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The first step was taken in getting all school employees a pay raise. It was a small step, but it was a step.
School board member Chris Gautreaux, at Tuesday night’s committee meeting, introduced a motion of having the business department begin looking into ways to give all school employees a percentage pay raise. School board member J.B. Moreno seconded the motion.
“We need to look into the ultimate goal of giving the employees a pay raise,” said Gautreaux at the committee meeting. “I want the business department to come back to us with two or three different proposals on how we can get there.”
The motion was approved 7-0 (Anthony Fontana is no longer a school board member).
While the motion was approved, not all board members were in favor of the idea of giving a pay raise because of the decline of money in the general fund account.
Board member Kibbie Pillette reminded the board that the school board was recently projected to have a $2 million shortfall in this year’s budget. Pillette asked Gautreaux how much was the raise for all employees going to cost the school board?
Gautreaux said the business department is going to figure out a cost amount and bring that number back to the school board.
“The business department will see what the budget can afford, or do we need to pass a half cent sales tax,” said Gautreaux. “It’s just to start the process. It will be the board’s decision to decide what to do. We will determine what percentage (raise) it will be.”
“Where are you going to find access revenue in the existing budget?” asked Pillette. “It would be ludicrous.”
School Board Laura LeBeouf said Gautreaux’s pay raise plan is a “ploy.”
“I think it (pay raise) is an awesome ploy by the other side to calm our teachers down,” LeBeouf said. “I know what is coming down from the state and, we, as a district, are about to face massive cuts. Do the research and bring it back to the board.”
“It is not a ploy,” Gautreaux responded.
Moreno approached Gautreaux to see if it was possible to give the employees a pay raise, Gautreaux explained.
“I know the general fund can not handle a raise,” Gautreaux said. “I just want to explore. If we do not explore what kind of fat is in the budget, we will never get to the cuts we really need.”

Click on link on view video of pay raise talk.

https://youtu.be/GSOv3dIJfys

If you plan on attending Thursday’s Vermilion Parish School Board meeting, you better go early because you may not have a seat in the meeting room if you get there 20 minutes before the meeting.
In the past, people have been allowed to stand along the walls in the meeting room if all the seats were full.
No longer, according to Superintendent Jerome Puyau.
Because of the state fire marshal, there will be a limited amount of people who will be allowed in the meeting room.
The state fire marshal said the number of people allowed is 60, which includes the eight school board members, the superintendent, the secretary and the six school supervisors.
That leaves only 48 remaining chairs.
There is expected to be three media outlets, with two journalists per outlet, for a total of six chairs.
That leaves only 42 chairs remaining in the meeting room.
At Tuesday’s committee meeting, people began arriving at 5 p.m. to get a good seat.
Because of the expected overflow crowd tonight, the school system is prepared.
There are now cameras in the meeting room, along with two new speakers in the meeting room and in the hall.
The overflow crowd will be able to watch the meeting in a room down the hall. The meeting will be streamed live to the other room.
A total of around 60 people can sit in the side room and stand in the hall.

Security stepped
up for meetings

Security was stepped up at Tuesday night’s Vermilion Parish School Board Committee Meeting.
For starters, the Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office had a deputy parked in the parking lot for the entire committee meeting, which ended at 9 p.m. and began at 6 p.m.
An Abbeville Police Officer was stationed inside the meeting room from 5:30 p.m. until 9 p.m.
The Sheriff Office and City Police are expected to be at Thursday's 6 p.m. meeting.

After months of meetings that failed to yield compromises and threats of a gut-wrenching string of legislative sessions, Gov. John Bel Edwards has finally shared with lawmakers his top policy priorities and a doomsday budget proposal.
But some lawmakers who were involved with the big reveal during Monday’s meeting of the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget were unsure about one thing: the numbers.
From how much money revenue proposals would bring in for the state to the size of the deficit the Legislature and administration must address, there were more than a few disagreements hosted by this most recent budget hearing over the inability to agree on such figures.
By law Edwards had to present a budget to lawmakers this week, which meant he also had to account for more than $1 billion in temporary tax revenue falling off of the books at the start of the next fiscal year on June 1.
Severe reductions to health care services and the TOPS scholarship program were a part of that rocky outlook, as were cuts to sheriffs, district attorneys, state parks, judges and other government stakeholders.
"This is what falling off the cliff looks like," Edwards told the committee, adding it’s not the budget he wanted.
But if lawmakers can rally around some of his revenue-generating proposals, the budget picture would improve, the governor said.
Rep. Lance Harris, R-Alexandria, the chairman of the House Republican Delegation, doubted that assessment, especially since the governor’s plan no longer calls for changes to personal income tax brackets.
Without that hefty tax alteration in the governor’s plan, Harris said the administration’s overall proposal for the 2018-2019 fiscal year still falls short by $300 million to $400 million.
"The governor's plan that’s out there now doesn't cover the shortfall," Harris said.
Acknowledging as much, Revenue Secretary Kim Robinson said later, "We have a little more work to do."
There’s also some uncertainty about how much of a boost the state would receive due to the tax changes implemented by Congress and President Donald Trump.
The governor said the state does stand to benefit from those changes, but he stopped short of placing a price tag on the new federal laws.
House Appropriations Chairman Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, also asked the administration for a financial analysis, or fiscal note, for each of its proposals.
The governor countered that all of his proposals have been debated by the Legislature already over the past two years and those fiscal notes are readily available for review.
Many lawmakers, however, believe fiscal notes could play a critical part in coming negotiations as Capitol players try to find common ground on how much money is needed and how much revenue would be generated by various proposals.

