All the leverage

Amazing what you can get away with when you don't actually care if things get funded.

Louisiana House Speaker Taylor Barras, R-New Iberia, wants the Senate to approve a state budget bill and other legislation -- though he was vague about what those other bills might be -- before he agrees to end the Legislature's regular session early.

"It will depend on how fast we get out House bills back from the Senate," Barras said in interview with reporters Monday evening (April 30).

The budget, such as it is, is unacceptable and already wreaking havoc.  Barras doesn't actually care if that happens. It just feeds the Republican "We're trying to end Huey Long style government"  rhetoric.  Meanwhile the resulting chaos can only hurt the Governor's reelection effort. So, sure, why not keep putting the squeeze on?  They can't lose.