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The State and Local Tap: Louisiana gubernatorial candidates debate taxes, Medicaid expansion

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September 21, 2019Issue No. 176

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Week in review
On tap next week

THE WEEK IN REVIEW

Here's what happened in State and local politics last week.

State Politics: The Week in Review

Ballot Measures Update

2019:

  • Thirty-six statewide measures will be on 2019 ballots in Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Washington.
    • Besides the 24 binding statewide measures, Washington voters will see 12 non-binding advisory votes concerning revenue-increasing bills recently passed by the legislature that were automatically added to the ballot.
    • With the certification of these 12 advisory votes in Washington, 2019 statewide ballot measures are finalized. Four Louisiana measures are on the Oct. 12 ballot. The rest will be on the Nov. 5 ballot.
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2020:

  • Thirty-nine statewide measures in 18 states have been certified for the 2020 ballot so far.
    • Five of the 39 certified 2020 measures are citizen-initiated measures. Thirty-three are legislative referrals. One is an automatic constitutional revision commission question.

Monday, September 16

New ads, endorsements in Kentucky governor's race

  • Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin (R) released a campaign ad addressing illegal immigration Monday. The ad says that while Attorney General Andy Beshear (D), who is challenging Bevin for re-election, would oppose proposed legislation outlawing sanctuary cities in Kentucky, Bevin would support the law. Also Monday, Beshear unveiled the endorsement of the Kentucky Fraternal Order of Police.
  • The election is the culmination of a conflict between Bevin and Beshear which began nearly four years ago when each was elected to his current position. Marcus Dorsey of the Lexington Herald-Leader said of the relationship between Bevin and Beshear that "the two men found in each other a rival to battle in courtroom filings, newspaper headlines and social media posts." The campaign has elevated this conflict, with the candidates exchanging personal attacks. Bevin called Beshear’s family “crooked and corrupt,” while the Beshear campaign has called Bevin wild, unhinged, and a bully.
  • Bevin and Beshear have differing goals for the state’s healthcare system. Bevin says he wants to impose work requirements on Medicaid recipients, while Beshear says that he would enact consumer protections based on the Affordable Care Act. Education took center stage following a teacher walkout in spring 2018 that closed more than 20 schools across the state. Teachers were protesting changes to their pensions and to state education funding. Bevin and Beshear disagree on the best formula for funding, vouchers, and cost sharing between state and local governments.
  • Kentucky is currently one of 22 Republican state government trifectas, since Gov. Matt Bevin (R) is a Republican and the party has majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. No seats in the state legislature are up for regular election this year, so Democrats cannot gain a trifecta. A victory for Bevin would maintain Kentucky's Republican trifecta while a victory for Beshear or Libertarian nominee John Hicks would break it.

Tuesday, September 17

Oklahoma Gov. Stitt (R) makes first appointment to state Supreme Court

  • Governor Kevin Stitt (R) appointed M. John Kane IV to the Oklahoma Supreme Court. Kane replaced former Justice John Reif, who retired on April 30, 2019. Kane is Stitt's first nominee to the nine-member supreme court; the governor was first elected in November 2018.
    • Prior to this new appointment, Kane served as the Office 1 judge of the 10th District Court in Osage County, Oklahoma. He was appointed to that position in 2005. Before that, Kane worked in his family's law firm, Kane, Kane & Kane Law Offices, P.C., from 1987 to 2005. He was also an administrative law judge from 1999 to 2005 and an assistant district attorney from 1987 to 1989. Kane received a B.S. in agricultural economics and accounting from Oklahoma State University in 1984 and a J.D. from the University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1987.
    • Including Kane, three of the sitting Oklahoma Supreme Court justices were appointed by Republican governors. Five members were appointed by Democratic governors, and the remaining seat is vacant and will be the second seat that Stitt fills by appointment.
    • In 2019, there have been 18 supreme court vacancies across 12 of the 29 states where replacement justices are appointed instead of elected. Of those 18 vacancies, 12 are in states where a Republican governor appoints the replacement. Five vacancies occurred in a state where a Democratic governor fills vacancies, while the last vacancy occurred in a state where a Republican-controlled legislature appoints replacements.

Hood (D), Reeves (R) spar over schedule of debates in Mississippi's governor's race

  • The Hood and Reeves campaigns have clashed this week over the timing and number of debates in the Mississippi governor’s race. Both candidates have agreed to participate in an October 10 debate in Hattiesburg. Hood has also called for debates on October 17 and October 29, while Reeves has called for a debate on September 25.
  • Former Gov. Jeb Bush (R-Fla.) announced Tuesday that he would hold a fundraiser for Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves (R-Miss.) in Tupelo on October 1. Reeves is running against Attorney General Jim Hood (D), Bob Hickingbottom (Constitution), and David Singletary (I) for the state's open gubernatorial seat.
  • On the campaign trail, Hood has emphasized expanding Mississippi's economy, improving its public education system, and expanding access to Medicare. Reeves has said that he would focus on bringing jobs to Mississippi and maintaining low tax rates while highlighting his opposition to abortion and to national Democratic figures such as Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, whom he says Hood supports.
  • Mississippi is currently one of 22 Republican state government trifectas, since Gov. Phil Bryant (R) is a Republican and the party has majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. Every seat in the state legislature is up for election this year as well as the governorship. In order to maintain their trifecta, Republicans would need to hold their majorities in both chambers and Reeves would need to win the gubernatorial election. If Reeves loses or Republicans do not win a majority in one of the state legislative chambers, Mississippi's state government trifecta would be broken.
  • To win the gubernatorial election, a candidate must receive a majority in the popular vote and must win a majority of Mississippi's 122 state house districts. If no candidate fulfills both of these requirements, the Mississippi House of Representatives selects the winner.

