it to the calendar twice. So Landry came up with a new plan. Rep. Brian Glorioso, R-Slidell, introduced an amendment to HB 148 on the House floor on April 30 that was pretty much the original Carter HB 576. And The Advocate reported that Landry 'powered over Republican opponents in the state House' who passed the Glorioso amendment 67-33. The newspaper said it was significant that only 36 Republicans supported the amendment, while 33 opposed it. All 31 Democrats voted in favor of the amendment. The House then passed the amended bill with a 68-34 vote. Rep. Paula Davis, R-Baton Rouge, who worked for the insurance department for a decade, said, 'We're sending a message to the industry that we're an unstable place to do business.' The Advocate on May 22 said, 'Gov. Jeff Landry showed who's the boss at the State Capitol when he rammed a car insurance bill through the Senate late Wednesday night over the vehement objections of Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple and business trade groups.' The Senate passed the bill with a 26-9 vote on May 21. When the bill got back to the House because of Senate changes, the House voted 76-18 to agree to the changes and sent the bill to the governor, who said it would make it harder for insurance companies to raise rates. The newspaper said Allstate and State Farm officials met privately with the governor in opposition to a change that would require insurance companies to reveal rate-setting information that has been secret. The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, which represents 38% of the insurance market in Louisiana, wrote to the governor, saying the added change is so bad it will outweigh any of the measures passed this year and last year that Landry and legislators said would hold down property and car insurance rates. The Insurance Council of Louisiana in a letter said, 'While this bill may come out of good intentions, the likelihood is that it will cause bad outcomes.' The Advocate said Landry turned aside those objections and signed insurance bills Wednesday. He didn't invite Rep. Emily Chenevert, R-Gonzales, and a sponsor of one bill, because she voted against HB 148, Landry's 'big, bad bill.' Landry said rates should lower by as much as 10%. The newspaper said there was no doubt about Landry showing his political muscle during the legislative session to get lawmakers to approve the car insurance measures he wanted. But he did get some bad feedback on HB 148. Quin Hillyer, who writes a column for The Advocate, called the new law 'downright abominable,' and added, 'Voters should consider punishing any legislators who approved it — and do likewise to the governor who shoved it down their throats.' Legislators have given Landry much of what he has wanted since he took office and that isn't likely to change. On this questionable auto insurance bill, he had half the Republicans in the Legislature and all of the Democrats on his side. Jim Beam, the retired editor of the American Press, has covered people and politics for more than six decades. Contact him at 337-515-8871 or Reply Forward Add reaction
American Press
2 days ago
- Politics
- American Press
Dozens of advocates urge senators to maintain LA GATOR funding
A coalition of more than two dozen advocacy organizations is urging Louisiana senators to fully fund the newly approved LA GATOR Scholarship Program, a school choice initiative backed by Gov. Jeff Landry and recently passed by the House of Representatives. The groups praised lawmakers for taking what they called a 'monumental step forward' by advancing the program, which aims to give families publicly funded scholarships to send their children to private schools or other educational alternatives. Nearly 40,000 families have already applied, according to the letter, signaling high demand in the first year. While the House kept Landry's originally proposed $93 million budget for the program intact, Senate President Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, has said that he plans only to fund $50 million. Even with a budget of $93 million, only one-third of voucher applicants would secure a scholarship. Critics point out that by not funding those students through LA GATOR, they will have to be funded by their public schools. Further, 'dropping down to $50 million means only current voucher students will qualify,' Daniel Erspamer of the Pelican Institute told The Center Square. 'Some voucher students are about to graduate, and this would mean no new students entering kindergarten, which would have happened' in the Louisiana Scholarship Program. LA GATOR replaced the LSP. Among the signatories were national and state groups including the Pelican Institute, Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, ExcelinEd, the Alliance for Educational Freedom, and the American Legislative Exchange Council. They urged senators to maintain funding levels in the governor's budget, saying the program could transform educational access for thousands of Louisiana students. The letter emphasized that by fully funding the program, legislators would fulfill a promise to families seeking more educational choice and opportunity.
