Jock Scott - A House Reformer

A House Reformer

Scott authored new House rules to require that new bills be printed and distributed to House members before referral to committees and to mandate the fiscal impact of such proposed legislation could consideration by the House. Scott authored legislation that was eventually enacted to require a priority system for funding capital outlay projects, a system that included the requirement that all such projects undergo needs assessment evaluations. This law challenged the governor's traditional control over the capital outlay budget, a system by which the governor could bargain for legislative votes by rewarding cooperative lawmakers with projects in their districts. The battle for reform included a 1978 victory by Scott and his colleagues when they succeeded in the House in defeating Edwards's capital outlay bill, the only time a Louisiana governor had faced such a challenge to his authority.

Thereafter Scott and Edwards clashed often over political and spending issues regarding capital outlay, state budgeting and appropriations, tax issues, and other fiscal matters. Scott began introducing his own capital outlay and appropriations bills, normally the exclusive domain of the governor and legislative floor leaders. Scott's purpose, he declared at the time, was to demonstrate that millions could be saved if merit prevailed over political considerations in the budget process.

Scott was reelected to his legislative seat as a Democrat. He polled 7,419 votes (76.9 percent) in the primary held on October 27, 1979. His intraparty opponent, former Alexandria Finance and Utilities Commissioner Arnold Jack Rosenthal (1923–2010), received 2,229 votes (23.1 percent). Rosenthal had been an unsuccessful candidate for state senator in the 1971 Democratic primary and for mayor of Alexandria in the 1977 nonpartisan blanket primary. Though he had been a delegate to the 1960 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, Rosenthal had endorsed President Gerald R. Ford, Jr., in the 1976 election in which Scott was organizing voters for Carter.

Scott became chairman of the House Governmental Affairs Committee during his second term (1980–1984). He had helped his colleague John Hainkel of New Orleans become Speaker of the House. Hainkel had the support of incoming Republican Governor David C. Treen. Scott served on Hainkel's House Executive Committee and would also direct the procedure for state House and congressional reapportionment. Meanwhile, in an uprising of fiscal conservatives, Scott won a surprise victory in 1980 over the Gillis Long and Edwin Edwards forces in the Democratic State Central Committee by winning the post of national committeeman.