“If Louisiana continues to increase educational attainment at the rate it has over the last decade (2000-09), the state will have a college-attainment rate far short of the 51 percent goal for future workforce needs by 2018.” — Board of Regents’ 2011 Employment Outcomes Report

Since then, a bevy of education reform measures have been passed into law and could lead the state into a brighter future. One of those laws bans tenure for new teachers, which was actually the focus of our second post.

That inaugural week, we went on to review non-governmental organizations that were receiving state money without being in compliance. We outed corrupt politicians and questionable decisions by local governments. The Political Desk also linked the motives of donors to top elected officials.

We stuck to those same themes during the following eight months, through the 2012 regular session and its aftermath. Our mission was clear: to focus on good government stories, uncover waste and shed new light on the politics behind the politics. To say we had a good time in the process would be an understatement.

But that’s due in large part to you. Our readers made this site work, from voting in polls to writing in about the stories we were posting. The Desk’s many contributors — journalists, elected officials, freelancers, community leaders — helped define the site as well. And we thank you all.

Moving forward, The Political Desk as you know it will cease to exist. But the copy is still here, complete with citations, attributions and links you can use to continue to stay informed and learn more about Louisiana government. So stay involved and keep a watchful eye.

Again, thank you for making this possible and participating in the conversations we kicked off last year.

With kind regards,

The Folks Behind The Desk

Retirement

To help craft his proposed (but only partially successful) retirement reforms, Gov. Bobby Jindal paid $400,000 to Buck Consultants of New Jersey. The contract doesn’t end until summer 2013, meaning Jindal may try again next year. While the governor wanted to implement changes that would impact current state workers, his approved plan only addresses future hires — so that could be his starting point in 2013.

Vouchers

Free tuition at private schools for students at failing public schools was another cornerstone reform for Jindal. Opponents feared there wasn’t enough accountability, and their fears proved well-founded when it was revealed that 315 vouchers went to a Ruston Bible school that has no classrooms, teachers or computers. Education unions are currently challenging the law in the courts.

Other education reforms, like tenure and school accountability

The unions are likewise moving forward with legal challenges on the approved tenure ban and the new teacher accountability system. Rather than allowing these changes to take hold and then assess them, the unions have decided to jump the proverbial gun and drag the state into court. Most of these reforms were approved with support from Republicans and Democrats, not to mention voters in public opinion polls. The end result will be a drain on the state’s finances and possibly another debate in 2013 — with, undoubtedly, similar outcomes.

One-time monies

It often takes a while to unravel the annual operating budget, but the issue of using one-time monies for recurring expenses is now a perennial dustup between the House and Senate. The House takes a hard line on the issue; the Senate is more flexible. “This is a discussion we’re going to be having for years to come,” said Senate Finance Chairman Jack Donahue, R-Mandeville.

Privatization

Commissioner of Administration Paul Rainwater opposed cuts to contracts and positions this year, arguing the reductions could stand in the way of Jindal’s future privatization plans. As for what those might be, Rainwater was mum. Based on Jindal’s proposals this year, “privatization” will be the administration’s mantra for the rest of the governor’s term. In a somewhat related topic, you can also expect the administration to continue supporting legislation that removes employees from the civil service system.

Taxes

Last fiscal year, Louisiana could have collected $10.8 billion in taxes. A wide range of exemptions kept collections to $6.5 billion. This was why some lawmakers were rankled by Jindal’s push to give the New Orleans Hornets a $36.5 million tax break. They resolved to study the issue and a task force created by Donahue to review tax preferences begins meeting in September.

The increase in tuition approved this week by the Louisiana Community and Technical Colleges Board of Supervisors. 

16

The number of campuses where the increase will take effect. 

$1,056

The current tuition for a Louisiana resident taking 12 credits hours at Baton Rouge Community College. 

$144 

The amount of a new student fee recently implemented by BRCC for “intercollegiate basketball and baseball programs.

$360 million 

The amount cut from Louisiana colleges during the past four years under Gov. Bobby Jindal. 

$21 million

The spending cuts that the Louisiana Community and Technical College System is expected to endure between now and July 1, the start of the new fiscal year. 

55%

The percentage of revenues directly related to tuition and fees for community colleges in Louisiana. 

