House Repubs block housing bill after (Don) Powell urged unity (Louisiana)

[The Straight Story]

House Republicans block housing bill after Powell urged unity
By John Hill
[email protected]
[phone]

BATON ROUGE -- After President Bush's hurricane recovery czar told the Legislature Thursday the White House wants a unified state housing rebuilding plan, Republicans in the Louisiana House used a procedural vote to halt progress of the governor's housing bill to develop the plan.

Don Powell, President Bush's federal hurricane recovery coordinator, was in Baton Rouge on Thursday to speak to the House and Senate, urging approval of a single hurricane recovery plan.

"All Americans are watching," Powell said, calling it "terrible important" that the state have a unified plan administered by "a vehicle that does not sway with the political winds."
Within an hour, House Republicans prevented a committee hearing Thursday night to advance the governor's bill to create the Louisiana Housing and Land Trust Authority, a proposal that eked out of the Senate Wednesday night.

Republicans, joined by three Lake Pontchartrain area Democrats angry over passage of the governor's levee board reform bill, blocked the committee hearing on a procedural motion that needed a two-third's vote of approval. The vote was 56-34.

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