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The House of Representatives sent a proposed budget package across Memorial Hall to the Senate last week, meaning spending cap negotiations between the two chambers are intensifying with each passing day.

Lines have been drawn in the sand, with the Senate leadership and Edwards administration standing on one side ready to spend $1.8 billion in extra cash and House conservatives on the other side looking to bank the money for the future. 

In order to spend those surplus dollars, however, Gov. John Bel Edwards and Senate leaders need a two-thirds vote out of both chambers because the new expenditures would exceed the constitutionally created spending cap.

Opponents and proponents alike view cap as a campaign issue for the fall — those against would be able to claim fiscal responsibility and those in favor would be in a position to champion new construction work on roads and coastal projects. (Just in time for re-election bids.)

Members of the Freedom and Conservative caucuses in the House have already taken stances against busting the cap, making a two-thirds vote in the lower chamber to exceed the limit nearly impossible at this hour. 

Luckily, there’s still time to negotiate. But will four weeks (final adjournment is June 8) be enough time to carve out a compromise?

Lawmakers and lobbyists alike know practically anything can happen in Capitoland over the course of a few weeks. Yet those same politicos also know this elected body has needed extra time in the past to hammer out spending differences.

That’s why a very quiet chatter is building about the possibility of a special session. While unlikely for now, lawmakers are still joking with each other about making vacation plans after the regular session — or rather not making them yet, just in case.

“My guess is yes,” said Sen. Fred Mills, R-Parks, with a trademark laugh when asked whether lawmakers might need more time on the spending cap issue. “But it’s really early right now. Things are going to get serious here with the budget on the move. No one is playing chess yet. Everyone is still playing checkers.”

Asked for an update late last week, Senate President Page Cortez, R-Lafayette, said, “I’m not ready to say if it’s going good or going bad.”
Cortez is the author of Senate Concurrent Resolution 3, which outlines the spending priorities for the extra cash. The measure received an approving vote during its initial committee hearing, but is now awaiting debate on the Senate floor.

Now that the Senate has the budget package and the spending cap resolution, senators can set the pace for the remainder of the regular session. This is important, because the House has already set the tone.

The opening position on the budget by Republican representatives is an incredibly tough one. House Appropriations Chair Zee Zeringue, R-Houma, said the budget advanced last week remains under the expenditure limit for the current fiscal year and the next by $544 million.

Put another way, the House decided to leave money on the proverbial table, despite severe budget cuts to early childhood eduction, the administration’s teacher pay raise plan and health care services for the sick and poor.

For many Republicans, that $544 million figure represents much more than an opening position in a debate. To them, it’s the culmination of years of waiting for enough floor votes to see this form of “fiscal responsibility.”

House Freedom Caucus Chairman Alan Seabaugh, R-Shreveport, said conservatives in the House view this issue as one that’s above politics and, from the perspective of principle and policy, remains non-negotiable. “The action taken by the Louisiana House of Representatives… is the most significant step toward fiscal responsibility in Louisiana in my lifetime,” Seabaugh said.

Moving forward, negotiations could get testy, especially if Senate leaders adopt public budgeting practices where lawmakers find their priorities above or below a line based on their spending cap stances.

For more Louisiana political news, visit www. LaPolitics.com or follow Alford on Twitter @ LaPoliticsNow.

Four Patterson High students have received Felterman Foundation Scholarships in memory of David and Chad Felterman. Shown are Alexander Haven, who plans to major in business management at Nicholls State; Rylie Chaisson, who will major in nursing at John Melvin University; Danny Felterman; Keaunca Griffin, who be a nursing major at Nicholls State; and Destin Smith, who will study kinesiology at East Texas Baptist.

David Felterman was born Oct. 23, 1952, and was a 1970 alumnus of Patterson High School. David was a fun-loving guy, avid outdoorsman, sportsman and somewhat of a daredevil. He enjoyed hunting, camping, boating, fast cars, water skiing, and dirt bike riding. While duck hunting on January 2, 1977, hypothermia claimed his life at the young age of 24. He was working in the shipping department at Cameron Iron Works, Inc. in Patterson at the time of his death. David is the son of Fulton C. and Sylvia F. Felterman of Patterson.

Chad Felterman was born Sept. 15, 1979, and was a valedictorian for the Patterson High class of 1997.. He then attended LSU, where he received three degrees, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Civil Law and Juris Doctor, and Master of Business Administration. Upon graduation he was employed by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety in Baton Rouge and later became Budget Services Director. He exuberated a love for life and enjoyed fishing, Mardi Gras, and spending time with his family and friends, especially his niece, nephews, and godchildren. On July 28, 2021, Chad passed away due to Covid 19 complications at the age of 41. Chad is the son of Danny C. and Linda B. Felterman of Patterson.

