Louisiana Political News Service

PUBLIC SERVICE: Your right to know
The Daily Advertiser (excerpt)

The Daily Advertiser takes its job as a watch dog for the public seriously. In a recent reorganization of our staff, we created a public service team dedicated to watching after your interests, holding public officials and agencies accountable to the taxpayers that fund them, asking tough questions on your behalf and helping you navigate the sometimes difficult world of bureaucracy and red tape.

The team, which consists of reporters Claire Taylor and Jason Brown and led by Managing Editor Lisa R. Faust, wants to hear from you. Use this Web site to follow our work, to ask us questions and find out some of the behind the scenes things about how we work and the decisions we make every day.

What do you want to see us investigate?

If you have a story idea, something you'd like us to check out or have found something that you don't think is quite right, e-mail Claire Taylor ctaylor@theadvertiser.com or Jason Brown jbrown@theadvertiser.com.



Governor seeks support on budget proposal
by Alexandria Burris - The Daily Advertiser (excerpt)

With less than three weeks until the start of the upcoming legislative session, Gov. Kathleen Blanco is meeting with state legislators to garner support for items proposed in her executive budget and agenda.

But she also wants legislators to increase the spending cap of the state budget, which limits how much the state can spend in a fiscal year.

The move would require a two-thirds legislator majority approval, but so far it only has split state lawmakers along party lines.

She met with Acadiana legislators at the 256 National Guard Armory for a Monday meeting closed to the media.

But some lawmakers left the meeting feeling that Blanco's priorities are misguided slightly.

In the December special legislative session, conservative lawmakers slammed the brakes on Blanco's spending plans when they refused to increase the amount the state is allowed to spend in a fiscal year.

"If the attempt is to spend non-reoccurring money on reoccurring (projects), she will meet the same resistance that she experienced in December," (Rep. Don) Trahan said.

(Sen. Donald) Cravins Jr., said the surplus amounts to $800 million generated from the hurricanes, and it's just sitting untouched as of now.

Rep. Ernie Alexander, R-Lafayette, said the success of Blanco's proposals depend on whether her budget is "conservative enough for the conservatives in the legislature."



Ruling favors Board of Ethics in conflict-of-interest case
by ED ANDERSON - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

BATON ROUGE -- The state Board of Ethics won the first round Monday in a battle with the Legislature over who has the right to investigate allegations that two New Orleans lawmakers violated conflict-of-interest prohibitions by debating legislation that would affect their relatives' jobs as New Orleans assessors.

Nineteenth Judicial District Court Judge Curtis Calloway said the Ethics Board -- and not the courts or the state House -- should hear the ethics case of Reps. Jeff Arnold, D-Algiers, son of 5th District Assessor Tom Arnold of Algiers; and Alex Heaton, R-New Orleans, brother of 7th District Assessor Henry Heaton.

"I believe the board has to hear this matter," Calloway said after hearing oral arguments for about 35 minutes Monday.

House Clerk Alfred "Butch" Speer, an attorney handling the case for Heaton and Arnold, said he will appeal Calloway's ruling to the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal in Baton Rouge and possibly the state Supreme Court at the same time to speed the legal process.

Speer said the House so far has paid $198 to file the lawsuit to prevent the Ethics Board from proceeding with the case. He said his time on the case, and that of an assistant, are being paid for by the House in the normal scope of their duties. The expense of the appeal and who will pay for it have not yet been resolved, he said.



Attorney General To Issue Opinion on Breaux's LA Citizenship
by Lee Peck - KPLC Channel 7 (NBC) (excerpt)

He's considering a run to be Louisiana's next governor, but the question still remains can former U.S. Senator John Breaux legally make a bid on the democratic ticket.

Records show Breaux has homestead tax credit on his primary residence in Maryland and also on property in Washington D.C., where he has been working as a lobbyist since 2005. Breaux and his wife both revoked their voter registration in Louisiana and are currently registered in Maryland.

"The question has already been raised by a law professor in Louisiana: If Sen. Breaux is declared to be a citizen in Louisiana and can run, what happens to all of the out of state students who have to pay out of state tuition," said (State Representative Ronnie) Johns. "Could they come in and get a drivers license, for example, or use a Louisiana address, and then be qualified to have in-state tuition?"

Attorney general Foti is expected to make that opinion some time this week, but the thing to remember here is it's just an opinion -- it does not hold any weight of law. The real answer could be held in the courts if Breaux qualifies to run for Governor in September.
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Labels: BREAUX, GOVERNOR, LOUISIANA, POLITICS