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Both offices of the St. Mary Parish Registrar of Voters will offer extended hours until 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 29 through Oct. 1 in conjunction with Louisiana’s annual Voter Registration Week.
This is an opportunity for St. Mary Parish residents to get registered to vote in preparation for the Presidential/Congressional Primary Election on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
The 30-day close of books for in person and mail registration is Tuesday, Oct. 5. The Geaux Vote online 20 day close of books is Tuesday, Oct. 13. Early voting for the Nov. 3 election has been extended to 10 days and will be Friday, Oct. 16 through Tuesday, Oct. 27. Hours have also been extended from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. for those days.
Voters should also be aware that the special Emergency Covid Mail Ballot Request has been approved for the Nov. 3 and December 5 Elections. These applications are now available in the Registrar of Voters Office and also on the Secretary of State of website.
Voters should contact the Registrar of Voters Office at (337) 828-4100, ext. 360 for more information.

The special legislative session that begins Monday is being billed as a tug of war between the Legislature and the governor over the power to impose coronavirus restrictions on the economy.

St. Mary's senior lawmaker says his focus is on other issues.

For state Sen. Bret Allain, R-Franklin and chairman of the Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee, two issues represent the bulk of his agenda.

One is allowing the state government to use federal CARES Act funding effectively in dealing with the COVID-19 epidemic. New guidance indicates
the acceptable uses for the money may not be as limited as once believed provided the Legislature appropriates the funds, Allain said. He's waiting for a Friday meeting of the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget for more details.

The other problem is the massive damage inflicted on southwest Louisiana by Hurricane Laura, especially damage to schools, especially McNeese and SOWELA Technical Community College.

"We're going to see if we can get them up and running," Allain said.

The Center Square reported last week that 50 campus buildings lost their roofs at McNeese State alone, and those and other repairs could cost $200 million, according to school President Daryl Burckel.

SOWELA Technical Community College suffered between $75 million and $100 million worth of damage, Chancellor Neil Aspinwall said.

Many other issues could come up in the session, the call for which is both broad and long. The session could a month.

Allain believes a session is needed this fall because of the CARES Act question, but he would have preferred to have waited a few more weeks.

"I'm hoping we can do it in a lot less time," Allain said. "I would hope we could do it in 14 to 20 days. I hope we'll laser-focus on what needs to be done in a shorter time."

The senator isn't sure what the outcome might be in any battle over the governor's power to base economic restrictions on a public health emergency.

Conservative critics have accused Gov. John Bel Edwards of moving too slowly to reopen the economy after his initial stay at home order and closure of nonessential businesses in March. Six months later, with the state in Phase Three of federal coronavirus guidelines, unemployment remains over 9% and 188,000 are without work. Federal unemployment benefit enhancements and the Paycheck Protection Program have expired.

Edwards has defended his actions, saying he has responded first to the emergence of COVID-19 and then to a summertime resurgence of the pandemic in consultation with the White House Coronavirus Task Force and state public health officials.

There has been talk of employing a little-used petition process that would allow either House or Senate members to block emergency proclamations. Allain said he isn't sure that move can be used while the Legislature is actually in session.

"Obviously the governor needs the right to declare emergencies for hurricanes or something like that," Allain said. "I want to see what changes they want to make. ...

"For the most part, when [Edwards] has followed guidance from the White House and the Task Force, he's done well," Allain said. "I think it is time to reopen. I think there's such a thing as personal responsibility."

People should have the right to choose whether to wear a mask, Allain said. And businesses should have the right to refuse to serve people who don't wear masks.

"I believe it all comes down to personal choice," he said.

