BRIEFING BOOK

TOP OF THE NEWS Panel rejects resolution to delay tax cut Lawmaker wants to tap money for Superdome overhaul Senate approves St. John juvenile probation center plan AROUND THE CAPITOL Tax cut end-around defeated Lawmakers who wanted to pursue a rarely used legislative mechanism to postpone a state income tax cut were thwarted Monday in the House Ways and Means Committee. House Concurrent Resolution 94 by Rep. Michael Jackson, I-Baton Rouge, would have suspended a 2008 law that changed the state tax brackets in a partial repeal of the Stelly plan. Those new brackets, which will result in a lower bill for most taxpayers, are going into effect this tax year. But Jackson said the Legislature has the right to pass a resolution to suspend a state law and that his measure would put the tax brackets into effect in August 2010, giving the state $359 million in revenue for the upcoming fiscal year. A resolution, as opposed to a bill for a change in statute, would not go to the governor's desk to risk a veto. "It gives us the opportunity to make this decision without someone else looking over our shoulders," Jackson told the committee. But the committee did not buy the argument and voted 3-12 against it. Legislator rattling Dome supporters Sen. Rob Marionneaux, D-Livonia, used his position as chairman of the Senate Committee on Revenue and Fiscal Affairs to fire another shot Monday at Gov. Bobby Jindal's proposed deal with the New Orleans Saints . During a hearing on House Bill 2, Marionneaux served notice that he might dip into the $85 million that has been included in the construction budget for Superdome renovations to deal with other projects. Jerry Jones, who heads the governor's office for capital projects, said he "would advise against it." Marionneaux said the Superdome, a state-owned building, underwent renovations after Hurricane Katrina and that should be sufficient. The $85 million is to be used to expand seating capacity, build more box suites and widen concourses to accommodate more concessions, all designed to generate money for the Saints to keep the team in the state through 2025. Another element of the deal is allowing the state to lease 320,000 square feet of the Dominion Towers near the Dome from Saints owner Tom Benson. Juvenile center gets go-ahead The Senate gave 36-0 approval Monday to Senate Bill 32 to help renovate or build a juvenile probation facility in St. John the Baptist Parish by expanding the use of a tax that now goes to house juvenile offenders. The bill, sponsored by Senate President Joel Chaisson II, D-Destrehan, will not raise more taxes but will expand the ways the existing 1-mill, 20-year property tax can be spent. Right now, state law limits the use of the money to "housing and detaining juveniles." St. John the Baptist Parish officials estimate the millage generates about $290,000 a year. Nursing home saga continues Supporters of keeping the John J. Hainkel Rehabilitation and Nursing home under state control live to fight another day. Rep. Neil Abramson, D-New Orleans, whose district includes the Uptown facility, has worked throughout the session to derail House Bill 783, which would allow the state to lease the home to a not-for-profit facility. Rep. Rick Nowlin, R-Natchitoches, who is carrying the bill for Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration, said, "The state wants to get out of the nursing home business" in favor of the private sector. Abramson told his House colleagues the bill would not save the state money, pointing out that the home often returns money to the state treasury at the end of the year. "If we lease it, that money will stay with the private institution," Abramson said. The representative failed to convince his colleagues to send the bill to the Appropriations Committee. But during the long debate, he seized on Rep. Hollis Downs' assertion that the bill's official budget impact estimate is incorrect. Abramson immediately moved to return the bill to the House calendar under a rule requiring correct fiscal notes. His motion passed 51-46 over Nowlin's objection. Public colleges to get review The House voted 92-1 Monday to set up a commission that will review the state's system of public colleges and universities. Speaker Jim Tucker, R-Algiers, told his colleagues that House Bill 794 is "the easy part." The "more difficult choices," Tucker said, will come as lawmakers grapple with whether to substantially alter or close some campuses, each of which constitute their own source of political and economic power. The nine-member panel would include the president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools or his designee; three recognized higher education policy experts appointed by the Board of Regents; two appointees of the governor, with no specific qualifications; the Louisiana House speaker or his designee; the Louisiana Senate president or his designee; and the Board of Regents chairman or his designee. College credit bill advances The House voted without opposition Monday to set up a statewide system to make it easier to for two-year college students to transfer all of their credits to a four-year college or university in Louisiana. Current law has no uniform rules, meaning some transfer students lose credits. House Bill 568 by Rep. Nita Hutter, R-Chalmette, now moves to the Senate. Energy research gets $3.9 million U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., visited the state Capitol on Monday to announce a $3.9 million initial federal investment in the Clean Power and Energy Research Consortium, an organization founded in 2001 that studies technologies for alternative fuels and power generation. The consortium would bring together research programs at seven Louisiana universities, including the University of New Orleans, Tulane University, Louisiana State University, the LSU AgCenter, Southern University, Nicholls State and the University of Louisiana Lafayette. Landrieu said she secured $1.9 million in the Omnibus Appropriations Act passed by Congress this spring on top of $1 million for the program from two previous funding Bills. Former Gov. Mike Foster started the Governor's Energy Initiative in 2003 to provide seed money for the consortium at about $460,000 per year. The bill dance Two House Bills that hold the key to more than $5 billion in state spending projects have become unwilling partners in a political dance at the state Capitol. The chairman of the Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee said Monday that he will not let House Bill 2, the state's construction projects bill, leave his panel until the House floor has passed House Bill 3, a measure that unlocks state bonding on several projects. The problem is that House Bill 3, unlike most other state budget Bills, needs a two-thirds vote by both chambers to pass. So a coalition within the House, including members of the Black Caucus and a Baton Rouge regional delegation seeking Interstate-12 money, has blocked its passage while negotiating with the administration. There are suggestions that the construction bill could be amended to provide some I-12 compensation. But Sen. Rob Marionneaux, D-Livonia, said his committee will sit on House Bill 2 because there is no point in passing it. STAYING IN TOUCH To contact lawmakers: -- Senate: 225.342.2040; fax: 225.342.0617 -- House: 225.342.6945; fax: 225.342.8336 TRACKING Bills Citizens can find the Louisiana legislative home page on the Internet at www.legis.state.la.us. Information on legislators, committee assignments, schedules and Bills is available, as well as information on services for people with disabilities. The Public Update Legislative Services Line or PULS Line, is available toll free (Louisiana only) 800.256.3793 outside Baton Rouge. Legislative staff will answer questions about Bills, direct callers to committee information and explain aspects of the legislative process. TODAY'S SCHEDULE House convenes at 2 p.m. House committees: -- Administration of Criminal Justice, 9 a.m. -- Education, 9 a.m. -- House and Governmental Affairs, 9 a.m. -- Health and Welfare, 9 a.m. -- Natural Resources and Environment, 9 a.m. -- Insurance, 9:30 a.m. Senate convenes at 1 p.m. Senate committees: -- Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development, 10 a.m. -- Judiciary A, 10 a.m. -- Judiciary B, 10 a.m. -- Judiciary C, 11:30 a.m. -- Revenue and Fiscal Affairs, at adjournment QUOTABLE "I would love to change the bill number on this but that was not an option." Rep. CAMERON HENRY, R-Jefferson, introducing House Bill 666 on the floor of the lower chamber. The number is associated in the Bible with the anti-Christ.