Associated Press
3 days ago
- General
- Associated Press
Louisiana bill that gives legal protections to IVF providers heads to the governor's desk
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A bill that protects in vitro fertilization providers from criminal charges and lawsuits has received bipartisan approval from Louisiana lawmakers and now heads to the desk of Republican Gov. Jeff Landry for final signature. The measure approved Wednesday was formed to avoid the situation that occurred in Alabama last year when the state's Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law. As a result of the ruling, some IVF services — a medical procedure that helps people facing infertility get pregnant — were paused until Alabama's governor signed a law that protects them from prosecution 'for the damage to or death of an embryo' during treatment. 'This is a pro-family, pro-life and pro-parent bill,' state Rep. Paula Davis, a Republican, said of the Louisiana bill during debate in the House earlier this week. 'It aligns our laws with medical science and ensures that no one has to cross state lines to build a family.' The bill says doctors, health care providers, hospitals and clinics have legal protection when it comes to IVF, unless there is 'criminal negligence' or 'general criminal intent.' It also updates language to the state's current IVF law, which was written in 1986. Landry has not said whether he plans to sign the bill into law. Louisiana is the latest state to take steps to protect access to IVF treatment.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Mortgages, Mardi Gras and country clubs: Louisiana campaign funds could soon cover these expenses
Gov. Jeff Landry is pushing an overhaul of the Louisiana Board of Ethics' investigation process while also facing ethics charges brought by the board. (Photo credit: Wes Muller/Louisiana Illuminator) Louisiana politicians would be able to use money they raise to run for elected office on a much broader group of expenses, including their home mortgages, country club fees and gym memberships under legislation Gov. Jeff Landry is pushing. Louisiana House Republican Caucus Chairman Rep. Mark Wright, R-Covington, is sponsoring a sprawling rewrite of Louisiana's campaign finance laws in House Bill 693. The 101-page legislation loosens dozens of restrictions placed on the people and political groups who raise and spend money on state and local elections. The Louisiana Board of Ethics has for years prohibited elected officials and candidates from spending campaign and political action committee (PAC) money on property they own. Wright's bill would make that type of spending legal under certain circumstances. For example, a candidate or elected official could use their campaign and PAC money to help pay off a portion of their home mortgage, as long as part of the property was used for campaign purposes and the candidate charged his campaign 'fair market value,' under one provision of the legislation. The bill was largely written by two private attorneys who work for Gov. Jeff Landry and represented him in multiple legal disputes he has with the ethics board. Most recently, lawyers Stephen Gelé and Charles Spies are working for Landry as the governor faces ethics charges for failing to disclose flights he took on a political donor's plane in 2021. But Wright's legislation would not affect the outcome of that case against Landry. Gelé has described the massive rewrite of the state's campaign finance laws as an effort to 'modernize' Louisiana's practices and bring them more in line with federal campaign finance law. 'This campaign finance legislation respects fundamental constitutional rights, including freedom of speech and due process, and updates the statute providing clear rules governing current campaign practices, while still providing transparency and preventing the appearance of corruption,' Gelé said in a written statement to the Illuminator. Wright said his legislation is also meant to address frustrations elected officials have with ethics board fines and investigations into their spending. 'There's a lot of people who don't like what they do or don't do,' Wright said. 'For whatever reason, people don't feel like they are getting a fair review.' Legislators' ambivalence to the ethics board has been reflected in support for the bill. Wright's proposal easily cleared the Louisiana House of Representatives on a 77-16 vote, with a small group of Democrats in opposition. The Senate is now considering the bill, which needs approval from both chambers before June 12. One of the state's preeminent government watchdog groups, the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, warned the bill would open the door to at least the appearance of political corruption. 'Louisiana, historically, had serious corruption problems and the Board of Ethics was sort of created to look at that,' Steven Procopio, the organization's president, said in an interview. '[G]iven our history, it's very important that we not backslide.' 