Morgan City Mayor Frank “Boo” Grizzaffi presented the proposed operating and capital budget to the city council for the 2021 fiscal year during Tuesday’s council meeting. The budget proposal includes nearly $39 million in proposed revenues and roughly the same in expenditures.
Both revenues and expenditures are projected to be lower for the coming year, while Grizzaffi said in his annual budget message that there will be no major capital expenditures included to allow the new administration to make decisions “based on real-time economics.”
The election for Morgan City Mayor will be Nov. 3. The city council will meet Nov. 4 at 4 p.m. for its annual budget workshop.
The new fiscal year begins Jan. 1.
“Preparing a budget for a full-service city has its share of challenges,” Grizzaffi said. “Doing so in the midst of an economic shutdown multiplies that uncertainty. It is impossible to anticipate the depth and long-term effects this crisis will have on revenue; however, a conservative approach to budgeting will allow for cautious optimism.”
Grizzaffi said COVID-19 has greatly impacted the city’s revenue source at Lake End Parkway, where revenues have fallen $200,000.
“This reduction is solely from the shutdown of the cabins and camping directly due to COVID-19 restrictions,” he said.
Another revenue source, the city jail, also has been affected by COVID-19 as the prison count has dropped to “unprecedented numbers,” Grizzaffi said.
“There has been a slow rise in inmate population; however, the current capacity is nowhere near a population for the jail to be self-sufficient,” the mayor said.
Grizzaffi said both funds will have to be balanced with a transfer from the general fund.
As for revenues, the city is proposing about $38.98 million, down $1.71 million from this year’s budget. The budget is expected to have a general fund ending balance of $981,668, with sales and occupational taxes remaining neutral at $7.49 million, while much of the city’s revenues will come from utility operations, where $24.73 million are expected to be generated.
As for expenditures, the city is projecting about $39 million, or $868,986 less than the current budget.
Health insurance costs continue to be a challenge for the city as they have risen more than $1.8 million, Grizzaffi said.
Another notable expenditure in the upcoming budget is the city’s 2% longevity raise for every employee that fulfills their one-year anniversary. That will cost the city $145,360.
The budget introduction Tuesday was the first reading of the 2021 budget ordinance.
In other financial matters Tuesday, the council approved its monthly financial statements for the period ending Aug. 31. The General and Ancillary Funds had a favorable variance of $680,000 compared to the current budget, while the Utility Fund had an unfavorable variance of $317,800. The Sanitation and Sewer Fund had a favorable variance of $178,800.
In other news, the council:
—Approved resolutions for Red Ribbon Week, the Louisiana Municipal Water Pollution Prevention Report and declaring the results of the special election on Aug. 15 for the renewal of the 2-mill property tax for operations and maintenance for the Morgan City Municipal Auditorium.
—Observed a moment of silence in a resolution of respect for James O’Neal “Coach Jimmy” Johnson Sr.
—Heard from Bo Duhé, candidate for re-election for 16th Judicial District attorney, and Kevin Voisin, candidate for Morgan City mayor.

 Louisiana has regained more than half of the jobs it had lost since the low point of the pandemic-related recession, the Louisiana Workforce Commission reported.
The state has gained 133,400 jobs since April, according to preliminary August data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which represents a 56%recovery, the LWC says.
The same report indicates the state’s unemployment rate fell from 9.4% to 7.6% from July to August. Those numbers have been adjusted to reflect seasonal employment shifts.
“We’re headed in the right direction, in terms of people going back to work,” LWC Secretary Ava Dejoie said, adding that the low price of oil continues to be a drag on the state’s recovery.
The national unemployment rate fell by 1.8 percentage points in August to 8.4% but was 4.7 points higher than in August 2019, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics report.
Unemployment rates were lower in August in 41 states, higher in two states, and stable in seven states and the District of Columbia, the BLS says. All 50 states and the District had jobless rate increases from a year earlier.
The trade, transportation and utilities sector led Louisiana’s job growth, adding about 6,400 jobs, the LWC says. Leisure and hospitality gained 5,400 jobs, while professional and business services added 1,900 jobs.
Among the state’s nine metropolitan areas, seasonally adjusted data for August indicates:
--Alexandria gained 800 jobs from July 2020, but lost 2,700 jobs from August 2019.
--Baton Rouge gained 10,000 jobs from July 2020, but lost 20,600 jobs from August 2019.
--Hammond gained 500 jobs from July 2020, but lost 2,500 jobs from August 2019.
--Houma gained 1,600 jobs from July 2020, but lost 5,400 jobs from August 2019.
--Lafayette remained unchanged from July 2020, but lost 11,900 jobs from August 2019.
--Lake Charles gained 1,100 jobs from July 2020, but lost 14,200 jobs from August 2019.
--Monroe gained 900 jobs from July 2020 and 500 jobs from August 2019.
--New Orleans gained 3,000 jobs from July 2020, but lost 66,400 jobs from August 2019.
--Shreveport gained 2,400 jobs from July 2020, but lost 10,500 jobs from August 2019.