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Thanks to his efforts on Louisiana’s unanimous passage of the Balance Budget Amendment, District 51 State Rep. Joe Harrison, R-Gray, will be among eight lawmakers nationwide to be named Legislator of the Year by the American Legislative Exchange Council.
Harrison will receive the award July 31 in Dallas at ALEC’s annual meeting.
“It is an honor to be recognized by my peers as Legislator of the Year,” Harrison said in a released statement. “I’ll continue to represent Louisiana to the best of my abilities and uphold these values while working with my fellow members of the legislature to meet the needs of our citizens.”
ALEC presents the award annually to a state legislator who is an ALEC member in good standing and has distinguished himself as a leader in advancing, introducing or enacting policies based on fundamental Jeffersonian principles of free markets, limited government, federalism and individual liberty.
In Harrison’s case, ALEC Deputy Executive Director Michael Bowman cites the lawmaker’s efforts in getting HCR70 passed through the state legislature unanimously as the driving force behind this honor.
As part of a trend sweeping through the country with similar bills, HCR70 requests the federal government to balance its budget every year.
“The Balance Budget Amendment is one of our members’ highest priorities right now. We send out publications and promote the idea pushing fiscal responsibility at both the state and federal level, and that’s where Joe excelled,” Bowman said.
More than 20 states have passed similar measures. If two-thirds (34) of the states pass the measure, a national convention to discuss the topic can be held, and if three-fourths (38) of the states approve the measure, the federal government must balance its books on a yearly basis. The estimated national debt stands at about $17.6 trillion and has grown by an estimated $300 billion since the start of 2014.
“States have higher approval ratings than congress because states can’t print money and they can’t pass the buck. They’ve got to balance the budget. You and I have to balance our budgets too because eventually the credit cards will catch up to us,” said Bowman. “We’re telling congress, ‘You guys, you promise everything to everybody and you’re not going to be able to deliver on anything soon. You’ve got to balance your budgets.’”
Louisiana’s lawmakers passed the bill 88-0 in the House April 29 and 36-0 in the Senate May 15.
“Both the Republicans and Democrats supported it unanimously, and that’s what we’re looking for. This wasn’t a Republican thing. It was a Louisiana thing and that’s why he got the award is because he helped bring everyone together,” Bowman said. “It doesn’t sound controversial but some states aren’t passing this and some states are passing it and some are doing it on partisan votes but in Louisiana everyone came together and that’s the best of politics.”
Bowman said there isn’t a set number of legislators who receive the award, and it fluctuates from year to year.
“If someone does something good and does something that’s noteworthy and brings national attention, we will reward them – whether that’s three or that’s eight or nine,” he said.
More than 1,800 lawmakers from more than a dozen states are ALEC members.