45%

The percentage of revenues directly related to tuition and fees for technical colleges in Louisiana.

SOURCE: The Advocate

In his veto message, Jindal wrote that the bill would “force (the Louisiana Workforce Commission) to take funds away from critical services for the disabled to fund the task force because the agency’s only available source of State funding is for the Louisiana Rehabilitative Services program.”

Peterson called the decision “unfortunate” and promised to continue making the case.

“The statistics bear out a clear truth,” she said. “Louisiana’s gender wage gap is among the highest in the nation and this is hurting the prosperity of our state. By vetoing this modest study, the governor is approving of the status quo instead of moving our state forward.”

In an analysis of the bill, the Legislative Fiscal Office determined that there would be no “direct material effect on governmental expenditures.” Peterson argued that this should have been a sign to move forward.

“To even begin to deal with this issue, it’s imperative that we at least identify the root causes,” Peterson said. “Disparities like this harm our state, deprive it of potential  tax  revenues  and  insure  working  women  throughout  this  state  will continue to be at a disadvantage in the job marketplace through no fault of their own. We can and we must do better for the women of Louisiana.”

On the federal level, U.S. Sen. Mary L. Landrieu, a New Orleans Democrat, has been lobbying in favor of the Paycheck Fairness Act. This legislation updates and strengthens the Equal Pay Act of 1963, which made it illegal for employers to pay men and women unequal wages for the same work.

The Paycheck Fairness Act closes loopholes that allow employers to escape liability even when gender-based wage discrimination exists. It also includes protections for employees against retaliation for disclosing or discussing their salaries, as well as ensures employees have the same remedies for gender-based pay discrimination as other forms of discrimination such as race or national origin.

So far, however, the Senate has failed to advance the legislation.

“Fifty years ago, women were not usually the major breadwinner in their families,” Landrieu said. “Today, 24 percent of married Louisiana working mothers are their family’s primary earner, and women make up almost half of the Louisiana workforce. Yet these women still earn only 69 cents for every dollar that a man makes for doing the exact same job. This really is a family issue, because these families are earning less just because a woman is the breadwinner instead of a man”

Here’s some additional information on gender-based wage discrimination in Louisiana released by Landrieu’s office:

– Over her lifetime a woman in Louisiana will earn $598,000 less than her male counterpart

– This pay gap has harmed the families of roughly 927,000 women in the Louisiana workforce

 – More than 680,000 Louisiana children live in households dependent on their mothers’ earnings

– On average, mothers in Louisiana contribute 40 percent of their family’s earnings

 – Women in Louisiana earn less across all occupations and educational levels. Women’s median earnings are less than men’s median earnings in 264 of 265 major occupation categories

For another take on this issue, check out “Paycheck Fairness Act misguided effort.”

For almost a decade, Louisiana’s job creators have been hit hard by hurricanes, a recession and a massive oil spill. The last thing they need is to be burdened by a complicated and unfair collective bargaining process allowing the formation of micro-unions. Senators Landrieu and Vitter can protect our local businesses by opposing the forced unionization schemes advanced by President Obama’s National Labor Relations Board.

Micro unions are nothing more than an attempt by Big Labor to try and force their will on employees by dividing up the workplace, hand selecting members and unionizing them. If allowed to stand in Louisiana, this will inundate local businesses with red tape and overbearing legal costs. This would kill jobs instead of aiding in the economic recovery.  We believe Louisiana’s leaders at every level of government should oppose these micro-unions.

The issue of micro unions arose recently when the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) approved an application by part-time and full-time employees to form an individual bargaining unit for the second and fifth floor women’s shoe departments of New York City retailer Bergdorf Goodman. The NLRB action follows a decision by the board in 2011 in the Specialty Healthcare case that upended nearly a half a century of labor law and allowed for the proliferation of these small unions in American workplaces. The resulting policy creates division, discord and disharmony in workplaces throughout the country – including the Pelican State – as micro-unions negotiate against one another, while employers become entangled in a costly mess of competing demands and red tape.

The move is the latest by Big Labor to try and address dwindling membership and diminished political power. If left unchecked, micro-unions could soon find their way to Louisiana companies. They would result in greater unemployment and business closures, and deserve the opposition by both Senators Landrieu and Vitter.

Moreover, it will link coastal residents to projects being built in the same regions where they live.

