Amedee criticized over vote that cost Morgan City $15M; she blames 'retaliation'

State Rep. Beryl Amedee faced tough questions Wednesday over her stand against an increase in the state spending cap, a stand that is being blamed for costing Morgan City $15 million in funding for sewer system and road improvements.

Amedee, R-Gray, appeared with state Rep. Vincent St. Blanc and state Sen. Bret Allain, both R-Franklin, at a St. Mary Chamber luncheon at the Petroleum Club of Morgan City. The annual post-session luncheon is usually a chance for St. Mary lawmakers to brag about how their work benefited local taxpayers.

Not this time.

The last-minute scramble to pass a budget before the state legislative session ended June 8 resulted in part from a battle over whether to raise the state spending limit to accommodate an extra and unexpected $2.2 billion in state revenue.

Nineteen conservative lawmakers, including Amedee, voted against busting the cap, incurring the wrath of legislative leaders.

Amedee characterized the subsequent removal of funding for projects in her district, which extends westward into Morgan City, as “retaliation” by the Legislature’s leadership.

Patterson, which is outside Amedee’s district and in the district represented by St. Blanc, received $8 million in funding, the bulk of it for water and sewer system improvements.

In Berwick, also in St. Blanc’s district, the town government received $535,000 for an automated water meter system that will allow one person to read meters for the whole town.

After the meeting, Mayor Duval Arthur said the town may also be in line for $545,000 to improve the sewer lines in the oldest part of town, where terra cotta pipes are deteriorating. The town will need another week to learn if that funding has actually been approved.

“We couldn’t be happier,” Arthur said. “We never got that much before.”

But Morgan City, where the city government had been hoping for about $15 million, got nothing. The proposed projects included $12 million to redo U.S. 182 from the Greenwood overpass to the old bridge. and La. 70 and Ninth Street from
Shoney’s to Walmart. The rest was earmarked for sewer system improvements.

Members of the conference committee that hammered out differences in House and Senate funding “acted like spoiled teenagers going with daddy’s credit card to the mall, only worse. …,” Amedee said.

“I had no part in getting those items removed. … I’m furious that other projects that are also infrastructure and badly needed didn’t get funded.”

Morgan City Mayor Lee Dragna grilled Amedee during the audience question period. He wanted to know why Amedee voted against lifting the cap when the measure was obviously going to pass.

“I’m aggravated and the people of Morgan City are aggravated …,” Dragna said. “To me, it seems like certain people can’t play the game.”

Amedee said she saw legislation in which the projects were funded without the spending cap being lifted.

“Sometimes the game is the problem,” Amedee answered. “When we compromise and bow down … the game goes on.

“I went to Baton Rouge to fight. I don’t play.”

At one point, Amedee said the conference bill was passed at the last minute, and that members really didn’t know what was in it.

Allain, chairman of the Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee, said he saw the bill within minutes of the session deadline.

“I don’t know what was cut out,” Allain said. “But I damned sure know what was in it.”

St. Mary will benefit from $50 million for improving U.S. 90 between Lafayette and Amelia and $11 million for the Port of Morgan City, he said.

Franklin will receive $2.4 million for water treatment, Allain said, and Baldwin will get funds for new basketball courts.

ARC of St. Mary/Center of Hope, which trains and employs people with developmental disabilities, received $250,000 this year, he announced. At a nearby table, Center of Hope Director Kristal Hebert brought her hands to her eyes as though to cry.

After the meeting, Hebert said she hadn’t known about the appropriation for her agency until the luncheon. Hebert has said at public meetings that Center of Hope didn’t have the resources to serve all the St. Mary people who could use its services.

The St. Mary Council on Aging received a $250,000 appropriation this year to match last year’s $250,000. The council runs senior centers in St. Mary and delivers meals to homebound seniors.

“I didn’t get it anywhere else,” Director Beverly Domengeaux told Allain. “But I got it for you.”

The end of the luncheon was devoted to praising Allain, who is leaving the Legislature after serving three four-year terms.

St. Blanc and Chamber Chairwoman Laura Meadows, who is also Allain’s assistant, praised the senator for his work ethic and his ability to push St. Mary projects forward.

He was praised for bringing $800 million funding to the parish during his 12 years of service.