LA GOP lawmakers must resist bad hikes, budget

In sparring with Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards and legislative Democrats over the budget and taxes, to best serve the people Louisiana’s legislative Republicans need to keep a few things in mind.

In the next few days, they will deal with HB 12 by Democrat state Rep. Walt Leger. Now identical (even if the Legislature’s website has failed to keep up with things as of this post’s publication) to HB 27 by Republican state Rep. Lance Harris after Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee action on both, it would extend into perpetuity a third of a penny temporarily put in place over two years ago, set to expire in a month. It also extends the items over which this sales tax would apply.

HB 18 by Democrat state Rep. Katrina Jackson also will come into the queue. It strips the exemption for income taxes paid in other states, which primarily hits middle-class-and-above tax filers. Both have passed the House and await Senate floor action.

The Press-Tribune column, May 30, 2018

Reynolds’ leaving speaks volumes
http://press-herald.com/reynolds-leaving-speaks-volumes/

Links:

http://press-herald.com/reynolds-resigning-from-office/

http://press-herald.com/the-democrat-caucus-left-reynolds-long-before-the-special-session/

https://thehayride.com/2018/05/video-cameron-henry-is-less-than-enthralled-with-john-bel-edwards-budget-antics/

Stokes to make Democrats, conservatives choose

If Louisiana Democrats eschew a Trojan Horse strategy for the secretary of state special election this fall, Republican state Rep. Julie Stokes will do her best to make that choice difficult.

Signaling her large appetite for political ambition, Stokes declared earlier this month for the office left open when its former elected occupant Tom Schedler resigned amidst charges of sexual harassment. At this time last year, she was out campaigning for the treasurer’s job that became available with GOP Sen. John Kennedy’s election.

But an unfortunate cancer scare led to her withdrawal just days before qualifying. Happily, she beat back that foe and returned to her legislative duties. Now she hopes to vanquish political opponents for the statewide job.

Memorial Day, 2018

This column publishes every Sunday through Thursday around noon U.S. Central Time (maybe even after sundown on busy days, or maybe before noon if things work out, or even sometimes on the weekend if there's big news) except whenever a significant national holiday falls on the Monday through Friday associated with the otherwise-usual publication on the previous day (unless it is Thanksgiving Day, Independence Day, Christmas, or New Year's Day when it is the day on which the holiday is observed by the U.S. government). In my opinion, in addition to these are also Easter Sunday, Memorial Day and Veterans' Day.

With Monday, May 28 being Memorial Day, I invite you to explore this link.

The Advocate column, May 27, 2018

Surprised by John Bel Edwards' inaction? Don't be -- look to his re-election campaign 
http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/jeff_sadow/article_78a8d088-5f87-11e8-b2ed-1b89854be91c.html

Links:
http://jeffsadow.blogspot.com/2018/05/edwards-ditches-reform-for-politics-as.html
http://gov.louisiana.gov/news/2018-legislative-agenda
http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/legislature/article_8571e600-5ab0-11e8-86cf-77b804b4bdb7.html
http://press-herald.com/take-your-bill-and-go-home/

The Press-Herald column, May 23, 2018

Take your bill and go home
http://press-herald.com/take-your-bill-and-go-home/

Links:
http://press-herald.com/louisiana-prayer-bill-heavily-changed-passed/

http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/legislature/article_ff9a8a5a-5aa0-11e8-a52f-f703e0f1565d.html

http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/ViewDocument.aspx?d=1099636
https://thehayride.com/2018/05/johnson-an-amendment-to-the-school-prayer-bill-stopped-what-could-have-been-a-setback-to-religious-freedom/

Edwards gambles reelection for history reversal

Louisiana’s Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards has gone all in with a last desperate stand to grow state government – and which might backfire to cost him any hope of reelection.

Near the conclusion of the 2018 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature lawmakers passed a barebones budget that funded completely health care and elementary and secondary education, but left big cuts to some agencies through an across-the-board nearly 25 reduction from current spending levels. The Republican-controlled chambers then hoped in the following special session, currently meeting, to raise revenues and make supplemental appropriations to that.

But Edwards vetoed it. His goal all along has been to force the GOP majorities into, at the very least, making permanent tax hikes. Better, from his perspective, that these would hit incomes progressively and, best of all, rely more on corporate than individual incomes. He reinforced that in speaking to a pep rally just prior to the overtime session’s start, when he asked to renew as much as half of the expiring one cent sales tax, to remove some sales and incomes tax exemptions, and to raise income taxes on those who have large amount of federal income tax deductions.

Edwards ditches reform for politics as usual

In the end, the lure of a sensible, popular reform lost out to politics as usual as practiced by Louisiana governors.

At the beginning of the regular session just concluded, as part of his legislative package Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards included occupational licensing reform. It led to speculation that he might lead a move against unnecessary and onerous regulations that stifled business and professional development.

Louisiana has the nation’s worst record in that regard, particularly badly affecting lower-income jobs, which Republican state Rep. Julie Emerson wished to change with a raft of bills aiming to eliminate licensing requirements with no genuine basis for existence. A smattering of other bills, most notably HB 825 by GOP state Rep. Polly Thomas, hoped to do the same.

Kennedy vote fuels speculation of his future

That Republican Sen. John Kennedy reminded Louisianans of his populist tendencies presents another marker that he plans to challenge Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards next year.

Last week, the Senate narrowly voted to overrule the Federal Communications Commission’s rescinding of the so-called “net neutrality” rule. Imposed in 2015, that prohibited broadband providers from blocking content or charging differentially for its delivery, by reclassifying them as common carriers such as done with telephonic services.

The rule made for bad policy on a number of levels. Often shilled for as aiding consumers, it actually is anti-consumer in that it makes more difficult delivery of bandwidth-intense services. It removes complaints about broadband service from Federal Trade Commission jurisdiction, which has perfectly adequate tools to counter anti-competitive practices. It illogically classifies Internet service provision as a critical utility, and then stupidly singles out broadband as a monopoly, even though it must compete for Internet service with telephonic and satellite providers. Finally, contrary to claims that broadband providers would censor content, it makes no sense for them to do so because it diminishes the value of their product and what censoring has occurred comes from other sources.

The Advocate column, May 20, 2018

Louisiana's 'pretend' budget is a side effect of Gov. Edwards' 'pretend' savings, health care 
http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/opinion/jeff_sadow/article_4e5ccbea-595b-11e8-9876-6f1f7499c0ec.html

Links:
http://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/politics/legislature/article_aefcf7e4-5542-11e8-b7e3-b7ac82585b14.html
http://jeffsadow.blogspot.com/2018/04/incomplete-medicaid-expansion-report.html
https://thehayride.com/2018/04/jacobs-medicaid-expansion-drain-louisianas-economy/
https://thefga.org/research/waiting-help-medicaid-waiting-list-crisis/
http://house.louisiana.gov/housefiscal/DOCS_TENYEAR/Total%20Budget%20History%20by%20Department.pdf
http://house.louisiana.gov/housefiscal/DOCS_APPBudgetMeetings2018/LDH%20Final%20-%20Public.pdf