The new law found in House Bill 720 by Speaker Pro Tem Walt Leger, D-New Orleans, is called the Louisiana First Hiring Act and has been endorsed by Gov. Bobby Jindal.

It specifically targets projects that are funded through the following means:

– The federal Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities and Revived Economy Act, known more commonly as the RESTORE Act

– Settlements or fines related to the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill

– The state’s Master Plan for Integrated Coastal Protection, which was recently passed into law with more than $50 billion worth of projects

Leger said he has accomplished what he originally set out to do with the legislation — protect jobs for Bayou State residents by leveraging the influx of coastal restoration and hurricane protection projects.

“This legislation will strengthen our communities by making sure federal disaster dollars that come to Louisiana are spent here, creating real jobs across the entire state,” he said.

Contractor groups originally voiced some concerns about the program, but Leger built in a number of exemptions for projects where there is an “imminent threat to life or property” or where a state of emergency has been declared by the governor.

The chairman of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Board is also allowed to grant exemptions for contractors if the new law creates an “unreasonable hardship.”

New research from Mather Economics this week indicates that the federal RESTORE Act would create as many as 58,000 jobs, including many coastal restoration and protection jobs in Louisiana.

In turn, Scott Kirkpatrick, president of the Coast Builders Coalition, said the Louisiana First Act is in a position to help coastal residents have access to higher-than-average wages and will create opportunities for economic mobility in high-growth industries and occupations.

“Business owners are invested in the health of our communities and are eager to use local workforce where practical,” Kirkpatrick said. “This legislation should improve the interaction between contractors and the Louisiana Workforce Commission.”

The new state state will require contractors to submit paperwork to the Workforce Commission within 10 days of being awarded a coastal contract.

Those forms and documents will include information relative to the number and types of jobs that will be created, the kind of wages that will be made available and the methods that will be be used by the contractor to recruit for the project.

Within 10 days of receiving this information, the Workforce Commission will then provide the contractor with a list of people who are eligible for employment.

Under the law, an eligible person is defined as a “resident of a parish within the coastal zone.”

Clint Guidry, president of the Louisiana Shrimp Association, said the program could go a long way in creating opportunities for commercial fishermen — both on the water and off.

“By employing local people, especially in restoration projects, we revitalize our local economy and preserve our historical fishing communities,” Guidry said.

Oxfam America, and international relief and development organization, is describing the new state law as an “innovative approach” that looks beyond the environmental and engineering challenges of Louisiana’s coastal land loss and recovery from the BP oil spill.

“The challenge is to tackle the environmental risks while we revitalize the local economy and life of these communities as they adapt,” said Minor Sinclair, U.S. regional director of Oxfam America. “This bill will put people back to work as the master plan proceeds, helping ensure the economic vitality of these vulnerable communities.”

— House Bill 945 by Rep. Henry Burns, R-Haughton 

Extends TOPS eligibility for students that reenlist and maintain continuous active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces prior to the five-year anniversary of their high school graduation. These students will remain TOPS eligible for the duration of their service and up to one year following the student’s separation from active service. Prior to this law, students who chose to continue to serve their country and voluntarily re-enlist were unfairly penalized and lost their TOPS eligibility.

— House Bill 499 by Rep. Henry Burns, R-Haughton, and Senate Bill 157 by Sen. Robert Adley, R-Benton

Allows Louisiana veterans to have a “veteran” designation on their driver’s license or state issued ID card.  Prior to Gov. Bobby Jindal signing this legislation, veterans in Louisiana had no picture ID available for proof of their veteran status, except for a TRICARE veterans’ insurance card available mostly to retired veterans. With this new law, Louisiana joins states like Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Ohio with laws permitting veterans a designation on their driver’s licenses for proof of their military service. This new designation will also help the state improve outreach to veterans to update them regarding services and benefits that may be available, and will help veterans access discounts and other services available to them.

— House Bill 590 by Rep. Karen St. Germain, D-Plaquemine

Extends the exemption veterans currently have for the payment of fees to obtain a driver’s license to now also include special identification cards.

