Kennedy Fights Bill on Bond Leadership

By MICHELLE MILLHOLLON

State Treasurer John Kennedy has, at times, abused his authority as chairman of the state Bond Commission, House Speaker Joe Salter said Tuesday.

The remedy, Salter told the House Committee on Ways and Means, is to give legislators more input in the commission by backing Senate Bill 14.

The commission oversees borrowing for state-backed construction projects.

As the bill stands now, a committee of three – the state treasurer, the House speaker and the Senate president – would decide which projects appear on the commission’s meeting agenda. Kennedy currently writes the agenda, although the commission can add items with a two-thirds vote.

Originally, the legislation also would have rotated the commission’s chairmanship among the Senate president, House speaker and treasurer.

Kennedy characterized the move as political payback for his opposition to a $135 million syrup mill for Senate President Don Hines’ district. Hines denied the mill motivated him to sponsor the legislation with Salter.

The dispute disintegrated into Kennedy calling Hines a bully and Hines proclaiming Kennedy nauseating on a New Orleans radio station.

Kennedy accused Hines of trying to politicize the Bond Commission. Hines accused Kennedy of drumming up publicity to run against U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu.

Hines, D-Bunkie, later stripped the chairmanship rotation from the bill.

For his part, Salter said he voted for Kennedy and would vote for him again as long as he sticks to running for treasurer.

“It’s not personal with me. I’m not that kind of guy,” he said.

However, Salter said he has not always been pleased with Kennedy’s leadership of the Bond Commission.

He noted that SB14 would allow a majority of the Bond Commission members to add an item to the agenda by submitting a written request at least seven days in advance of a meeting.

“This is a step in the direction of legislative input,” said Salter, D-Florien.

Kennedy told the committee that the only project he ever refused to place on the agenda was a $135 million syrup mill for Hines’ district.

The commission overrode his decision, added the project to the agenda and eventually scuttled it.

“I think we’re trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist,” Kennedy said.

Salter countered that the bill is not about the syrup mill.

The committee sent the legislation to the full House with little discussion.

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