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Rep. Fannin and the reps driving over the cliff

The mirrors in the Capitol Building must be broken.   Either that or the leges think they are invisible.

Rep. Jim Fannin is the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee (The budget-writing committee.).   He is also the author of House Bill No. 1 which funds the state’s Operating Budget for Fiscal Year 2010-11.

Here’s what Fannin had to say about his own legislation:

[Fannin] estimates that $2 billion in one-time dollars were plugged into the budget bill by the Senate. One-time dollars are funds that will not materialize again in future years, akin to using savings to pay monthly household expenses. Baton Rouge Advocate, June 23, 2010.

“I don’t see how the citizens of the state can be happy,” Fannin said.

He said the state missed an opportunity to start making decisions that will help manage the budget in the future.

“We really have a flood coming,” Fannin said. Ibid.

A central part of the House and Senate budget dispute involved planning for the “cliff year” ­ when the loss of a billion dollars in federal stimulus and Medicaid money and other one-time state revenue would leave a crater in the budget. Associated Press, June 23, 2010.

While acknowledging that the budget he passed is a disaster which will make the public unhappy, he pushed his colleagues to support it.

At least now we know who’s driving the bus as the state runs off the fiscal cliff — Jim Fannin and a majority of his House colleagues.

To see how your rep voted on the budget go here.

A Yea vote is to intentionally drive the state over a “fiscal cliff.”  A Nay vote is for a responsible budget.   Absents are counted the same as Nay votes.

A Yea vote by Republicans is further evidence that being registered as a Republican and being fiscally-conservative are not the same.

C.B.

1 CB 9:36 am

Official LA Representative decision-maker

When running for governor, the “Roads Scholar” promised that he would end vote changing in the House. What he did was to legalize vote changing in the House.

Below are the vote changes in the House for the first 4 days of the past week. As of this writing the vote changes for Friday were not yet posted. (Source: House Daily Journals)

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Rep. John Guinn, R-Jennings, must have slept in. When he did finally arrive in the House he cast his votes after-the-fact.

Brand-new (Took office on June 8, 2010.) Rep. Helena Moreno, D-New Orleans, is fitting in very well. She began changing her votes within a week of being sworn-in.

Not a single member of the House objected to any of the changes.

CAVEAT: All (from the first day of the session onward) votes cast in the House can be changed at any time until 6:00 P.M. todday.

There is no integrity in the record votes in the House.

The Senate does not allow vote changes.

C.B.

HOUSE VOTE CHANGES MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY, JUNE 14-17, 2010

Vote changes per Bobby Jindal’s new rule allowing them:

Rep. Austin Badon requested the House consent to correct his vote on the adoption of House Concurrent Resolution No. 24 from yea to nay.

Rep. Anders requested the House consent to record his vote to concur in the Senate Amendments to House Bill No. 494 from yea to nay.

Rep. St. Germain requested the House consent to record her vote to concur in the Senate Amendments to House Bill No. 494 from yea to nay.

Rep. Hardy requested the House consent to correct his vote on adoption of the Conference Committee Report to House Bill No. 292 from nay to yea.

Rep. Johnson requested the House consent to correct his vote on final passage of Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 53 from nay to yea.

Rep. Brossett requested the House consent to correct his vote on final passage of Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 53 from nay to yea.

Rep. Willmott requested the House consent to correct his vote on final passage of Senate Bill No. 312 from yea to nay.

Rep. LaFonta requested the House consent to correct his vote on final passage of Senate Bill No. 528 from yea to nay.

Rep. Harrison requested the House consent to correct his vote on the substitute motion to reject the Senate Amendments to House Bill No. 1324 from nay to yea.

Rep. Thierry requested the House consent to correct her vote on the substitute motion to reject the Senate Amendments to House Bill No. 1324 from yea to nay.

Rep. Barrow requested the House consent to correct his vote on the motion to concur in the Senate amendments to House Bill No. 1410 from nay to yea.

Rep. Hutter requested the House consent to correct her vote on final passage of Senate Bill No. 798 from nay to yea.

Vote changes after-the-fact in violation of the House Rules:

Rep. Thibaut requested the House consent to record his vote to concur in the Senate Amendments to House Bill No. 494 as nay.

Rep. Champagne requested the House consent to record her vote on final passage of Senate Bill No. 170 as yea.

Rep. Roy requested the House consent to record his vote on final passage of Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 53 as yea.

Rep. Guinn requested the House consent to record his vote on final passage of Senate Bill No. 363 as yea.

Rep. Norton requested the House consent to record her vote on final passage of Senate Bill No. 444 as yea.

Rep. Guinn requested the House consent to record his vote on final passage of Senate Bill No. 444 as yea.

Rep. Guinn requested the House consent to record his vote on final passage of Senate Bill No. 222 as yea.

Rep. Guinn requested the House consent to record his vote on final passage of Senate Bill No. 284 as yea.

Rep. Downs requested the House consent to record his vote on final passage of Senate Bill No. 528 as yea.

Rep. Guinn requested the House consent to record his vote on final passage of Senate Bill No. 686 as yea.

Rep. Guinn requested the House consent to record his vote on final passage of Senate Bill No. 794 as yea.

Rep. Tim Burns requested the House consent to record his vote on final passage of Senate Bill No. 528 as yea.

Rep. Ligi requested the House consent to record his vote on final passage of Senate Bill No. 293 as yea.

Rep. Nowlin requested the House consent to record his vote on final passage of Senate Bill No. 293 as yea.

Rep. Austin Badon requested the House consent to record his vote on final passage of Senate Bill No. 240 as yea.

Rep. Stiaes requested the House consent to record her vote on final passage of Senate Bill No. 240 as yea

Rep. Moreno requested the House consent to record her vote on final passage of Senate Bill No. 240 as yea.

Rep. Sam Jones requested the House consent to record his vote on the motion to concur in the Senate Amendments to House Bill No. 303 as yea.

Rep. Hines requested the House consent to record his vote on the motion to concur in the Senate Amendments to House Bill No. 927 as nay.

Rep. Hutter requested the House consent to record her vote on final passage of Senate Bill No. 704 as yea.

Rep. Barrow requested the House consent to record her vote on final passage of Senate Bill No. 793 as nay.

Rep. Johnson requested the House consent to record his vote on final passage of Senate Bill No. 793 as nay.

Rep. Billiot requested the House consent to record his vote to concur in the Senate Amendments to House Bill No. 1272 as yea.

1 CB 8:00 am

According to a press release this evening from Bobby Jindal’s office sent at 8:53 PM Jindal has signed into law Senate Bill No. 407 by Sen. Joe McPherson. SB 407 repeals the illegal Driver’s License Tax and refunds the money already paid.

Thanks for your contacts to the governor’s office today. Bobby got the message.

C.B.

1 CB 9:33 pm