Special session would focus on health care, prisons

If legislators call themselves into session next month, they will focus on health care and prisons.

State Rep. Dee Richard released a session call Thursday that he hopes will generate enough support for an unprecedented special session to review some of Gov. Bobby Jindal’s recent decisions. By calling a special session for Nov. 26, legislators would try to force the governor to involve them in decisions impacting jobs and health care.

The four subject areas listed in the call stem from health care cuts and the closure of a DeQuincy prison.

Legislators would consider:

• The closure, privatization or reduction of occupants, personnel and services at health care facilities.
• The requirements necessary to sell or privatize an LSU hospital.
• Changes at state-operated correctional facilities.
• Reestablishment of correctional facilities, health care facilities and human services districts.

“It’s putting some parameters,” Richard said.

However, several hurdles stand in the way of legislators convening at the State Capitol without Jindal’s approval.

Richard, No Party-Thibodaux, said he still lacks the support to poll legislators about a special session.

The process starts with at least 13 senators and 35 representatives submitting a petition declaring a need for a special session. The petition then is mailed to each legislator for approval. A majority must return the petition in order for the session to be held.

Richard said he is only halfway there on convincing 35 representatives to sign a petition.

Special sessions are limited in scope. Legislators cannot stray beyond the confines of the call. In the past, they typically have only called themselves into session to redraw voting district lines.

Talk about a special session began circulating after Jindal announced the closure of the DeQuincy prison near Lake Charles and deep budget cuts to health care.

To deal with the cuts, which were prompted by an unexpected drop in federal funding, LSU released plans Thursday to lay off nearly 1,500 hospital workers and reduce the number of beds available for patients at public hospitals, including facilities in Baton Rouge, Lafayette and New Orleans.

The LSU Board of Supervisors, which is largely controlled by the governor, initially ordered cuts of 34.5 percent, coming just short of needing to involve legislators in the decisions on reductions.

The decision to close the DeQuincy prison startled legislators in southwest Louisiana, including House Speaker Chuck Kleckley, R-Lake Charles, who said the governor did not consult them.

“I am signing the call,” state Rep. Brett Geymann said Thursday.

Geymann, R-Lake Charles, said legislators need to participate in the critical decisions that are being made.

Richard said he wants to overturn the cuts to the prison and health care services.

He said he is prepared to show other areas in which reductions could be made. He said the state spends too much money on expenses such as salaries.

“Everyone asks you, ‘Do you have a plan?’ Well, that’s part of my plan,” Richard said, referring to his call.

Comments

1) Comment by LSUinVail - 05/10/2012

Until the people of Louisiana demand the right to have a chance at voting to change the Louisiana constitution, cuts will always be shouldered on education and healthcare. You see they never want to cut ANYTHING fairly and across the board. They'd rather have the cuts concentrated solely in those two areas simply for the emotional impact of such severe cuts. You're being scammed.

2) Comment by Tea_Slayer - 05/10/2012

tradewinns, I liek how you tried to blame "Obama's government" for the Medicaid cuts. Here is an interesting article on what REALLY happened http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/07/louisiana_loses_medicaid_fundi.html

3) Comment by iluvbtr - 05/10/2012

If legislators call themselves into session next month, they will focus on health care and prisons. They should add K-12 Education to the list to undue the so- called reforms they hastily passed in the last session. The legislature is supposed to be an independent body. Show some backbone or pay the consequences when it's time for reelection.

4) Comment by Scrooge - 05/10/2012

tradewinns, just don't go to the emergency room or any hospital in Louisiana at all in the future and you'll be fine, to demonstrate your patriotism as well you could send back your medicare and social security checks, otherwise you might be seen as dependent on government.

5) Comment by tradewinns - 05/10/2012

let's try and be fair about this. the reason hospitals are cutting back is due to obama's government cutting back medicaid funding. now that the state has less to work with, what would you have jindall do, raise taxes to make up the difference? then you'd complain about his raising taxes! if anyone finds closing prisons or cutting back hospital services repulsive, send in enough money from yourself and your friends to make up the difference. don't just blame the governor for something he truly has no control over. if the folks trying to call the legislature back into session are having trouble gettin enough to BEGIN the process, there's little to no chance they will be successful in the process. they are just political grandstanding for the exposure.

6) Comment by Tea_Slayer - 05/10/2012

The Advocate isn’t allowing comments on the article about the LSU Hospital layoffs so I will state my point here: Jindal holds a press conference to tout 45 jobs added at Exxon. Where is the press conference to announce he has laid off 1,495 employees? By my count that is a net loss of 1,450 jobs

7) Comment by Pakistani - 05/10/2012

All of this old white men in the legislature have no balls, each and everyone of them are chicken chits? Coming from a white man.

8) Comment by JBradleyM.D. - 05/10/2012

correction about petition for a special session: http://www.change.org/petitions/louisiana-legislators-convene-a- special-legislative-session-to-address-the-healthcare-crisis

9) Comment by JBradleyM.D. - 05/10/2012

Please consider signing and sharing this: http://www.change.org/petitions/louisiana-legislators-convene-a- special-legislative-session-to-address-the-healthcare-crisis? fb_action_ids=10151124255549133&fb_action_types=change- org%3Arecruit&fb_ref=__syKkovGKXX&fb_source=other_multiline& action_object_map= {%2210151124255549133%22%3A10151051055913208}&actio n_type_map={%2210151124255549133%22%3A%22change- org%3Arecruit%22}&action_ref_map= {%2210151124255549133%22%3A%22__syKkovGKXX%22}

10) Comment by Scrooge - 05/10/2012

LSU plans to lay off 1,495 hospital employees, forget trying to get seen in any emergency room. So this is what Jindalcare looks like.

11) Comment by Scrooge - 05/10/2012

To lodge all power in one party and keep it there is to insure bad government and the sure and gradual deterioration of the public morals. - Mark Twain's Autobiography