Capitol Digest provides an inside look at what happened in state politics this week. These quick reports offer insight into campaigns, committee meetings and other goings-on and give an overview of the coming week's events. SINKHOLE EXPENDITURES TOPS $8M The state has spent $8.3 million responding to the Bayou Corne sinkhole in Assumption Parish, the Legislative Fiscal Office said...
Capitol Digest provides an inside look at what happened in state politics this week. These quick reports offer insight into campaigns, committee meetings and other goings-on and give an overview of the coming week's events.
SINKHOLE EXPENDITURES TOPS $8M
The state has spent $8.3 million responding to the Bayou Corne sinkhole in Assumption Parish, the Legislative Fiscal Office said in its monthly newsletter Wednesday. The costs account for total expenditures through June 26 only.
Over $5 million of that went to the Shaw Environmental Group, charged with performing tests to determine the sinkhole's exact cause. Nearly $2 million went to pay salaries and benefits for state employees working on the response; the rest was mostly used for equipment, travel expenses and other professional contracts.
The state is suing Texas Brine, the company responsible for the salt dome that caused the sinkhole, for reimbursement of the total costs. No payments have been received and the suit is ongoing.
In the meantime, the Department of Natural Resources received an $8 million loan from the State Treasury to fund the response effort.
STATE LEGISLATOR CONSIDERING SENATE RUN
State Rep. Alan Seabaugh, R-Shreveport, might jump into the race for U.S. Senate next year. According to John Maginnis and Jeremy Alford's LaPolitics Weekly, Seabaugh said he considers the race still open and thinks he could be a viable conservative alternative to U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge.
While there is already another candidate to the right of Cassidy, Air Force veteran Rob Maness, Seabaugh doesn't believe the Tea Party sweetheart can raise the money necessary to provide a real challenge to Democratic incumbent U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu.
VEHICLE REGISTRATION LAW GOES INTO EFFECT
Public officials making over $100,000 a year will now be required to provide proof of a valid Louisiana driver's license, under a law passed during the 2013 legislative session that kicks in Sunday. The law also requires vehicles for these employees to be registered in Louisiana.
The legislation was pushed by state Rep. John Bel Edwards after lawmakers learned various high-level state officials were driving cars with out-of-state plates and had failed to secure Louisiana driver's licenses.
The new law will apply to all "unclassified" civil service employees and officers who make over $100,000 a year, including department heads, elected officials and members of state boards. The new law will also mandate the termination, within 30 days, of any employee found to be out of compliance.
JINDAL ADMINISTRATION STAFF CHANGES
Sean Lansing, Gov. Bobby Jindal's press secretary, will leave the administration to return to Wisconsin and head the state chapter of Americans for Prosperity. Lansing served in the position for less than a year, having joined the team in January on the heels of his time as Communications Director at Wisconsin's John K. MacIver Institute for Public Policy.
Previously, Lansing served as communications director in the Wisconsin assembly during Republican Gov. Scott Walker's 2011 battle against unions over state right to work laws.
His exit marks the second high-level departure from Jindal's communications team in as many months. In late August, Division of Administration Spokesman Michael DiResto announced he would leave to join the Baton Rouge Area Chamber as Senior Vice President for Economic Competitiveness.
On Friday, Division Commissioner Kristy Nichols announced Douglas Baker would be taking over for DiResto, whose last day was Friday. Baker previously acted as communications director for the Department of Revenue.
TOTAL VOTER REGISTRATION JUMPS BY OVER 3,000
Total registered voters in Louisiana increased by 3,327 between Aug. 1 and Sept. 11, according to numbers from Secretary of State Tom Schedler's office. The jump came after a weeklong effort at the end of August to encourage Louisianians to sign up to vote.
On Aug. 1, 2,909,152 voters were registered in Louisiana. This number rose to 2, 912,479 by Sept. 11, according to numbers provided by the Schedler's office. The voter registration drive ran Aug. 26-30.
DESIGN-BUILD GROUP TO ISSUE STUDY
The Design-Build Task Force, a commission of lawmakers and professionals created during the 2013 legislative session, held its first meeting Thursday in Baton Rouge. The task force's purpose is come up with recommendations on how the state's disparate design-build laws can be consolidated and simplified.
On Thursday, the task force heard from representatives of design-build organizations, state agencies and businesses. The former argued the design-build process can be superior to the traditional design-bid-build process under certain circumstances, such as when a project needs to be completed on a tight deadline or using specialty techniques.
The group will meet twice more before the 2014 session starts in early March; it will issue a comprehensive report before that time. State Rep. Walt Leger, D-New Orleans, State Sen. Conrad Appel, R-Metairie, House Speaker Chuck Kleckley, R-Lake Charles and Senate President John Alario, R-Westwego all sit on the task force.
LEGISLATIVE MEETINGS
Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 9:30 a.m. -- Joint Insurance in Room 5 (House Side)
Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 10:00 a.m. -- Louisiana Tax Commission Rules and Regulation Session in Room A-B (Senate Side)
Thursday, Sept. 19 at 9:30 a.m. -- Interim Emergency Board in Room E (Senate side)
Thursday at 10:00 a.m. -- Gaming Control Board in Room 6 (House Side)
Thursday at 10:00 a.m. -- State Bond Commission in Room A-B
Thursday at 12:30 p.m. -- Legislative Audit Advisory Council in Room 4
Lauren McGaughy is a state politics reporter based in Baton Rouge. She can be reached at lmcgaughy@nola.com or on Twitter at @lmcgaughy.