Louisiana Lawmakers Hold Session on Storm Relief (16-Day Special Session on 77 Hurricane Issues)

WINK TV ^ | 11/05/05 | DOUG SIMPSON

[Libloather]

La. Lawmakers Hold Session on Storm Relief
By DOUG SIMPSON Associated Press Writer
The Associated Press

BATON ROUGE, La. Louisiana lawmakers have just over two weeks to chart their hurricane-ravaged state's future, from rewriting building codes to weighing tax breaks to changing how employment benefits are calculated, and then answering the big question: how to pay for it all.

Gov. Kathleen Blanco called the special session starting Sunday for the Legislature to address 77 hurricane-related issues. It has to end by Nov. 22, two days before Thanksgiving.

"Frankly, I think it's too much to do in 16 days, but we'll do our best," Democratic Sen. Butch Gautreaux said.

Looming over the session is the already $971 million hole in the state's $18.7 billion budget for the 2005-06 fiscal year that run through June 30.

One of the tasks awaiting lawmakers is figuring out how to calculate property taxes for homeowners whose properties were damaged or washed away by hurricanes Katrina or Rita.

Property tax bills are normally mailed at the end of the year, but some lawmakers want to postpone the deadline for taxes on those homes.

Doing that, though, would mean delaying money that schools, cities and other local governments use to provide services such as garbage collection, transportation and education.

"This is not a very easy issue," said Republican Sen. Tom Schedler. "None of it is going to be pretty, and there is no right or wrong answer."

"You're damned if you do, damned if you don't," he said.

Other topics Blanco is asking lawmakers to address during the special session include: reorganizing the levee districts, changing state building codes, changing how unemployment benefits are calculated, and requiring all insurers that offer property insurance anywhere in Louisiana to offer it statewide.

To help businesses, she has asked lawmaker to consider setting sales tax exemptions for businesses replacing damaged machinery, and creating corporate franchise tax exemptions for new debt incurred in disaster areas.

Blanco also is asking lawmakers to cut the 2005-06 budget, tap the state's "rainy day" fund, borrow money and move surplus funds from the last fiscal year into a new fund to help the state cover its costs and repair damaged infrastructure.

Last week, the state got another shock from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which estimated Louisiana's share of the federal hurricane recovery effort at $3.7 billion. That estimate came after the special sessions' limitations were set, though, and the Legislature isn't expected to tackle it this time around.

The governor plans another special session in January; the regular legislative session doesn't begin until March.

Gautreaux said tax relief for homeowners was more important than concerns about government right now, particularly in badly damaged parishes such as St. Bernard, where governments have few jobs now anyway.

"In St. Bernard, there's no functioning parish at this time," he said. "Nobody's going to be employed by the parish for a while."

[Libloather]

Can we PLEASE get back to something more important - like meeting celebrities?

Prince Charles is greeted by Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco upon his arrival at the New Orleans Airport Friday, Nov. 4, 2005. Prince Charles and his wife Camilla Duchess of Cornwall, were to meet with residents and Hurricane Katrina recovery workers, and they're scheduled to visit the first school in the city to reopen since the storm. (AP Photo/Judi Bottoni)

Britain's Prince Charles (3rd L) and his wife Camilla (2nd L), Duchess of Cornwall, talk with local dignitaries and emergency personnel including Louisiana State Governor Kathleen Blanco (L) and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin (3rd R) near a barge that had drifted through a breach in the Industrial Canal Levee during Hurricane Katrina in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans, Louisiana, November 4, 2005. The royal couple are visiting New Orleans in a show of support for the gulf coast region that has been ravaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita during their eight day tour of the United States This visit to the United States is the first foreign the couple have undertaken together their marriage in April. (Lucas Jackson/Reuters)

[austinaero]

Another meeting to beg for more relief money I suppose

[jocko12]

One day on Katrina and 15 days on how do we get more PORK.

[Pikachu_Dad]

I don't see the provisions they were talking about to grant relief to unemployed non-custodial parents paying child support.

I guess they are back to plan A of putting them all in jail when they get $5,000 behind.

[Pikachu_Dad]

I don't see the provisions they were talking about to grant relief to unemployed non-custodial parents paying child support.

I guess they are back to plan A of putting them all in jail when they get $5,000 behind.

[WasDougsLamb]

Blanco also is asking lawmakers to cut the 2005-06 budget, tap the state's "rainy day" fund, borrow money and move surplus funds from the last fiscal year into a new fund to help the state cover its costs and repair damaged infrastructure

What she is really saying.....


Blanco also is asking lawmakers to cut the 2005-06 budget, tap the state's "rainy day" fund, borrow money and move surplus funds from the last fiscal year into a new private fund .....
***so that I can buy things for my house ,take my pets to the groomer , get my nail done and it won't be traced back to me. You will get your cuts too! Whadda ya say, boys?

[Ellesu]

http://www.gov.state.la.us/assets/docs/PDFs/GF_SD_Sorted.pdf


http://www.gov.state.la.us/assets/docs/Executive_Orders/82_2005-ExpenditureReduction.pdf

[CajunConservative]

Thanks for the links. It's a start, but there is going to have to be some more cuts.

[CajunConservative]

There's jobs available for those noncustodial fathers. They can be part of the clean up crew.

[Ellesu]

http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/gill/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1131262843233480.xml