While it would be wrong to say the early days of Louisiana’s campaign season have been devoid of substance, a lot of the rhetoric hasn’t really been focused on the state’s longstanding policy problems.
Instead, a lot of ink, pixels and airtime have been used for unfavorable comparisons to former Gov. Bobby Jindal, pledges of loyalty to President Donald Trump, and immigration controversies that aren’t really within the purview of state government.
Though there was occasional talk during the recent legislative session about calling for a constitutional amendment to reform the Louisiana Constitution, the idea got little traction from state lawmakers, who are facing reelection this fall and opted not to tackle anything too onerous.
But behind the scenes, the idea is gaining steam and good government groups are working to make such a gathering a reality, perhaps as soon as 2020 or 2021.
A coalition of three state government policy research groups want to move the election-year conversation off building a wall on the Mexican border and onto issues that will make difference to the quality of life in Louisiana.
"If you listen to what they're talking about, they're not really talking about things that move the state forward," Barry Erwin, the head of CABL, said Friday about the main candidates for governor.
Other statewide organizations like teacher unions, advocacy groups for the poor and the disabled and health care supporters will be making their wishes known as well. Since their needs may conflict with the interests of business groups, voters will be asked to make tough decisions about who can best serve their own interests.
How do we sort through the confusion?
The state Legislature had a golden opportunity in 2018 to give new state employees a better retirement system, but typical politics got in the way. Cindy Rougeou, executive director of the Louisiana State Employees Retirement System (LASERS), called it “a new retirement plan for a new generation.”
Rougeou, an extremely capable retirement official, said it would have taken about 30 years to phase the plan in and have all state employees on the hybrid plan. There were about 39,000 active members of LASERS and 48,000 retirees on the system last year.
It is hardly a surprise that before the October primary election, politicians in search of votes will say that they are for better education, health care, roads. The problem with pronouncements like these is that they are results, not plans. They commit the candidates to nothing but good intentions. And the candidates like it that way.
“There’s a lot to like about the Reset agenda,” says Jan Moller, LBP executive director. “Increasing investments in early childhood education and making college more affordable are issues we can all rally around. … While we disagree on some points — and would urge extreme caution before a constitutional rewrite — this is a serious platform that merits a full debate.”
Louisiana’s pension systems had an imposing level of debt, amounting to about $18.2 billion and representing lower funding levels than many other states in 2017, a new report has found.
But the state has shown some signs of progress in its ability to pay down that debt – called “unfunded accrued liabilities” or UAL – which has dragged on Louisiana’s budget for years, according to the Pew Charitable Trusts’ annual report on state pensions.
Three prominent public policy groups in Louisiana are calling for a “reset” of the state’s approach to taxes, spending and other issues.
The Public Affairs Research Council, the Council for a Better Louisiana, and the business-focused Committee of 100 are collaborating on RESET Louisiana’s Future, a nonpartisan effort focused on four main issues: state finances, education, transportation/infrastructure and criminal justice/public safety. Their policy discussion and proposals are available here.
The work would be financed by revamping how the state uses about $700 million in settlement funds from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon Gulf oil spill.
The money is parceled out to the state in $53 million yearly increments.
The legislation would replace a 2014 state law that said 45 percent of the proceeds would be put in the Medicaid Trust Fund, 45 percent in Louisiana's rainy day fund and 10 percent in the Health Trust Fund.
Louisiana has a $14 billion backlog of road and bridge needs, which has set off a scramble to find innovative ways to finance projects.