'It doesn't solve any problem for citizens. What it really solves is making things more convenient for public officials,' he added. Wright's proposal is part of a wider effort to weaken the ethics board authority overall that concerns Procopio. There are two other bills in the Senate that would also make it harder for the board to enforce ethics law violations. 'I can't find a single reason why citizens would support this,' he said. What would be allowed Should it pass, Wright's legislation would explicitly let political candidates, elected officials and their PACs spend money on a long list of new services and expenses that aren't laid out in the current law. These proposed allowable expenses would include: *Paying lobbyists at the State Capitol and in Washington D.C. * Paying for an elected official or candidate's spouse and children to accompany them to Washington Mardi Gras, a national political convention or any professional conference attended as an elected official. *Covering any fines or penalties the ethics board has levied against a person for violating campaign finance or ethics laws. * Paying for security measures such as cameras and fences to be installed in order to protect a candidate or elected official, including at their personal residence or office. *Payments on a personal or business loan, including a home mortgage, on property owned by the candidate as long as the candidate is using a portion of that property for campaign purposes and is charging his campaign 'fair market' value. For example, this could include storing campaign signs in the garage of an elected official's house and then charging the campaign the market rate of a local storage locker. *Paying dues, fees and gratuities to a social organization such as a country club, fitness center, Mardi Gras krewe or any other 'nonpolitical organization' as long as the membership 'facilitates' interaction with a constituent, another elected official or a former elected official. The ethics board has explicitly not allowed some of these proposed campaign expenses under the current law for several years. For example, those who miss deadlines for submitting campaign finance reports cannot use their PAC or campaign account to pay the financial penalties the board imposes on them. It must come from their personal funds under current law. Wright's legislation would eliminate that restriction. The ethics board has also generally interpreted a legal ban on using campaign and PAC money for 'personal use' to mean a candidate or elected official cannot use their political cash to help pay off loans on buildings, homes and other property they own. In 2007, the ethics board told former state Treasurer John Schroder his political campaign could not lease office space from a company he owned. Schroder, who was treasurer from 2017-24, was running for his first state elected office in the Louisiana of Representatives at the time. 'A candidate cannot do business with himself,' Gray Sexton, who served as general counsel to the state ethics board for 40 years, said about current ethics laws in an interview earlier this month. Yet Wright's legislation would reverse that board opinion, allowing others like Schroder to lease out not only their commercial property to campaigns, but also their personal residences. 'This would allow market value transactions between the candidate and the campaign to go forward,' said Sexton, who now represents politicians who appear before the ethics board in his private law practice. Eighteen years after seeking that opinion, Schroder said he agrees with the ruling the ethics board initially gave him. 'I think it just erodes public trust,' he said of politicians paying their personal businesses with campaign or PAC funds. 'The public just doesn't trust the politician or the political space today.' Carnival costs Wright's legislation would also definitively declare that elected officials can use their political money to cover membership dues for Mardi Gras krewes and the balls and parades they host. The ethics board has spent decades wrestling over whether expenses related to participating in Mardi Gras can be covered with campaign funds, and its response has often been muddled. Most of the board's public guidance about Mardi Gras is also nearly 30 years old. In early 1998, the state ethics board told St. Tammany Parish officials they couldn't use campaign funds to 'join a local civic organization which holds meetings and functions culminating in a Mardi Gras parade.' Later that year, the board reiterated that same stance when asked for a similar opinion. 