— House Bill 732 by Rep. Henry Burns, R-Haughton 

Establishes procedures for military families to give credit for and speed up the transfer of specialized training received in the military, or non-military licenses issued to military spouses in other states, when issuing equivalent non-military licenses and certifications in Louisiana. This will streamline the transfer of professional licenses and certifications from other states when active servicemen and their families are relocated by the military to Louisiana. To ensure no delay after relocation, the bill also provides for temporary licenses for active servicemen and their families under which they may practice until a full license is obtained.

— House Bill 435 by Rep. Nick Lorusso, D-New Orleans

Expands eligibility for in-state tuition for members of the military that move from another state to Louisiana to attend college. This new law grants in-state tuition to honorably discharged veterans, members of the National Guard, reserve enlistees previously called into service, or former cadets or midshipmen at one of the United States Armed Forces service academies. An economic development tool, this incentive will help draw an already trained workforce to Louisiana to help attract businesses and grow the Louisiana economy.

— House Bill 977 by Rep. Henry Burns, R-Haughton 

Expands eligibility to the Military Family Assistance Fund established in 2005 to help members of the Louisiana National Guard, Louisiana Military Reserves, and their family members address financial hardships they may encounter as a result of their active-duty status. Since 2008, when Jindal redirected the fund to the Department of Veterans Affairs, it has awarded more than $400,000 in financial assistance to about 2,750 Louisiana National Guardsman and Reservists. The current minimum qualifications for the Military Family Assistance Fund are financial hardships directly caused by active duty status. For example, a Guardsman may earn more in his civilian job than he earns when he is called up for active duty, which causes a direct financial hardship. This new law expands eligibility to include additional indirect causes for hardship. For example, a Military Reservist away from home on active-duty may be unable to perform emergency or unexpected maintenance to his home; under this legislation, home maintenance repairs and subsequent financial hardship that was indirectly caused by military activation would be eligible for reimbursement from the fund.

The number of proposed amendments voters will be asked to consider on the November ballot this year

6

The number proposed in 2011

12

The number proposed in 2010

0

The number proposed in 2009

49,200

The number of words in Louisiana’s previous constitution when it was adopted in 1921

536

Amendments that were added by 1969

255,500

The number of words it grew to as a result

53

The number of amendments rejected by voters in 1970, when public sentiment seemed to suggest the constitution was growing too quickly

35,000

The number of words in the re-drafted 1974 constitution

241

Number of amendments proposed between 1975 and 2011

169

Amendments that were adopted during the same timeframe

21

The number of amendments voters had to consider in 2006, the most of any year since 1974

13

Number of amendments rejected by voters since 2005

SOURCES: Public Affairs Research Council, Secretary of State

— House Bill 9 by Rep. Tony Ligi, R-Metairie

Bill description: Authorizes the Legislature to provide for forfeiture of retirement benefits by public officials and employees who are convicted of felony acts associated with their positions.

Ballot language: Do you support an amendment to provide for the forfeiture of public retirement benefits by any public servant who is convicted of a felony associated with and committed during his public service?

— House Bill 497 by Rep. Taylor Barras, R-New Iberia

Bill description: Authorizes the city of New Iberia to grant contracts for the exemption of property annexed by the city.

Ballot language: Do you support an amendment to authorize the granting of ad valorem tax exemption contracts by the city of New Iberia for property annexed by the city after January 1, 2013?

— House Bill 524 by Rep. Tim Burns, R-Mandeville

Bill description: Provides relative to membership of constitutional boards and commissions with members from congressional districts.

Ballot language: Do you support an amendment, relative to the membership of constitutional boards and commissions that have members who are selected from congressional districts, to retain the existing number of members and to provide for implementation of membership from reapportioned congressional districts by filling vacancies first from under-represented districts and then from the state at large?

— House 674 by Rep. Joel Robideaux, R-Lafayette

Bill description: Authorizes the granting of ad valorem tax exemption contracts by the Board of Commerce and Industry for certain businesses.

Ballot language: Do you support an amendment to authorize the granting of ad valorem tax exemption contracts by the Board of Commerce and Industry for businesses located in parishes which have chosen to participate in a program established for the granting of such contracts?

— Senate Bill 21 by Sen. Elbert Guillory, D-Opelousas 

Bill description: Constitutional amendment to provide for pre-filing and notice deadlines for bills affecting public retirement systems.

