The story about Senate President John Alario\u2019s ability to strike 11th-hour deals, forge unlikely alliances, and turn a finger jab into a thumbs up, has been written and rewritten repeatedly over the years by practically every publication in Louisiana.<\/p>\n
This time, however, the narrative is different, thanks to an unprecedented revenue challenge, a governor\u2019s run for president, and the race to replace the governor that\u2019s underway. Through it all, Alario must also find a way to retain his own title and gavel in 2016.<\/p>\n
While Alario has never wielded more influence over the legislative process during his 43-year career than he does now, those who know him best suggest he\u2019s approaching the coming session with an uncharacteristic sense of uncertainty.<\/p>\n
During a recent interview at his Westwego office \u2014 where the only photographs in his lobby are of Pope John Paul II, former President Bill Clinton and his late father \u2014 Alario\u2019s warm and collected demeanor belied any feeling that things were precarious. But his words didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it is going to be the toughest session I\u2019ve personally seen,\u201d he said \u2014 adding that it\u2019s too early to make a call.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have various senators working on various solutions, and the same is happening in the House. We\u2019ll be having meetings gathering those folks together. It\u2019s going to take a little piece of all those things to make it work, but at some point we\u2019ll have to pull it all together and see what works best.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alario, a Republican, said it will be a \u201cgroup effort.\u201d But the political reality is that all eyes are on him. Ask House members and they\u2019ll tell you it doesn\u2019t matter what they do: \u201cIt only matters what John does with what we send over there,\u201d said a longtime representative.<\/p>\n
Ask Senate members and they\u2019ll tell you they prefer to defer: \u201cEveryone is waiting to see what John is going to do,\u201d said a senator. \u201cI feel like he\u2019s grasping right now, but it won\u2019t last. He\u2019s seen every kind of cycle and catastrophe there is.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ask lobbyists, and they\u2019ll tell you there\u2019s no need for worry; that Alario is crafting a plan to cover everyone. \u201cHe\u2019s the adult in the room,\u201d said one lobbyist. \u201cHe\u2019s not going to pay attention to all these crazy ideas that are being floated. He knows it\u2019s an election year.\u201d<\/p>\n
An administration source added, \u201cThere are very workable pieces in the budget proposal, but John\u2019s going to have to pull some of it together.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s all playing out against the backdrop of a governor\u2019s race that could decide whether John Alario resumes his role as Senate president next term. Few would bet against it. But Alario, to no one\u2019s surprise, is already working the angles. Just in case.<\/p>\n
To that end, the biggest question in the field has been whether U.S. Sen. David Vitter, a fellow warrior of Jefferson Parish politics, will support Alario\u2019s return to the helm. Sources say donors have been appealing to Vitter on Alario\u2019s behalf, and the two have shared time recently on the greens.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe has reached out to me and we\u2019ve played some golf at TPC. David just started playing two years ago, but he\u2019s pretty good,\u201d Alario said with a laugh. \u201cYou have to look down when you\u2019re playing golf, which is tough for David because he\u2019s always looking up.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alario, 71, is a man between governors. His power over the legislative and executive branches has grown because Gov. Bobby Jindal has left a void in Baton Rouge while pursuing national office. Yet given Jindal\u2019s penchant for delegating authority, and Alario\u2019s dedication to delivering for Jindal, the political arrangement is mutually beneficial \u2014 although it\u2019s clear it will be Alario doing the heavy lifting this session.<\/p>\n
As lawmakers lose patience with Jindal\u2019s strict parameters \u2014 for example, in keeping everything revenue-neutral \u2014 Alario must not only provide cover to a body that has come to expect protection from him, but he must also find a way to sustain the governor\u2019s anti-tax pledge. It\u2019s a tall order with a $1.6 billion shortfall, and the candidates for governor will be watching his performance.<\/p>\n
To be certain, Alario is positioning himself as the last line of defense for the administration. He is the proverbial company man, but one who looks out for his friends too.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s going to be important to structure a solution to make sure we [the administration and the Legislature] are not at odds in the session,\u201d Alario said.<\/p>\n
Alario said Jindal\u2019s budget proposal is a \u201cbig starting point,\u201d but wouldn\u2019t go into details as to how lawmakers can build off it during the session. He recently met with House Speaker Chuck Kleckley, R-Lake Charles, the chairmen of the money committees and other key lawmakers, on the matter.<\/p>\n
The Senate president did tell LaPolitics that it\u2019s probably best to avoid the idea floated by House members to move bills early and fast through the process to set up a possible veto override of Jindal. So that\u2019s probably off the table.<\/p>\n
Some influential House members, though, still like the idea of temporarily suspending tax exemptions through veto-proof resolutions. That would give lawmakers the ability to raise revenue for one year without putting Jindal on the spot.<\/p>\n
Alario stuck to his usual talking points during a recent meeting with other legislative leaders, during which he urged patience. That\u2019s also what Alario did when he held a private meeting with senators in the Capitol basement in January, said a member of the upper chamber. \u201cHe kind of let everyone moan and groan. John is really good about that,\u201d said the senator. \u201cThen he told us all to sit tight, let the House stew, let the budget document become public record, let the universities and everyone else digest the numbers, and then let it all come to us.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s hard for a lot of us to do, but it\u2019s probably good advice. There\u2019s the hope that he\u2019s going to take care of everything \u2014 just kind of come in and wave a wand and show up with 100 pages of amendments for the budget on the final day of session.<\/p>\n
\u201cActually, that\u2019s probably the way it\u2019s going to work out \u2014 another Alario miracle. But this is definitely the biggest test he has ever faced.\u201d<\/p>\n
Legislative Fundraising Underway<\/p>\n
Lawmakers are prohibited from raising money while they\u2019re in session, even if it is a re-election year.<\/p>\n
That means the period right before the session begins keeps lobbyists and others pretty busy attending parties and events \u2014 and writing checks.<\/p>\n
In February, a state representative had three events hosted for himself in a single week.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we\u2019ve seen enough of each other for a while,\u201d said one donor.<\/p>\n
During the first week of the month, there were at least seven fundraising events for six lawmakers \u2014 maybe a few more. The schedules seem to be filling up in the middle of the week: Tuesday through Thursday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI kind of expected more people to be having fundraisers right now, though,\u201d said a lobbyist. \u201cI guess that means they\u2019ll come calling after session.\u201d<\/p>\n
A few lawmakers who\u2019ve yet to hold an event said they\u2019re avoiding pressing the flesh until they know for sure whether they\u2019ll be opposed in the fall.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The story about Senate President John Alario\u2019s ability to strike 11th-hour deals, forge unlikely alliances, and turn a finger jab into a thumbs up, has been written and rewritten repeatedly over the years by practically every publication in Louisiana. This time, however, the narrative is different, thanks to an unprecedented revenue challenge, a governor\u2019s run [&hellip<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":2376,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[63,32],"yoast_head":"\n