Ritchie's 4-cent tax on cigs tacked on to constitutional amendment to fund TOPS

Rep. Harold Ritchie
(D, Franklinton)

Remember that four-cent tax on cigarettes that Rep. Harold Ritchie (D, Franklinton) introduced as HB 591 that was vetoed by Gov. Bobby Jindal? Well, it lives on as part of a ballot initiative voters will see this fall.

Ritchie’s bill would have re-created a four-cent tax, which was set to expire in 2012, but Jindal, who had said he would not sign any new taxes, made good on that promise when he vetoed the bill. Jindal said it was a new tax because it was set to expire. 

Additionally, the Louisiana Constitution does not allow for the extension or continuation of taxes, which was the reason Ritchie’s bill was needed.

The House, which initially passed the bill with 70 votes, could only muster 58 “ayes” in the override vote. It would have been the first veto override in the state in 18 years.

Now, the four-cent tax is tacked on as part of a constitutional amendment that provides funding for the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS).

In a last-minute compromise, Jindal and lawmakers agreed to allow the tax extension to go forward via a constitutional amendment to fund college scholarships.

The debate was revived when Ritchie succeeded in attaching the tax to an administration bill to fund the state's free college tuition program with tobacco settlement money. Jindal risked losing the bill if he didn't agree to the tax add-on. 

Saving RCC, creating NTCC key legislative victories

Now that the 2011 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature has adjourned, the process of review, critique and criticize has begun, but in Washington Parish, the success of two bills far outweigh any failures.

Sen. Ben Nevers
(D, Bogalusa)

The passage of HB 1, the state’s appropriations bill, overrides everything else and while neither Sen. Ben Nevers (D, Bogalusa) nor Rep. Harold Ritchie (D, Franklinton) were on the so-called front line in regards to committee structure, they were both in the trenches.

And as a result of the efforts of the local legislators and a Senate Finance Committee not afraid to look at funding options, which included moving money round, B. B. “Sixty” Rayburn Correctional Center — along with four others — remain open.

Rep. Harold Ritchie
(D, Franklinton)

Ritchie fought the fight in the House and Nevers work relentlessly for Rayburn — admitting he really wasn’t concerned about the other prisons, as they had people fighting for them.

As a result, some 300 jobs will remain in Washington Parish.

But close on the heels of HB1 in terms of significance for Washington Parish was Nevers’ SB69, which creates Northshore Technical Community College and brings degree granting, credit transferring ability to the campuses of what is currently known as Northshore Technical College.

“It is really exciting and really significant,” William Wainwright, regional director of the Northshore system, told wpnewsblog in a Friday interview.

“It will open doors,” he added, “in that it allows us to continue the technical education we’ve become so well known for, but it adds degree granting capability.”

Wainwright pointed out that while the Northshore has been served in that area in the past, it has been severely underserved.

“It will help us increase our educational attainment levels. Northshore Technical provided an excellent technical education, but a survey as recent as this spring showed the Northshore region was severely underserved and that there was greater need for advanced educational opportunities.”

Ritchie’s cornerstone legislation was HB63, which created a four-cents per pack tax on cigarettes. The bill passed, but was vetoed by Gov. Bobby Jindal who had said before the session that he would not approve any new taxes. While this tax had previously existed, but was expiring, proponents argued it was a renewal. However, a tax “renewal” is not recognized by the state constitution, statutes or house and senate rules. There are only tax increases and new taxes.

An effort to override the veto failed.

A recap of bills and resolutions put into the hopper by Nevers and Ritchie:

NEVERS

SB26 — (signed by the governor) Allows for an out-of-state physician to order certain diagnostic tests under certain circumstances.

SB28 — (sent to the governor) Extends employer's non-refundable apprenticeship tax credit against income tax and corporation franchise tax to taxable periods ending prior to January 1, 2015.

SB68 — (died in committee) Provides relative to the positions of fire chief and police chief in the city of Bogalusa. This legislation would have changed the two positions so as to allow the mayor to hire and fire.

SB69 — (sent to governor) Creates the Northshore Technical Community College.

SB80 — (sent to governor) Provides for the reorganization of the Department of Education.

SB94 — (died in committee) Provides a preference for materials produced, manufactured, or fabricated in Louisiana used in public works.