The Felterman Foundation was organized Dec. 6, 1990, by Fulton C. and Sylvia F. Felterman. The purpose of the foundation is to receive and administer funds for scientific, educational, charitable, and religious purposes. The Feltermans provided funding for the foundation until their deaths; Sylvia in 2019 and Fulton in 2022. Beginning in 1991, and every year since, the Felterman Foundation has distributed funds to numerous worthy causes.

Lucille Johnson, 74, a resident of Patterson, died Monday, May 8, 2023, at her residence.

Visitation will be Tuesday from 11 a.m. until services at 1 p.m. at New Salem Baptist Church in Patterson.

She is survived by three sons, Willie Williams, Donnie Williams and Ty Williams; four daughters, Dwayne Butler, Tammy Williams, Shannon Williams and Kizzy Singleton; six brothers, Stanley Williams, Bobby Williams, Anthony Williams, Christopher Williams, Greg Williams and Larry Kemp; five sisters, Barbara Cormier, Catherine Colbert, Joyce Ballard, Maryann Williams and Connie Williams; 30 grandchildren; 59 great-grandchildren; and one great-great-grandchild.

She was preceded in death by her husband, parents and a sister.

Jones Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

The Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services has failed for more than a decade to ensure eligibility for cash assistance, one of seven findings highlighted in a recent audit.

Louisiana Legislative Auditor Mike Waguespack released an audit of DCFS on Monday that examined financial information and internal controls over reporting and compliance in fiscal year 2022.

The report uncovered a total of seven findings, including two ongoing from previous years.

For the 11th consecutive year, DCFS failed to ensure that all work activity supporting documentation for cash assistance through the Temporary Assistance for Needy

Families program was accurate and maintained for hours worked.

"In a sample of 60 out of 12,851 work activity records in the job-tracking system for approximately 1,000 clients per month, 13 (22%) work-eligible participant’s hours either did not agree to supporting documentation or supporting documentation of work activities was not maintained, and one of the 13 was not engaged in work activities, as required by federal regulations," auditors wrote.

"Noncompliance could result in penalties assessed on the state by the federal grantor."

Other issues involved $16 million in TANF funds DCS transferred to the Social Services Block Grant without a formal process to ensure the money was used for programs or services for children and their families with incomes less than 200% of the poverty level, as required.

It was the second consecutive year auditors highlighted the issue.

"DCFS utilized $12 million of the $16 million TANF transfer funds on salaries to caseworkers through its Public Assistance Cost Allocation Plan, but the PACAP does not specify how income thresholds are met," the report read. "In addition, DCFS uses monthly reports that show the percent of families it serves who are Medicaid eligible to support that a large portion of its expenditures meet the income threshold."

A review of employee time and attendance records found DCFS failed to follow payroll policies and procedures, with two of 45 time sheets tested not certified by employees, and six of 45 not approved by supervisors.

In addition, auditors found one employee accessed their own records and inaccurately reported household members to receive $3,968 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance
Program benefits before they resigned in December 2022. Two other employees received wages from DCFS and another employer for the same hours worked, resulting in a combined loss of $16,465 impacting various federal programs.

One of those employees was terminated in July 2022, while the other resigned while DCFS was pursuing disciplinary action.
DCFS also failed to report subawards for foster care and TANF funds through a federal reporting system. The $8.8 million in foster care subawards went to eight different recipients, including four state entities, accounting for 18% of the programs’ fiscal year expenditures. The $76.6 million in TANF funds went to 41 different recipients, accounting for 48% of the programs’ expenditures.

Auditors found issues with reporting federal award expenditures through DCFS’ own financial management system, as well.
DCFS Secretary Terri Ricks responded to the audit report in a series of letters to Waguespack between October 2022 and April 2023 that concurred with the findings and explained how the department is rectifying the issues.

Much of the corrective action involves strengthening policies and procedures, and employee notifications, while DCFS’ Fraud and Recovery Unit works to recoup pay and SNAP benefits improperly paid to employees. As of April 11, DCFS recovered $78 of the SNAP funds, leaving a balance of $3,890 still outstanding in that case.

Regarding the double paid former employees, DCFS was fully reimbursed $11,349 from one and the department continues to pursue $5,116 from the other, Ricks wrote.