Uproar over the pay raise legislators voted themselves during the Louisiana legislative session grew to such magnitude that some legislators voting in favor were receiving 500 to 600 emails and phone calls a day from angry constituents, said Sen. Jody Amedee of Gonzales.

Speaking at the Rotary Club of Gonzales meeting Tuesday, the senator said he even received phone calls himself, though he never really considered voting for the raise, and voted against it from the outset.

For two weeks, until the raise was vetoed by Gov. Bobby Jindal, Amedee said state government was basically shut down while Jindal and legislators dealt with public outcry that the raise be repealed.

“I don’t think any human being could handle the flack he (Gov. Jindal) was taking much longer,” Amedee said.

Amedee was riding with Jindal and the governor’s press secretary to a ribbon cutting announcing the extension of Hwy. 3213 in St. James Parish when Jindal received word of state radio talk show host Moon Griffon’s disclosure of Jindal’s campaign promise to veto legislative pay raises if elected governor.

Amedee said television and news cameras were everywhere at the ribbon cutting, as if a President were about to appear on the scene, but none of the reporters wanted to talk about the road.
“They wanted to talk about the  pay raise,” Amedee said.

Ultimately, the pay raise was not the big deal, but rather the amount, a three-time increase in salary in the original senate bill.

“I think that was the problem,” Amedee said.
Overall, the democrat from Gonzales said he would give the governor a B-plus grade for the regular session, with a an “A-”grade in some areas. He praised the governor for his ability to delegate.

Jindal may encounter some problems with the legislature next year with ethics bills that may be aimed at him, Amedee believes.

Regarding legislator compliance with the bills passed during the earlier ethics session of the legislature, Amedee said he did not think most legislators would have a problem with income reporting. The new law requires legislators to add up their sources of income and put them in a monetary bracket, rather than noting the income amount.

“The main thing is to find out where the income comes from,” Amedee said. “That was the intent of the legislation.”

Nor does Amedee anticipate that the governor will have problems filling positions on the State Ethics Board due to the current slate of resignations over the stripping of the board’s prosecuting power.

“There will be plenty of people who want to serve,” Amedee predicted.

On the local level, Amedee reported that work should start in a few months to improve Hwy. 73, thanks to $15 million in funding appropriated in the session. He said $450,000 would also go to Gonzales from improvements to intersections.

Due to the current oil boom,  which “gives the state lots of extra money,” Amedee said money could be appropriated for work on Hwy. 42 next year.

Another accomplishment the  recent session was repeal of the Stelly tax, which should save the average taxpayer about $500 per year. when it takes effect in 2010, Amedee said.