TTT Reporting
Dec 7, 2023
Rolling in a series of new staffers, it seems the Landry administration has found the new Commissioner of Administration. The Louisiana Division of Administration's website goes into some detail regarding what the role consists of.
"The Division is the state government's management arm and the hub of its financial operations. We are responsible for the development of the state budget and oversight of agencies' spending to determine – among other things – whether performance goals are being met. The Office of Planning and Budget also performs long- and short-term analyses of the state's financial condition." Who is the leading man for this new powerful position? None other than the former Louisiana Speaker of the House, Taylor Barras.
Barras remains known by many as the "gentleman of Louisiana." This affectionate title comes in response to his calm and mild-mannered personality. Landry must have chosen Barras to take on this financial position due to his somewhat controversial background in overseeing the legislature's blockage of Governor Edward's proposed state gasoline tax. His blockage of this movement halted the Senate's version of the budget that year, which, because of the unique timing that this issue arose- caused the legislature to call a special session to resolve the issue. If there's one thing that politicians share in common with blue-collar workers, it's that they don't want to stay at work longer than they have to.
Foreseeing a difficult road ahead and longer hours, Speaker Barras left a House full of disgruntled Democrats and more moderate Republicans. Following this commotion, the Lafayette Daily Advertiser called for Barras to resign from his leadership position: "It may be no one could lead these 105 elected representatives, but Barras has proven he cannot. Barras is a good man but a bad speaker." Here's the thing, folks: you are not a good speaker if you make everyone happy. It's as simple as that. To effectively create change, you have to ruffle some feathers.
Regardless of his decision, he would have met resistance following the controversial move. If he were to allow the passage of the state's proposed expenditure, conservatives would remember him as a traitor to his party. Though he stood by his party's ideals by denying tax increases, this move has been a dark cloud on his political career. Though, you know what they say- a rainbow follows every storm. The rainbow for Taylor Barras is the hard right administration of Jeff Landry. Seemingly pleased by his allegiance to more traditional republican spending, Barras is an understandable fit to be Landry's banker–which the former speaker has plenty of experience in. He serves as the market president for Iberia Bank, the largest bank based in the state.
With this position now filled, we look forward to the coming months when the governor-elect fills in further administration members.