Blueprint Louisiana, the good government group backed by businessmen and civic activists from around the state, is unlikely to play any kind of leading role during the upcoming regular session, according to its chairman, Dr. Phillip Rozeman.
But its membership doesn’t want the political class to take that the wrong way — the group will be active in supporting keys areas while lawmakers try to make sense of the budget mess, but it’s more focused on drafting an agenda for the fall elections.
“This session, higher ed is an emergency and our group continues to support allowing the autonomy required to help our colleges get through the crisis,” Rozeman said. “We base this on creating the new normal of higher ed as a market-based enterprise.”
Blueprint will likewise lend support on “already staked-out ground” in transportation, early childhood education, public schools, coastal restoration and crime. It’s backing of the Common Core standards have not changed, either.
“On health care, public-private partnerships were part of the original framework and we will continue efforts to support this reform as well as the concept of dollars following the patient,” said Rozeman.
But there will be no Blueprint-developed bills this session. Instead, members are working on an agenda for gubernatorial and legislative candidates to review. The group may stray from using the route of pledges for candidates this year, Rozeman said, but still plans on spending money to get support for its priorities and to inform voters of who’s onboard.
The top four election issues for Blueprint include transportation/infrastructure, health care delivery, higher ed funding and budget reform.