We're eight days away from the end of the 2023 Louisiana Legislative Session. So far, very few--if any--bills have been sent to Governor John Bel Edwards's desk for his signature.
According to one analyst, that may be by design.
"Lawmakers are up for reelection this fall, so they're looking for the least resistance moving forward," said LAPolitics.com publisher Jeremy Alford.
Alford says even though lawmakers have been slow to push through any bills, he says he expects them to make some moves in the final week of the session. One issue, he says, will dominate the discussion in the capitol through next Thursday.
"The only thing that matters is what happens on the budget and on the spending cap," Alford said. "If lawmakers aren't able to do this over the next eight days, they may have to come back in a special session. That's something that we have seen before over the last two terms of state government."
Lawmakers are still debating the state's budget and what to do with $2.2 billion in surplus money. Some legislators want to spend that money to fix roads and bridges and to pay for teacher salary increases and other educational endeavors. More conservative lawmakers want to put that money in the state's rainy day fund.
Alford says a special session might hurt lawmakers more than it will help them.
"This elected body has difficulty making decisions in the final stretch sometimes," Alford said. "That's not a great look going into an election year knowing that you had to go into a special session and spend more taxpayer money."
What's more: Alford says going into special session will make it more difficult for the legislature to pass a budget.
"To pass a budget during a special session in the final year of a term: it takes a three-fourths--three-fourths--vote to pass the budget," Alford said. "It's a two-thirds vote right now, and they're already having trouble with that."
The legislative session must end by 6 p.m. next Thursday (June 8).
