Rep. Phillip DeVillier

DeVillier: Sees payback in vetoes of projects

By Harlan Kirgan Editor

Freshman state Rep. Phillip DeVillier said there is a connection between his voting record and Gov. John Bel Edwards’ veto of Eunice projects.
DeVillier voted against the one cent sales tax increase and he told Eunice Kiwanis Club members that vote and others resulted in the veto of two projects.
The projects nixed by the governor are:
— $2.2 million to LSU Eunice for the replacement of Science Lab Fume Hoods, Planning and Construction.
— $180,000 to the City of Eunice for levee site work at Eunice City Lake, and city park upgrades, planning and construction.
“I don’t agree with a line item veto to LSUE or the city of Eunice especially when I turn around and they leave golf courses and all these recreational situations that cost the state quite a bit of money when we have infrastructure that has to be repaired.
Edwards released his veto list on on July 11.
“My commitment to the people of Louisiana was and is to prioritize the state’s construction budget and be realistic with the limited financial resources we have at our disposal,” Edwards said Monday. “Given our historic budget shortfalls, the people of Louisiana stand to benefit most from better roads and other infrastructure. For too long, the capital outlay process gave false hope to the people of Louisiana that construction dollars were on the way when, in fact, they were not. I’ve promised to budget openly and honestly with the people of Louisiana, and this capital outlay bill is representative of that approach.”
Also vetoed was a $150,000 for boat launch improvements at Leonville.
St. Landry Parish projects that survived include:
— Harry Guilbeau Road Economic Development District — $186,300
— Hurricane evacuations and homeland security coordination and related renovations — $86,300.
— Grand Coteau Police and utility departments roof — $60,000.
— Grand Coteau fire truck and fire station upgrades — $10,000.
— Opelousas infrastructure renovation program — $400,000.
Before the multiple sessions began, DeVillier pledged to oppose new taxes.
At Thursday’s Kiwanis meeting, DeVillier pointed out he did vote to address the 40-year-old tax rate on alcohol and to raise the tax on tobacco.
“I think it was a slap in the face of the people who supported it,” DeVillier said of the vetoed Eunice projects.
DeVillier said he would be working to put capital outlay projects in to the bill.
The City Lake work and the LSUE projects have been restarted, he said.
“I really believe it is going to be a tough three years,” he said.
“We have to find a way to make this work. I don’t feel raising taxes is the way to fix it. I just don’t,” he said.
DeVillier is a Republican and the governor is a Democrat.
DeVilllier explained an option for the TOPS program that would have students pay for their first year in college. TOPS would then kick in for the next three years and, if a student graduates, TOPS would pay for the first year.
TOPS, which pays for college expenses, has grown from a $54 million program to more than $300 million, he said.
“Truthfully, the state cannot afford it right now,” he said.
“I just don’t think it is fair to go out for more tax dollars from people who are already struggling,” he said.
There were bills to fix TOPS, but legislators backed away from them because of the political risk involved in the popular program, he said.
DeVillier said District 41 voters will make their judgement about him.

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