Governor calls special session

Gov. John Bel Edwards Wednesday served legal notice he intends to call a special session of the Legislature 30 minutes after the regular session finally adjourns at its official deadline, 6 p.m. June 8, if the lawmakers have not completed their work on three funding instruments.
Once that is completed, they can adjourn for good again, even if it is that same evening. Otherwise, the special session can run through midnight June 19. Under law, the governor must give notice of his intention to call the session seven days in advance of that date and set topic parameters for the Legislature.
The Legislature has not reached an agreement on House Bills 1, 2 and 3, which dictate state agency operating budgets and construction projects. Unless it is able to accomplish this in eight days, it will have a new window to work — the fourth special session since Edwards took office in January 2016.
“I am issuing this call as a precautionary measure,” Edwards said in a statement. “Should we come to an agreement on the operating and construction budgets, the special session will not be necessary.”
House Bill 1, by Rep. Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, is the state budget. House Bill 2, by Rep. Neil Abramson, D-New Orleans, deals with the capital outlay budget, which prioritizes and authorizes state construction projects. House Bill 3, currently being held captive by House Democrats, is the instrument by which local construction projects are funding through bonds.
HB1 is set to be considered in the Senate Committee on Finance this week, where it are expected to restore some agency funding, left out of the House plan and what triggered the Democratic revolt in the House.. The House’s version of the bill would spend about 97.5 percent of the state’s projected revenue as a precaution aiming to prevent midyear deficits.
HB 2 is set to be discussed in in the Senate Committee on Revenue and Fiscal Affairs, and HB 3 has yet to leave the House.
The special session will not address the fiscal cliff set to hit in July, when $1.3 billion of temporary taxes expire. The Legislature cannot raise revenue in the special session, either.
With frustrations over the House’s lack of worthwhile tax reform mounting, Gov. John Bel Edwards urged legislators there is still time to address the state’s budget crisis in an early morning notice released Wednesday.
Earlier in the day, Edwards chastised House Republicans for their handling of the session and an unwillingness to do more than the “bare minimum.” He said there was still time to address the state’s budget crisis. He said their actions were a “disservice to the people of Louisiana” and reneged on promises made in the last regular session to replace expiring revenue before the impending 2018-19 fiscal cliff that is predicted to create more than $1 billion shortfall in revenue.
Edwards’ statement pointed to published quotes from Rep. Lance Harris, head of the House Republican delegation, noting the Legislature’s intent to bring a workable long-term plan to the session. Though little has materialized from the claims, said Edwards, there are is sufficient legislation languishing in committee and on debate calendars to achieve change before the regular session adjourns June 8.
“There’s still time to make significant reforms to address the fiscal cliff….The time for action is now.”