Ballot language: Do you support an amendment to require legislation effecting any change to laws concerning retirement systems for public employees that is to be prefiled to be filed no later than forty-five days before the start of a regular legislative session and to require the completion of public notice requirements regarding legislation effecting such a change no later than 60 days before introduction of the bill?

— Senate Bill 82 by Sen. Sherri Smith Buffington, R-Keithville

Bill description: Exempts the Medicaid Trust Fund for the Elderly from certain deficit provisions.

Ballot language: Do you support an amendment to prohibit monies in the Medicaid Trust Fund for the Elderly from being used or appropriated for other purposes when adjustments are made to eliminate a state deficit?

— Senate Bill 303 by Sen. Neil Riser, R-Columbia

Bill description: Requires that any denial, infringement, or restriction on one’s right to acquire, keep, possess, transport, carry, transfer, and use arms for defense of life and property be subject to a strict scrutiny standard by courts in determining any violation of the right.

Ballot language: Do you support an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Louisiana to provide that the right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental right and any restriction of that right requires the highest standard of review by a court?

— Senate Bill 337 by Rep. Jody Amedee, R-Gonzales

Bill description: Provides for the property tax exemption for certain disabled veterans to apply to the spouses of such veterans if the veterans passed away prior to the enactment of the exemption.

Ballot language: Do you support an amendment to exempt from ad valorem taxation, in addition to the homestead exemption, the next $75,000 of value of property owned and occupied by the spouse of a deceased veteran with a service-connected disability rating of one hundred percent who passed away prior to the enactment of the exemption?

— Senate Bill 410 by Sen. Dan Claitor, R-Baton Rouge

Bill description: Constitutional amendment to establish certain requirements prior to legislatively creating certain special districts.

Ballot language: Do you support an amendment to provide that no law relative to the creation of a special district, the primary purpose of which includes aiding in crime prevention and security by providing for an increased presence of law enforcement personnel in the district  or otherwise promoting and encouraging security in the district, shall be enacted unless three separate notices of the proposed law are published at least thirty days prior to introduction of the bill, which notice shall set forth the substance of the proposed law and whether the governing authority of the special district would be authorized to impose and collect a parcel fee within the district, whether the parcel fee will be imposed or may be increased without an election, and the maximum amount of such fee?

Thing is, the author, Rep. Simone Champagne, R-Jeanerette, originally sought to do the same thing through a constitutional amendment. But senators added a provision to the proposed amendment that would have permitted state lawmakers, by a two-thirds vote, to access the money or prioritize the spending if needed. In other words, the revised amendment would have given them access to the BP money, instead of building barriers around it.

As they still are now, members of Louisiana’s congressional delegation are finalizing the Restore Act to outline a process for sending fine money to Gulf Coast states. U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Metairie, cautioned at the time that Champagne’s revised constitutional amendment didn’t “ensure that those monies are only spent on restoring the coast.”

So, with time running out, lawmakers moved Champagne’s House Bill 838 instead of her constitutional amendment, seemingly accomplishing what Scalise and others were urging.

Champagne said she’s proud of the “message it sends about Louisiana’s commitment to protecting and restoring the coast.”

To be certain, the protections afforded in the constitutional amendment would have been better — as long as lawmakers would have stripped out that special provision.

Passing the other House bill means that lawmakers can always access the cash in future sessions by passing another law by a simple majority vote; changing the constitution requires a two-thirds vote of the Legislature and a vote of the public statewide. It’s like apples and oranges.

Complicating matters further is the lack of progress on the federal level. Here’s an overview from The Advocate:

Optimism continued to wane Thursday for the fate of the federal transportation spending legislation that contains language that would direct several billion dollars in BP fine money to Louisiana and other Gulf states.

A June 30 deadline is fast approaching and the partisan rhetoric heated up more Thursday without any substantive progress reported on the nearly 50-member conference committee charged with working out a compromise.

The House also has a recess next week, which could further stall the matter.

The RESTORE Act is the part of the federal transportation bill that dedicates much of the Clean Water Act fines BP pays for each barrel of oil spilled during the Deepwater Horizon disaster toward Louisiana and the other Gulf states most affected. If the bill is not passed, the money would be directed toward general federal spending.

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Thursday in his news briefing that he is willing to let the transportation debate continue beyond the November elections, although he expressed some optimism that a deal could be worked out prior to the June 30 deadline.