North Caddo Parish lawmaker Jim Morris has become the latest lawmaker to lose a legislative leadership post after failing to embrace major components of the governor’s agenda. State Rep. Jim Morris, R-Oil City, who most notably bucked the governor on K-12 education reform, has been stripped of his vice chairmanship of the House Natural Resources and Environment Committee. Morris, an independent oil producer, also worked on compromise alternatives to controversial “legacy lawsuit’’ legislation that pitted major landowners against oil and gas companies over environmental damage resulting from exploration activities. On fiscal issues, Morris was part of the conservative bloc that had objected to the use of the administration’s use of so-called one-time money to balance the state budget.
In March, House Speaker Chuck Kleckley, R-Lake Charles, stripped Rep. Harold Ritchie, D-Bogalusa, of his vice chairmanship of the House Insurance Committee the day after his vote against a tax break bill supported by Gov. Bobby Jindal.
Morris told KTBS Thursday morning that he had been removed by the House speaker because he “showed a lack of interest’’ in the work of the committee -- even though he had never missed, nor been late, for a meeting. Morris also said the issue of missing some events called by the speaker had come up, even though his research showed a number of other committee chairs and vice chairs had missed such events.
Morris told KTBS that after feeling pressured by House leadership to toe the line on administration priorities at the beginning of the session, he had offered to resign as vice chairman in early April. Among his qualms were the expansion of charter schools and vouchers, reforms that don’t serve the interests of largely rural House District 1, he said. Morris submitted to the speaker a letter of resignation which was never acted on.
The brief letter of resignation said that the “right and duty’’ to cast votes before the Legislature has been “entrusted to me by the great people of District 1.” Therefore, his vote belongs to them and must be cast in the best interests of his constituents. Among his concerns involving K-12 education reform was a missing component for transportation, which is essential for rural students who might want to transfer to a better school. Also, he believes that special needs students who might opt to attend a charter school aren’t adequately protected.
Morris, who was in his first year as vice chairman, will continue to serve on the Natural Resources panel. Kleckley told the Associated Press that Morris has “represented his district very well, and I think he will continue to represent his district well, and he’ll continue to be my friend.’’