It is not like the republican controlled legislature does not know the problem and answer to the state's fiscal problems because they do. The problem stems from the fact that republicans are not very good at governing their own body politics. As a result the legislature ended its regular session with out a fiscal budget so the governor has called another special session (the third one he has called and he has been in office less than 18 months) to deal with the same old worn out problem of the last eight years.
Walt Leger, democrat from New Orleans wanted to make a motion that the House pass the senate budget but speaker of the house, republican representative Taylor Barras would not allow the motion and instead ended the regular session. The Times Picayune reported Leger had enough votes in the house to pass the senate budget. So once again, it became the usual obstruction by republicans to move forward on fiscal matters of importance.
The Times Picayune reported an anti tax group funded by conservative Charles and David Koch, help kill any tax bills in the session. Once again it is business that control the tax conversation and the republican controlled legislature that allow it to happen. The legislature pays more attention to the Koch brothers who live out of state than they do to governor Edwards who gave the legislature his plan to deal with Louisiana's fiscal problems and was rejected with little debate.
The republicans will not use the special session to solve the problems they have kicked down the road for the past eight years. And that really says it all.
This commentary written by Joe Lorio
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