'Campaign funds may not be used to pay for membership dues and expenses related to an organization which holds a Mardi Gras parade,' the board wrote at the time. But in the months that followed, the board issued advisories allowing campaign funds to cover some Mardi Gras expenses. In 1998 and 1999, the board said elected officials could use campaign money to purchase Mardi Gras parade throws bearing their name or likeness. Their election funds could also cover the costs of a candidate participating in a parade, as long as it wasn't krewe membership dues and the elected official wasn't covering their face on the parade route, which is common for many parades. Should Wright's legislation pass, none of these restrictions would remain relevant because the new law would allow politicians to use their campaign and PAC money for krewe dues, as long as being a member of the krewe helped them interact with a constituent, another elected official or a former elected official. The bill also contains a provision to allow elected officials and candidates to spend even more freely on 'events related to the Mardi Gras celebration in Washington D.C.' Every year, thousands of politically connected Louisiana residents kick off carnival season at a four-day, rolling party and festival called Washington Mardi Gras. It features tblack-tie balls, business luncheons, panel discussions, political fundraisers and parties sponsored by business groups and lobbyists. For years, elected officials have dipped into their campaign accounts to cover their expenses for this event. Elected officials spent a combined $594,000 from their campaign accounts in 2023 alone on Washington Mardi Gras, according to an Illuminator analysis. That came from 64 elected Louisiana officials, including 34 state lawmakers. It's not clear to what extent political funds have been used to cover spending on politician's spouses and children at Washington Mardi Gras, as Wright's legislation specifically allows. Elected officials' families often attend the event, but campaign finance reporting isn't precise enough to give the public those types of details about the expenses. The ethics board's investigations are also confidential, meaning if they are scrutinizing a particular person's Washington Mardi Gras spending, it wouldn't be known to the public. But lawmakers have been complaining for months that the ethics board has started looking into Washington Mardi Gras spending more generally. 'Washington Mardi Gras seems to be getting a lot of attention, and I don't know why,' said Rep. Beau Beaullieu, R-New Iberia, who is cosponsoring the legislation with Wright during a public hearing last year. PACs pay for posh events, destinations One way Wright's legislation would accommodate all these proposed new political expenses is by setting up leadership PACs in Louisiana's campaign finance law. At the federal level, a leadership PAC is typically one set up by a member of Congress to give money to other candidates running for office. Wright's bill would allow for a similar type of organization at the state level. Supporters said it will make it easier for state elected officials to support their colleagues and push their political agendas. Government watchdog groups have been highly critical of federal leadership PACs, describing the accounts as 'slush funds' that allow members of Congress to spend lavishly at vacation resorts and restaurants. Two nonpartisan organizations that promote government accountability, Issue One and the Campaign Legal Center, found less than half of the money Congressional leadership PACs spent during 2019-20 went to their stated purpose of helping other candidates. Instead, members of Congress spent significant amounts on lavish resorts, country clubs and restaurants. The leadership PAC spending of Sen. Rand Paul, R-Kentucky, was held out as an example by the group. Paul spent $990,000 from his leadership PAC over 2019-20, but only 12% of those dollars went to other political candidates' campaigns. Meanwhile, he used the funds for $14,000 in hotel stays and $13,000 at restaurants. He also spent $2,300 on various golf courses and $820 for baseball tickets at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. '[S]uch spending patterns give the impression that some politicians are simply raising money at one posh location to pay for the next fundraiser at the next fancy destination,' Issue One and the Campaign Legal Center wrote in a report issued in 2021. A former congressman, Landry is the person pushing most for the campaign finance law changes contained in Wright's bill. The governor also stands to benefit the most from more flexibility in political spending because he has far more money in his political accounts than any other state government official.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Louisiana House committee passes budget that closes $200 million shortfall without raising taxes
