Rep. LeBas frustrated by lack of legislation being passed in state

The last session for the Louisiana Legislature was one of frustration for Rep. H. Bernard LeBas, D-Ville Platte.
The District 38 state representative penned a piece of legislation that would help alleviate the certified teacher, and substitute teaching, shortage that the state is currently experiencing.
The measure unfortunately was killed.
“We have a shortage statewide, and in our area too, of quality substitute teachers,” LeBas said. “There are some local teachers who are retired that would love to substitute more but the way the law is set up can’t.”
The state law states that once a retired teacher reaches 1/4 of his or her retirement pay from substitute teaching then the state starts deducting from the retirement pay if said teacher continues to substitute teach.
LeBas wanted to raise that from 1/4 to 1/2 but the measure was killed. The measure was approved by the La. House committee and got off the House floor but was killed by the Senate committee.
“We have a huge shortage of qualified and certified teachers,” LeBas said. “So we have to hire substitutes. Why not hire teachers who are capable of teaching instead of hiring people who may mean well but don’t have the skills of the retired teachers.”
Despite that piece of legislation failing to gain traction this past session, LeBas is determined to bring it back next session.
“I plan on it because it is needed,” LeBas said.
That wasn’t the only disappointment that LeBas suffered this past session.
Gov. Bobby Jindal vetoed House Bill 42, sponsored by Rep. Sam Jones, that included a cost-of-living adjustment for about 130,000 retired state workers, educators and members of the state police. The 1.5 percent COLA would have gone into effect July 1 to help the state’s retired workers who are struggling to meet the costs of Louisiana’s health insurance program.
That was one of several bills that Jindal vetoed this past session.
“We are there to represent our people,” LeBas said. “A lot of the state retirees thanked me for getting the bill through both houses. So when it is vetoed it is terribly frustrating.”
LeBas and his fellow lawmakers did successfully manage to raise $720 million to help close the state’s budget gap. The Louisiana Legislature was facing a $1.6 billion budget gap for this fiscal cycle which started on July 1.
The other $400 million of the approved $24.6 billion budget, approved by Gov. Bobby Jindal, came from not filling vacant open positions or raises for state employees.
The shortfall could have severely damage the state’s public colleges and universities, as well as heath care.
“Instead of trying to get everything from one place we gave everybody haircuts so nobody got scalped,” LeBas said. “Most of them didn’t like it but as long as they weren’t the only one getting gorged then they understand that we had to do something.”
Those cuts include several different items including, but not regulated to, a reduction in the amount of tax credits for solar energy, a one-cent off tax exemption on what businesses will pay for utility bill, which will raise more than $100 million, and cutting back on the film tax credit down from above $200 million down to $180 million.
“When we first started the film tax program it was like $40 million dollars and I believe this past year we gave away more than $200 million,” LeBas said. “A study showed that every four dollars we spent or gave away that we only got one dollar in return.”
LeBas said the state will also receive an estimated $105 million for this year’s budget from the cigarette tax which is earmarked for health care.
Despite those cost-cutting measures, LeBas fully expects that he and his lawmakers will need to make adjustments to the budget in the ensuing months.
“To say were not going to have to come back and make some adjustments due to shortfalls or expenses we didn’t except would be inaccurate,” LeBas said. “That’s going to happen.”