Thursday, September 19

Louisiana gubernatorial candidates discuss taxes, Medicaid expansion in first televised debate

  • Incumbent John Bel Edwards (D), U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham (R), and businessman Eddie Rispone (R) participated in the first televised debate of the Louisiana gubernatorial election Thursday. Oscar Dantzler (D), Gary Landrieu (independent), and Patrick Landry (R) are also running but did not meet debate inclusion criteria.
  • The candidates discussed a range of topics including the sales tax, the role of local governments in deciding tax incentives for companies, a scholarship program for Louisiana's public colleges and universities, and Medicaid expansion in the state.
  • Throughout the event, Edwards said he had brought the state from a budget deficit to a surplus, increased education funding, and expanded Medicaid. Both Rispone and Abraham said that they would lower taxes and increase jobs in the state. Abraham criticized Edwards, saying he relies too much on taxes and that he made cuts to the state scholarship program. Rispone emphasized his background as a businessman, calling Abraham and Edwards career politicians.
  • The debate follows a week of noteworthy endorsements in the race. Edwards was backed by the Louisiana Sheriffs Association and the International Union of Police Associations. Abraham was endorsed by U.S. Rep. Clay Higgins (R). Rispone was backed by the Republican Women of Louisiana and GNOR PAC—a committee formed by Republicans of the Greater New Orleans Area.
  • Also this week, Rispone released a TV ad opposing Abraham. Prior to this week, campaign ad criticisms from the top two Republican candidates had been focused on Edwards.
  • Edwards is the only Democratic governor in the Deep South and the only Democratic statewide official in Louisiana. The Democratic Governors Association has spent at least $1 million toward the race and the Republican Governors Association, at least $2.2 million.
  • The top-two primary election takes place October 12. A candidate can win the election outright by receiving a majority of the vote in the primary. Otherwise, a general election for the top two finishers will be held November 16.

Special Elections

  • So far this year, 76 state legislative special elections have been scheduled in 24 states. Special elections have been held for 52 seats so far; heading into those races, Democrats had previously controlled 30 of the seats while Republicans previously controlled 22. Four seats have flipped from Democratic control to Republican control. One seat has flipped from Republican control to Democratic control. One seat has flipped from Republican control to an independent officeholder.
    • In special elections between 2011 and 2018, one party (either Republicans or Democrats) saw an average net gain of four seats nationally each year.
    • An average of 91 seats were filled through special elections in each of the past four odd years (2011: 94, 2013: 84, 2015: 88, 2017: 98).
    • An average of 55 seats were filled through special elections in each of the past five even years (2010: 26, 2012: 45, 2014: 40, 2016: 65, 2018: 99).

Upcoming special elections include:

October 1

Local Politics: The Week in Review

  • required annual assessments of the city's pension debt,
  • limited budget growth if pensions are not 90% funded,
  • earmarked revenue over the budget limit to paying down pension debt, and
  • required city officials to reimburse the city for pension benefit employer contributions.
    • August 27 - Three local parcel tax measures in California
      • Voters in the Templeton Community Services District in San Luis Obispo County approved Measure A-19, a $180 parcel tax measure with no automatic expiration.
      • Voters in Bolinas-Stinson Union School District in Marin County approved Measure B, a five-year $318 parcel tax measure.
      • Voters in Inverness Permanent Road Division No. 2 approved Measure C, a measure to establish a parcel tax of $1,417 per improved parcel and $708 per unimproved parcel annually for 10 years and $400 annually thereafter (adjusted for increases in the CPI).
WHAT'S ON TAP NEXT WEEK

Here's what is happening in State and local politics this week.

State Politics: What's On Tap Next Week

States in session

Five states—Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, and Wisconsin—are in regular session. Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia are in recess. New Hampshire is in veto session. Forty states have adjourned their 2019 legislative sessions.

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Local Politics: What's On Tap Next Week

Tuesday, September 24

Boston holds primaries for eight of 13 city council seats

  • In Massachusetts, four at-large seats and four district seats on the Boston City Council are up for primary. The council has 13 seats; the other five seats are also on the ballot this year but are not holding a primary because two or fewer candidates filed per seat. The candidate filing deadline passed on May 21, and the top two vote recipients in each primary will advance to the general election on November 5.
    • In five of the eight races on the primary ballot, incumbents are making re-election bids. All four at-large incumbents—Michael Flaherty, Althea Garrison, Annissa Essaibi George, and Michelle Wu—are running for re-election, and they face 11 challengers in the primary. Since there are four at-large seats up, the top eight vote recipients in this primary will advance to the general election.
    • The four district races on the primary ballot are Districts 5, 7, 8, and 9; only the District 7 incumbent, Kim Janey, is running for re-election, and she faces two challengers. The District 5 race features eight candidates running to succeed Tim McCarthy, the District 8 contest to succeed Josh Zakim has five candidates on the ballot, and the District 9 election to replace Mark Ciommo has a seven-candidate field.
    • The five city council races not on the primary ballot are for Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6. District 4 is scheduled to hold a contested general election between incumbent Andrea Campbell and challenger Jeff Durham in November. The incumbents in the other four seats—Lydia Edwards in District 1, Edward Flynn in District 2, Frank Baker in District 3, and Matt O'Malley in District 6—are all running unopposed for re-election.
    • Boston is the largest city in Massachusetts and the 24th-largest city in the U.S. by population.


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The Tap covered election news, public policy, and other noteworthy events from February 2016 to February 2022.

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