SB111— (House adopted) Provides relative to an annual report regarding the condition of public elementary and secondary education.

SCR3 — (Filed with secretary of state) Memorializes Congress to enact laws to establish, implement, and ensure that universal communication is at all times and at all places available to warn the American people of imminent and impending dangers.

SCR4 — (Signed by the Speaker) Requests BESE to establish uniform regulations regarding the purchase of used school buses for all school bus owners/operators

RITCHIE

HB38 — (Signed by the governor) Provides for an additional court cost in the City Court of Bogalusa. This measure allows the City Court of Bogalusa to assess a court cost not to exceed $25 for each defendant that has been convicted or has pled guilty to a traffic violation or misdemeanor. The sums will be remitted monthly by the clerk of court to the City Prosecutor to be used in defraying office expenses. It is projected to generate $160,000 in five years.

HB46 — (died in committee) Appropriates funds for payment of judgment against DOTD in the matter of "Eisha Briggs Lee, et al v. State of Louisiana, et al"

HB50 — (died in committee) Appropriates funds for payment of judgment in the matter of "Rhonda Walker, et al v. DOTD"

HB63 — (died in committee) Removes the sunset on a portion of the tax levied on cigarettes and increases the tax on cigars, cigarettes, smoking tobacco, and smokeless tobacco.

HB79 — (sent to governor) Changes the name of the High School Redesign Commission and provides for commission membership and vacancies.

HB185 — (died in committee) Provides for the transfer of certain property in Washington Parish. This would have transferred property from the LSU to DOTD. While the title mentioned Washington Parish, the majority of the legislation dealt with Greensburg.

HB256 — (sent to governor) Provides relative to the identification of human remains prior to cremation.

HB326 — (sent to governor) Repeals exemption for Washington Parish from the moratorium on additional nursing facilities or beds.

HB591 — (Governor vetoed, override failed) Removes the sunset on a portion of the tax levied on cigarettes and increases the tax on cigars, cigarettes, smoking tobacco, and smokeless tobacco. This would have added four cents per pack tax on cigarettes.

HB630 — (involuntarily deferred, died in committee) Provides for temporary reduction of certain tax exemptions, exclusions, and deductions for support of K-12 and higher education.

(Published first at http://www.wpnewsblog.blogspot.com)

Pollsters call to check Ritchie's standing

Harold Ritchie
D-Franklinton

Telephone pollsters were busy calling households in Louisiana House District 75 Wednesday night, and by the wording of the questions, they were checking to see whether voters were happy or not with State Rep. Harold Ritchie (D-Franklinton). In addition, there were a couple of questions regarding State Sen. Ben Nevers (D-Bogalusa).


Pollsters identified themselves as calling with a political poll and asked permission to conduct the 15-question call.


Among the questions (not worded verbatim):
   • Do you plan to vote in the upcoming election?
   • Do you have a very favorable, favorable, unfavorable or very unfavorable opinion of Bobby Jindal, Harold Ritchie, Ben Nevers, Barack Obama.
   • There is a proposal to sell state prisons to private contractors. would you be in favor or not? This question also posed several scenarios, both positive and negative, regarding privatization of prisons before the response was solicited.
   • There is a proposal to sell the Office of State Benefits to a Wall Street firm. Are you in favor or not? In this instance, there were no positive scenarios presented, only the problems associated with Wall Street and its bail-out.
   • Harold Ritchie voted for a 70 cents per pack tax increase on cigarettes, would that make you more or less likely to vote for him?
   • Harold Ritchie worked to gain (number was given) millions in tax credits for Louisiana families. Would that make you more or less likely to vote for him?
  • If the election were held today, would you vote for Harold Ritchie or consider someone else? The options were very likely, somewhat likely or not likely.
  • If the election were held today, would you vote for Ben Nevers or consider someone else? The options were very likely, somewhat likely or not likely.


Respondents were also asked to identify themselves as Democrat, Republican or other.


While there is no election this year involving Ritchie, he has come under intense scrutiny for his vote on HB 1, which includes wording that would result in the closing of five state prisons, including Rayburn Correctional Center in Angie.


Ritchie said he did not know the bill might force Rayburn's closing and the elimination of 350 jobs.

(Published first at http://www.wpnewsblog.blogspot.com)

(This is a reader news tip story)