'Fireworks' promised in Legislative session

 

By Raymond L. Daye
 
This session of the Louisiana Legislature will end a few weeks before the Fourth of July -- but Avoyelles’ representative is promising there will still be fireworks.
 
The session began April 13 and will end June 11. In those two months, heads will be butted, deals will be struck, teeth will be gnashed and an anemic state budget will be bled even more.
 
Rep. Robert Johnson, speaking from a noisy State Capitol just after the session opened, said this short session “will certainly be interesting. There will be lots of fireworks.”
 
Johnson is one of three legislators serving Avoyelles. He is our only representative and lives in Marksville. The parish is split between two senators, Eric LaFleur of Ville Platte and Neil Riser of Columbia.
 
The state budget “will take center stage,” Johnson said. “We will adopt a budget. We are required by law to do that. My concern is that the budget we pass is not just balanced on paper, but balanced in reality.” Johnson said the anticipated budget shortfall cannot be covered with cuts to such areas as higher education and health care.
 
Cuts alone are not the answer, he said, adding that the state “will have to look at tax credits and corporate tax rebates” as areas to eliminate or reduce to recover some additional revenue.
 
He said a “cigarette tax” increase has been proposed, but Gov. Bobby Jindal has legislators scratching their head over his promise to veto the tax if it isn’t “revenue neutral.”
 
“Revenue neutral” is “governmentspeak” for an action that cuts $1 for every $1 raised. For a “new tax” to be “revenue neutral” that new income would have to be cut from another tax source.
 
“If it is ‘revenue neutral,’ it doesn’t do any good,” Johnson said. “I don’t see legislators voting for a tax if it isn’t going to raise more revenue to deal with the budget crisis.”
 
Johnson said this will be “an important session” and will deal with more than just state finances.
 
The issue of Common Core will come up again.
 
“The name ‘Common Core’ is so toxic now,” he said. “We will have to decide what we are going to do. It has been suggested that we go back to what we had before, at least temporarily, but that won’t solve the problem. We have to improve our educational standards to make our students competitive,” Johnson continued. “The solution lies with our parents and teachers, not a company that just wants to sell us a test. We have to get our parents and teachers involved, listen to their recommendations, if we are going to solve this problem.”
 
Johnson said he cannot guarantee there will be no surprise assault on programs, projects or facilities in Avoyelles Parish, but he has not heard any rumblings to that effect.
 
“I can guarantee that I will be constantly on guard watching for any such move,” he said.
 
Earlier this year Jindal caught the parish by surprise by closing the Marksville State Historic Site -- the prehistoric Indian park and museum. The loss of that tourist attraction appears to have been averted by the Tunica-Biloxi Indian Tribe’s offer to step in and operate the park once the state ceases its operations there.
 
The governor unsuccessfully attempted to have the state sell the Avoyelles Correctional Center in Cottonport a few years ago.
 
Johnson said Sen. Eric LaFleur will file a bill “allowing the sale” of 16th Section lands by the Avoyelles Parish School Board. That bill is the result of settlement of a right-of-way lawsuit concerning 16th Section property in the Bayou Jeansonne-Bayou Natchitoches area. In that case, the School Board filed suit seven years ago to gain  right-of-way from adjacent landowners -- including the federal government -- to access its 16th Section property. A judge said the board would have to pay landowners for the right-of-way. District Attorney Charles Riddle said one route would cost $350,000 and another would cost about $500,000.
 
The board approved an offer to sell the property -- then rescinded that approval, only to be told there were no “take backs.” However, the property cannot be sold unless the Legislature approves the sale.
 
Johnson said LaFleur’s bill does not advocate the sale of the property, but if adopted would give the Avoyelles School Board the ability to sell the property. Some board members have said they now think the land was appraised too low and would want more for the property. The intent is to take the money from the sale and purchase land that can be used for agricultural purposes to generate more revenue for the school system.