Supreme Court may hear state GOP case

A lawsuit that could greatly expand the fundraising abilities of political parties will be heard next year by a three-judge panel that provides a direct appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
It was filed by the Louisiana Republican Party and the parish executive committees in Orleans and Jefferson to challenge campaign finance laws that prevent them from having enhanced independent-expenditure accounts that can accept unlimited donations — like super PACs, which are beefed up political action committees.
Handling the case is Jim Bopp, the attorney behind the milestone U.S. Supreme Court case the led to the creation of super PACs.
A section of the suit seeks to allow state and local parties to use soft money (state-regulated) for voter registration, GOTV and other grassroots operations.
The GOP parish executive committees in Jefferson and Orleans argue their hands are tied with hard money (federal funds) for federal election activity within 120 days of voting.
They contend that federal funds are subject to burdensome regulations that oftentimes prevent them from engaging in the kinds of activities required for turning out and informing voters.
A district court decision from the D.C. panel could come down in June and it’s possible that the U.S. Supreme Court decision would arrive by the end of June 2017.
If the party wins in district court, the soft money restrictions could be lifted for the 2016 election.
National politics come into focus for Landrieu
Now that New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu has decided against the U.S. Senate race, he appears to be slowly stepping into more of a national role and is already becoming a voice in the developing presidential race.
As a surrogate for Hillary Clinton, Landrieu could eventually find himself deeper inside Beltway circles, but his foray into national issues isn’t just about presidential politics. Landrieu was elected as second vice president of the U.S. Conference of Mayors this summer, which positions him to take over as president in June 2017.
For now, however, it’s difficult to miss his plays in the presidential race.
Landrieu released a statement to the press via email last calling Donald Trump’s most recent comments about Muslims “absolutely disgraceful” and called for Americans to “reject his poisonous rhetoric, which is reminiscent of David Duke’s racism.”
Changes may come to Senate
With a handful of high-profile senators coming off of an election cycle where they dug in deep for U.S. Sen. David Vitter, there are expectations for change in the upper chamber’s chairmanships.
“There will probably be some changes and I am trying to do my best to minimize them as much as possible,” said Senate President John Alario.
Alario will have to secure his own position as Senate president again next month, but all signs point to a return to the norm, with him saying his conversations with Gov.-elect John Bel Edwards have “all been positive.”

New representative has been seated
Don’t call her Rep.-elect Paula Davis, R-Baton Rouge.
It’s actually Rep. Paula Davis, R-Baton Rouge, giving her just a month or so of seniority over the Legislature’s incoming freshman class. Davis was elected to fill the vacancy in House District 69 left by former Rep. Erich Ponti over the summer.
So when the newly-elected members went to the Capitol two weeks ago for their initial introduction, all of them received a basic orientation while Davis also received a swearing in.
Everyone else has to wait until Jan. 11, including Rep.-elect Robby Carter of Greensburg.
Carter was elected in House District 72 following last month’s runoff and will replace Gov.-elect John Bel Edwards, who was promoted by voters.
Edwards officially resigned from his seat in order to prepare to become Louisiana’s 56th governor.
There’s no rush with Carter, though, with the swearing-in ceremony right around the corner and Edward’s legislative office having served constituents in House District 72 through this month.
Robby Carter, a Democrat who was elected to succeed Edwards in the House, will be sworn next month.
Kennedy worried about budget fixes
Moody’s Investors Service warned recently that despite recent efforts, the state of Louisiana has not yet resolved its structural budget deficits.
The credit rating agency also suggested that the next administration and Legislature needs to act quickly in order to achieve credible balance, according to Treasurer John Kennedy.
“Moody’s is giving us the game plan for how to avoid a credit downgrade,” said Kennedy. “We need to stop spending more than we take in. We need to stop relying on one-time fixes to plug holes in the budget. We need to stop trying to borrow our way out of this problem.”
Kennedy has been critical of how the state addressed a $487 million mid-year deficit in November by delaying payments, borrowing from funds and taking money out of the Rainy Day Fund.
He said borrowing from funds decreases the state’s financial liquidity.
“Our spending problem is creating a cash flow problem,” he added. “So far this year, I’ve approved nearly $200 million in seeds so state agencies can pay their bills. At some point, I’m going to run out of borrowable funds. We’ve got to fix our budget, and we’ve got to fix it fast.”
They Said It
“I’m offering my legal services to members who want to change their last name to start with a ‘Z,’ just in case we do have to take a voice vote.”
—State Rep. Chris Broadwater, R-Hammond, on the drama surrounding the next election of the speaker of the House.
For more Louisiana political news, visit www.LaPolitics.com or follow Jeremy Alford on Twitter @LaPoliticsNow.