After months of delays the Louisiana Bond Commission has finally voted to go forward with a plan to fund a power substation for the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board.
Attorney General Jeff Landry twice convinced a majority of commission members to put off a vote to approve a $39 million line of credit that will help pay for an electric power substation dedicated to providing more reliable power to the S&WB's pumps. Landry held up this approval in protest of the New Orleans mayor, city council, district attorney, and sheriff all declaring that the city would not investigate women suspected of having abortions.
That finally changed when the commission voted 11-1 Thursday to approve it. The lone vote against was cast by a representative from the attorney general's office. Does this mean the attorney general is losing political clout? For Landry, that is beside the point.
It was never about winning or losing for the attorney general, says political analyst Jeremy Alford of lapolitics.com.
"This is an opportunity for him to kind of play to his base," said Alford. "To hit on some issues that poll well for the kind of Republican voters that make up his base."
Landry has all but publicly announced a campaign for governor, and Alford says making a public show of retaliating against New Orleans leaders for their position of being pro-abortion rights plays well with the voters Landry will need in his campaign.
"I think it was simply an opportunity for him to play to his base and to take what he deemed to be a strong stance on an important issue," said Alford.
So even though this latest vote went 11-1 against him, Landry likely still considers it a victory.
