Gutless Republicans allow me to claim I called it

I hate to say I called it, but …. HB 80 did pass on Wednesday, with Rep. Peppi Bruneau pulling one out of his hat. The original vote had 69, one short, favorable but, for some reason, Bruneau wasn’t among the “yeas” (counted as “absent”). As the bill’s author, he could and did ask for reconsideration (actually, the second such time on this bill) and got two more “yeas.”

(Concerning the vote several days ago, the “yeas” picked up the absent Reps. Regina Barrow, Cedric Glover, Herman Hill, Lelon Kenney, Arthur Morell, Loulan Pitre, and Roy Quezaire, but lost to absent votes himself, Roy Burrell, William Daniel, and Jalilia Jefferson-Bullock. He picked up “nays” switching to “yeas” Reps. Carl Crane. Sydney Mae Durand, Troy Hebert, Willie Hunter, John Smith, and Karen St. Germain. However, previous supporters Reps. Bryant Hammett, Juan LaFonta, Mert Smiley, and Taylor Townsend jumped ship on this vote.)

It was more complicated than just him switching, for some absentees returned and others who had been present left. He naturally went from “absent” to “yea,” as, to their shame, did Reps. Burrell, Avon Honey, and Derrick Shepherd (even as he prepares to take his Senate seat). Reps. Tim Burns, Karen Carter, Jefferson-Bullock, and Pete Schneider went from “absent” to “nay,” and Bruneau’s win (our loss) came because he had two previous supporters, Reps. Durand and Kennard went missing and John Smith actually switched to “nay” (becoming the only double-jumper).

The bill now goes to the Senate where perhaps this body will make the necessary amendments to improve the bill … but don’t hold your breath on that. If so, then it would be in the hands of the people whether to add this to our Constitution (since the govenor does not have any say over proposed amendments.

That officer does, however, on taxes, and Bruneau's coup wasn’t as impressive as Gov. Kathleen Blanco’s efforts to pick off GOP support to get the HB 887 “sick tax” passed. With 37 of the Republican persuasion in the House, she needed at least three defectors (because of the two-thirds requirement to raise taxes) assuming total Democrat support – and got 10: Republican Reps. Crane, Hollis Downs, Nita Hutter, Ronnie Johns, Chuck Kleckley, Charlie Lancaster, Danny Martiny, Tom McVea, Tank Powell, and Joe Toomy all broke from the state party’s stated position to vote against the tax, more than enough to provide a margin against Democrat defectors Daniel and Hebert, and absent Democrats Hoppy Hopkins, Romo Romero, and Derrick Shepherd (guess she couldn’t meet his price) while benefiting from the missing GOP Rep. Mike Walsworth.

It should be another dogfight in the Senate but if Blanco can get there over a quarter of Republicans again to defect, health care consumers better ready themselves to get the shaft, unless, as opponents have argued, the measure violates federal standards. And if she can work the same magic with the cigarette tax bill (which she must do so almost immediately with the legislative session having just two weeks and three budgets to go), it’ll be gutless Republicans that would give her a win here, too.