Edwards passes on Kennedy meeting

U.S. Sen. John Kennedy wrote to Gov. John Bel Edwards last week to "respectfully" request a meeting with him and CMS Administrator Seema Verma "to help expedite a waiver to institute work requirements for able-bodied Medicaid recipients."
Kennedy wants work requirements and Edwards said he’s open to the idea.
Kennedy also wrote in the letter, "The consultant the state recently hired is also welcome to join the meeting."
Edwards responded to Kennedy with his own letter a couple days later. The governor wrote that his administration not only started drafting the referenced requirements last year, but it also has already met with Verma.
Edwards also urged Kennedy to renew the federal Children’s Health Insurance Program and added that he’ll see the junior senator around, possibly at Washington Mardi Gras, which is scheduled for later this week.
"I look forward to meeting with you while in Washington, D.C., next week and discussing this and any other issues you see fit," the governor wrote.

Political History: The election that changed everything

Last week marked the 90th anniversary (Jan. 17, 1928) of a gubernatorial primary that forever changed politics in Louisiana.
The turning tide became visible when Public Service Commissioner Huey P. Long of Shreveport defeated Congressman Riley Joe Wilson and incumbent Gov. Oramel Simpson to win the Democratic nomination for governor.
Carrying 47 parishes and 44 percent of the vote, Long effectively captured the Governor’s Mansion, facing only nominal Republican opposition in the general election.
It was not Long’s first race for governor, as he had run four years earlier but finished third, behind Henry Fuqua, the Angola warden who would become governor, and Lieutenant Governor Hewitt Bouanchaud.
Later recalling that earlier 1924 contest, Long always maintained that a massive Election Day rainstorm kept his supporters home.
While he was stung by the loss, Long immediately started campaigning for the 1928 race. Privately recognizing that his north Louisiana base was not enough to win statewide, he focused his attention on Acadiana, knowing that rural, Cajun audiences would be receptive to his message of new roads and free textbooks.
Barnstorming the bayous and backroads in his bright new automobile, Long spoke to any crowd willing to invite him, often peppering his promises of social programs with biting humor and vicious personal attacks on his opponents. The crowds loved it.
The Long campaign was a family affair. The candidate’s brother, Earl, also criss-crossed southwest Louisiana as a surrogate, while back at headquarters, his 10-year-old son, Russell, was in charge of stuffing envelopes and licking the stamps.
Long’s opponents were no match for his oratory or his stamina and a coalition was formed relying on the support of New Orleans’ political ring, The Old Regulars; The Times-Picayune; and the Standard Oil Company. Strictly machine politicians, Wilson and Simpson preferred to make a only a few campaign appearances while the bosses drummed up support.
Their efforts were fruitless on Election Day, as rural voters turned out in record numbers, eager to cast their ballots for Long.
Moments before victoriously addressing his supporters, Long turned to his inner circle and said, "We’ll show ‘em who’s boss. You fellows stick by me… We’re just getting started."

They Said It

"The only people who are complaining about a town hall are the whack jobs who want to get on television."
—U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, to a reporter who asked about his town hall schedule, on a conference call

"There are some real opportunities that we can do without ruining the attractiveness of the outdoorsy-ness."
—Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, on the push to privatize state parks, in The Advocate

For more Louisiana political news, visit www.LaPolitics.com or follow Jeremy Alford on Twitter @LaPoliticsNow.

DELCAMBRE – A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated for Edna Saunier White at 1:30 pm Thursday, January 25, 2018 at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church. Fr. Gilbert Dutel will be the celebrant. Mrs. White will be laid to rest privately at a later date.
A gathering of family and friends will be held at Evangeline Funeral Home on Thursday from 9:00 am until 1:30 pm, with the Rosary being recited at 12:00 pm.
Edna was born February 18, 1953 in Erath to Melby Comeaux Saunier and the late Bruno Saunier, Jr. and passed away Monday, January 22, 2018 at her residence.
Edna was a homemaker who devoted her life to the care of her family. Her proudest accomplishments were the beautiful marriage she shared with her husband Richard, and raising her daughters. She adored her grandchildren and loved spending time with them. Some of her pastimes were reading, sewing, cooking for family and friends, and caring for her three fur-babies. Edna will always be remembered for her beautiful smile and kind heart, and leaves a legacy of love that will live forever in the hearts of all who knew and loved her.
Survivors include her husband and best friend of 47 years, Richard H. White; her daughters, Jody White DeRouen and husband Gary, and Melissa White; seven grandchildren, Stephan White, Sierra DeRouen, Payton LeBlanc, Dillon DeRouen, Averi LeBlanc, Jolie DeRouen and Eli LeBlanc; a great granddaughter, Hollyn White, and another great grandchild, Reece, expected in April; her mother, Melby Comeaux Saunier; and her sisters and brothers, Patsy Suire and husband Randal, Maggie Miguez and husband Glen, Gregory Saunier, Scott Saunier and wife Cimi and Andy Saunier and wife Maria.
Edna was preceded in death by her father, Bruno Saunier, Jr. and her grandson, Devon Paul LeBlanc.
Serving as pallbearers are Gregory, Scott and Andy Saunier, Stephan White, Dillon DeRouen, Eli LeBlanc and Glen and Max Miguez.
To view the online obituary and video tribute, and to share condolences and memories please visit Mrs. White’s memorial page at www.evangelinefuneralhome.com
Evangeline Funeral Home of Delcambre is in charge of arrangements.