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$7-Million ‘You-Know-What-Kind-of-Match’ Continues

Sue Lincoln

The House took up the Senate amendments to the current year Supplemental Appropriations bill today – the amendments that yesterday took 7 million dollars from an escrow account in the Attorney General’s office.

“Members, I’m going to move to reject the Senate amendments,” House Appropriations chairman Cameron Henry advised. “It’s supposed to go, my understanding, to cover a shortfall in the MFP. So we want to make sure that the money is actually there.”
“What’s the source of the money?” Franklin Rep. Sam Jones asked.

“That’s what we’re trying to figure out now, Representative Jones,” Henry replied, adding, “My understanding is the money comes from an escrow account that deals with underground gas tanks in rural areas.”

Henry went on to say, “I’m getting messages that the money might not be available, or that it’s allocated to something else.”

Baton Rouge Rep. Patricia Smith tried to pin Henry down.

“Who are you getting the messages from? The Attorney General?” Smith asked.

Henry didn’t answer her directly.

“The fact that I can’t look you right now and say, ‘Ms. Pat, this money’s guaranteed to be there’? I don’t know whether it is or it isn’t, so the last thing I want…” Henry responded obliquely, then became defensive.

“I don’t have a problem with funding the 7 million dollars. That’s not an issue. The issue is to make sure that the money is actually there,” Henry said.

“I agree with that,” Smith replied, “But I also don’t want to get into a you-know-what-kind-of match between the A.G.’s office and our body, because of the fact that, you know, he doesn’t want to have any money taken from him. In fact, he wants his own fiefdom, in my opinion.”

Speaker Pro Tem Walt Leger then stepped in.

“Mr. Chairman, do you think we could just return it to the calendar until we find out where the money is, instead of sending it to conference?” Leger asked Henry.

“That makes sense. That’ll be good,” Henry said, clearly relieved.

“Great,” Leger added. “Thanks.”