The new state Legislature
by Stephanie Grace - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

Nobody would confuse the Louisiana Legislature that will be sworn in this January with its counterpart of even a decade ago. Thanks to a rightward shift in the state's electorate, a concerted recruiting effort by Republicans and the upheaval caused by term limits, the Legislature will for the first time start with solid GOP majorities in both the House and the Senate. The switch has coincided with an increasingly partisan atmosphere in Baton Rouge, with Republicans in particular forming a cohesive, goal-oriented team. And yet, almost as soon as the polls closed Saturday, an old reality set in. It turns out that the more the Legislature changes, the more it stays the same. New majorities notwithstanding, the GOP fell short in each chamber of the two-thirds it will need to pass certain types of major legislation on its own. So if Republicans want to fund the capital outlay budget, put a constitutional amendment on the ballot, close a college, create a judgeship or raise taxes, they'll still need at least some Democratic support to do it. The bigger development -- actually a noteworthy non-development -- is that this new Legislature is showing no inclination to act like a co-equal branch of government. Just like earlier incarnations, it's going along with the governor's traditional but unofficial role in choosing legislative leadership.