Jeremy Alford: Transition panels finish work; now it's time for action

All 14 of the transition councils appointed by Gov.-elect Jeff Landry wrapped up their policy work last week, just in time for Christmas.
The gift to all of us, of course, will (eventually) be a set of public reports on everything from agriculture and the coast to constitutional reform and workforce development. 
Those close to the process, however, hope folks proceed with caution and realize the reports are merely recommendations, not the resolute direction of the incoming Landry administration.
Team Landry isn’t sure yet how the reports will be released, whether individually or as a whole. Either way, the clock is ticking and only 20 or so days remain before the inauguration.
Interest in end-product will be especially high for the New Orleans Council, chaired by businessman Boysie Bollinger; the Infrastructure Council, chaired by Madden Contracting manager David Madden; and the Insurance Crisis Council, co-chaired by Insurance Commissioner-elect Tim Temple and Ross Laris, owner of Laris Insurance Agency.
The intersection of all things New Orleans and the incoming Landry administration will be regular fodder for the press corps next term. That was the case, at least, for Landry as attorney general, when he constantly picked fights with the city and its officials over a laundry list of conservative social issues. 
There’s certainly more to come. Shortly after being elected, Landry told reporters, “We want the city of New Orleans to operate like the city of Charleston or the city of Nashville, or some of the other great southern cities around the country, and we know that it can. But it’s got a lot of problems.”
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell was not included on the transition council, nor were members of the New Orleans City Council.
The end products of the infrastructure and insurance councils will also feature proposals and research on policy topics like homeowners coverage and gas tax revenue.
With a special session on insurance looking more unlikely than ever for next year, the Insurance Crisis Council may have more of an opportunity to craft an actual insurance agenda for the approaching regular session, especially with Insurance Commissioner-elect Temple attached.
The regular session, scheduled for the spring, will probably be the first opportunity for many of the transition councils’ findings to receive a public hearing and even possible votes. If history is any indication, though, most of the proposals will remain confined to the pages of the transition reports.
Issues related to crime may be another exception, especially since Landry is expected to call a special session to address a hot-button policy area he and many others campaigned on in 2023.
Any findings related to taxes will be of interest as well, even if lawmakers have to wait until 2025 to file such proposals. (That’s because our laws prohibit the House and Senate from introducing most revenue-raising measures, like taxes, during even-numbered years.)
As for the full spectrum of transition work, Landry created councils on Agriculture, Fisheries and Land Management; Coast and Environment; Constitutional Reform; Crime and Public Safety; Economic Development and Fiscal Policy; Energy, Chemical and Maritime Industry; Healthcare and Hospitals; Infrastructure; Insurance Crisis; K-12 Education; Military Issues; New Orleans; Local and Municipal Affairs; and Workforce Development and Higher Education.
There won’t be a whole lot of time to focus on the reports resulting from these councils, especially given the upcoming legislative calendar, which includes the convening of four sessions during the first three months of 2024:
— The organizational session will convene at 10 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 8. Members will be sworn in and internal leadership elections will be conducted, such as for House speaker and Senate president. Lawmakers usually wrap up their work in a single day, but have until Jan. 10 should more time be required.
— An extraordinary session may be called for mid-January to allow lawmakers to draw a new congressional map that includes a second Black majority district. The new map is court-ordered.
—Another extraordinary session on crime is expected for mid-February, and possibly into early March.
— The 2024 regular session will convene at noon on Monday, March 11, and must adjourn no later than 6 p.m. on Monday, June 3.
For more information on the sessions, visit www.Legis.La.Gov. For more information on the transition process, visit www.OneTeam.La.
For more Louisiana political news, visit www. LaPolitics.com or follow Alford on Twitter @ LaPoliticsNow.