Jeff Landry, Louisiana's republican Attorney General was denied his plan to control his department's budget by the Senate Finance Commission. The budget authority has always rested with Louisiana's governor and Landry's plan would have taken the oversight away from Governor Edwards. So says a Times Picayune article of 5/27/16. Landry's plan comes at a time when the governor and legislature are trying to deal with a budget problem that has spun out of control and the possibility of hard ships for the people and the state down the road.
Republicans always want to run things when democrats are in charge. Landry served for a time in the U.S. Congress and everyone knows how the republicans in Congress want to run the country even when they lose elections. The Louisiana Senate Finance Commission pointed out that Landry who has been in office only 4 months just bought new cars for his agency, something other state departments are not doing.
On another issue and unknown to governor Edwards until after the fact, Landry joined 10 other states fighting President Obama's administrative directive concerning the transgender issue in public schools. Landry also said Edwards executive order protecting LGBT state workers and government contractors from discrimination cannot be legally enforced. The governor pushed back and said Landry has over stepped the authority to his office.
Governor Edwards was right in opposing Landry's budget plan (and said he would veto it if passed) especially with the state's fiscal problems still unresolved. Republicans will continue to try and place obstacles in the way of the governor's policies to have a budget that works for everyone without the gimmicks.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
