From the Associated Press: Rep. Wayne Waddell’s legislation that would narrow the public records exemption to the Governor, the executive counsel and chief of staff passed the House unanimously over the objection of the Governor whose competing bill pushes for far broader exemptions.
From the Shreveport Times: Jindal’s lack of transparency, wealth of hypocrisy is wearing thin.
From the Advocate: Responding to implications that he worked with the Jindal administration to gut ethics reforms by changing the standard of proof by which ethics charges are prosecuted, Senator Bob Kostelka contends that there was no hidden agenda.
According to Kostelka, meetings were had on the issue of changing the standard prior to his last minute inlcusion of the amendment raising the standard from “reliable and substantial” evidence to “clear and convincing”. However Kostelka provides no details as to who, other than Jindal’s executive counsel Jimmy Faircloth, attended this meeting.
From the News Star: Group formed to promote legislative agenda says it will carry on, will add coastal restoration to list of priorities.
From CityBusiness: Governor’s reversal on income tax breaks was the result of pressure from traditional Jindal allys in the media and legislature.
From the News Star: Tactics of Governor’s office during voucher debate suggests that nothing has “changed” when it comes to how Baton Rouge does business as Freshman lawmakers accuse Governor of leveraging state money against support for his controversial proposal.
From the Advocate: In documents obtained by the paper, the state ethics board warned Governor Jindal that his move to raise the standard of proof for prosecuting ethics charges to “clear and convincing” threaten the board’s ability to enforce the Governor’s ethics “gold standard.”
In a fiery rebuke of the board’s actions, Senator Bob Kostelka, Jindal’s Senate floor manager and shepherd of the Governor’s ethics package, said the board’s request for the Governor to veto a portion of the ethics package that Jindal had called for was “asking the impossible.”
The big question that remains is exactly why did the Governor request this change in the first place?
