Lawmakers leave stones unturned
by Mike Hasten - News Star (excerpt)

BATON ROUGE — To many political observers and some participants in the legislative session that ended Thursday, what didn't happen was as important as what did.

No. 1, in many lawmakers' opinions, is that despite facing a $1.6 billion budget hole, state government didn't fall apart and will continue offering many of the same services. With creative maneuvering, the budget that goes into effect July 1 will be $700 million less than the current year's — not $1.6 billion less.

The Legislature rejected Gov. Bobby Jindal's push to sell three state prisons, merge the University of New Orleans and Southern University of New Orleans, consolidate higher education boards, increase the amount state employees have deducted from their paychecks and hike tuition at four-year universities.