Museum System Changes Cleared By Senate Panel
by Bill Barrow - Times-Picayune (excerpt)

BATON ROUGE -- Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu cleared the first step Thursday to gaining more control over the Louisiana museum system, but not without museum supporters renewing accusations that he is attempting a misguided power grab that would harm properties such as the Cabildo and the Presbytere.

Senate Bill 724, which cleared the Senate Education Committee without opposition, would allow Landrieu to appoint the state museum board of directors and hold hiring and firing authority over the museum director, powers that now rest with the governor and the board, respectively.

Landrieu, a Democrat, did nothing during his testimony to dispute that he is at odds with State Museum Director David Kahn. Yet Landrieu attempted to put into a larger context the bill by Sen. Francis Thompson, D-Delhi, telling senators that the good management principles dictate that he be given direct power over a system that is a division of the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism, which he already leads according to state law.