BATON ROUGE — The House Appropriations Committee advanced a $49.4 billion state budget Monday that funds $2,000 teacher stipends for next year, closes a nearly $200 million shortfall and balances the books without raising taxes. To bridge the budget gap, lawmakers pieced together a solution using a mix of cuts, delayed spending and the discovery of unspent or underutilized funds tucked away in various agencies. This included clawing back excess appropriations, redirecting one-time revenues and freezing certain state expenditures. Some of the savings came from blocking state vehicle purchases and combing Medicaid rolls to remove people who have moved out of state. The committee's approach not only avoided tax hikes but also safeguarded critical areas like education and healthcare. The effort won praise from both sides of the aisle, with Republicans applauding the fiscal discipline and Democrats recognizing the protection of key public services and the funding of teacher stipends. At the heart of the plan is House Bill 1, the state's main operating budget authored by Appropriations Chairman Jack McFarland, R-Winnfield. The bill, originally submitted by Gov. Jeff Landry as a standstill plan, was overhauled to address the shortfall and fund the $2,000 stipends for teachers and $1,000 for school support staff, including charter school employees, The stipends that were in jeopardy after Louisiana voters rejected a constitutional amendment in March that would have secured a permanent funding source for the stipends. 'In tough times, families tighten their belts,' McFarland said in a news release. "We made sure the state government did the same — responsibly, and without asking more from taxpayers.' Protecting teacher raises: Louisiana legislative panel funds teacher pay raises in surprise move Income tax plan advances Louisiana House passes bill that could further cut income tax, with constitutional amendment TOPS funding TOPS tweaks trouble cofounder Taylor: 'Let's not throw the baby out with the bath water' The final package included a series of cost-saving measures. Lawmakers blocked $91 million in vehicle and equipment purchases for state agencies, cut $26.3 million in Medicaid spending by removing ineligible recipients and saved $20 million through a statewide hiring freeze ordered by Landry. They also used state reserves to pay down $148 million in retirement debt for the State Police system, generating $25.5 million in interest savings, and eliminated 'high-dosage' tutoring programs, freeing up an additional $30 million. 'We balanced the budget, protected taxpayers, and made government more accountable. And we're just getting started,' said House Speaker Phillip DeVillier, R-Eunice. 'These cuts lay the groundwork for long-term reform and financial stability.' The committee also kept intact Landry's request for $94 million in funding for the new Louisiana GATOR program, an education savings account initiative that allows families to use public funds for private school tuition and other non-public education expenses. The program is a key part of Landry's school choice agenda and is expected to launch in phases. It is controversial among some education advocates and rural lawmakers, who say it could eventually drain money from public schools. McFarland acknowledged the teacher stipends are being funded with one-time dollars and that a long-term solution remains elusive. 'Until then, this is what we had to do, but I don't want to have to do it again,' McFarland said. Democrats praised the bipartisan work needed to achieve this bill. "I want to thank the chairman and administration and everyone who has worked on getting these amendments done, particularly for teacher stipends,' Rep. Denise Marcelle, D-Baton Rouge, said. 'Thank you for looking under tables and around the corners.' Rep. Jason Hughes, D-New Orleans, the vice chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, noted that early childhood education funding remains untouched and pointed to new investments in public safety. Gov. Landry's hiring freeze is expected to save $20 million annually and is seen as a way to preserve healthcare and education spending without deeper cuts. 'The public should know this budget represents no cuts in services,' Hughes said. 'We found surpluses elsewhere. But this is just one step in a very lengthy process.' The budget increases spending by $7 million for domestic violence shelters under the Department of Children and Family Services. The budget also reduces dedications from the State General Fund and officially ends remote work for state employees. If HB1 passes the House as expected, it will move to the Senate Finance Committee for further deliberation. The committee also advanced other key budget bills. House Bill 460 allocates $148.8 million in surplus funds to pay down State Police retirement debt, saving $25.5 million in interest compared to the original plan to spread the money across four systems. House Bill 461 sends 25% of the 2023–2024 surplus to the Budget Stabilization Fund and authorizes emergency spending. House Bill 463 funds ancillary agencies without tapping the State General Fund, while House Bill 647 finances the judiciary. Additional allocations in the budget include $7 million for domestic violence shelters under the Department of Children and Family Services. The budget also reduces dedications from the State General Fund and officially ends remote work for state employees. This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: Louisiana House Appropriations Committee passes budget, closes shortfall
