The battle over legislative votes for the proposed merger of the University of New Orleans and Southern University at New Orleans continued Thursday after lawmakers said Gov. Bobby Jindal canceled a meeting that he had requested with the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus. Caucus Chairwoman and state Rep. Patricia Smith, D-Baton Rouge, said the vote on the Jindal-proposed merger bill — House Bill 537 — scheduled for Monday is close, but that she believe it will be voted down.
“We are very hopeful and prayerful that we actually have the votes” to defeat the plan, Smith said Thursday.
“He (Jindal) is still trying hard,” Smith said. “We have some Democratic members who are not going to waver in their vote.”
House Speaker Jim Tucker, R-Terrytown, who is sponsoring the legislation, disagreed, saying he will have the 70 necessary votes. The legislation requires two-thirds support from the House and Senate.
“It’s going to be a close vote, but I think we have the votes,” Tucker said Thursday.
The legislation would form the merged University of Louisiana at New Orleans containing two distinct academic units with different admission standards and separate course offerings. Kyle Plotkin, Jindal’s press secretary, said tentative meeting plans to discuss the merger had to change because of the governor’s responsibilities with the rising Mississippi River levels. Plotkin said Jindal originally asked to meet with the black caucus on Wednesday, but that caucus members could not all meet then.
“The invite still stands,” Plotkin said.
“If you are not unyielding in the merger, then why are we here? That would’ve been my first question,” Smith said.
Caucus member and state Rep. Michael Jackson, No Party-Baton Rouge, said the Jindal administration is discussing funding local projects for legislators through the state construction bill or nongovernmental organizations, NGOs, to get them to vote for the college merger.
“They are starting to throw that stuff out,” Jackson said.
Plotkin said it is not true that the governor is making promises to pick up votes. Tucker also said he is not participating in any “quid pro quo” discussions with colleagues. Smith said there is a three-year history of the governor making such promises and then vetoing the individual projects once the legislation reaches his desk. State Rep. Rick Gallot, D-Ruston, said he has heard the governor is wheeling and dealing to get votes on the merger. “The problem is he doesn’t have the money,” Gallot said of the tight state budget. “That’s usually the carrot; all he’s got now is a stick.” Jindal has met this week with some legislators this week involving concerns that SUNO is just the first college to be closed or merged.
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