Tenure as governor Buddy Roemer

roemer entered governor s office on march 14, 1988. in april 1988, under executive order, roemer named william hawthorn lynch, long-term investigative journalist @ time baton rouge bureau of new orleans times-picayune, state s first inspector general. lynch empowered investigate corruption, governmental inefficiencies, , misuse of state equipment. remained in position until death in 2004. roemer named one-year state representative dennis stine of lake charles, timber businessman, commissioner of administration, post stine held until end of roemer s term.

in october 1989, voters rejected number of roemer tax initiatives approved constitutional amendment transportation improvements.

facing $1.3 billion deficit in state budget, first job eliminating deficit. roemer s first chief of staff, len sanderson, jr., had been journalist alexandria daily town talk, had run roemer s gubernatorial campaign , close confidant. represented reform-minded agenda had redefined louisiana politics during roemer s first session. according ron gomez, roemer s secretary of natural resources , former legislator lafayette, lsu-educated sanderson blond hair spilling below shoulder length, stepped on many toes , got many faces didn t make second year. after interim appointment, roemer named former state representative p.j. mills of shreveport chief of staff, to, in words of gomez, bring maturity , experience office. other sources maintain sanderson effective chief of staff left office solely rehabilitate tragic automobile accident. majority of reform legislation passed during first months of roemer administration while sanderson chief of staff. many said sanderson s departure have been turning point when revolutionary character of administration moved successful reform platform toward more traditional political agenda.

roemer hired political consultant , pollster elliott stonecipher of shreveport.

roemer called special session of legislature push ambitious tax , fiscal reform program state , local governments. vowed slash spending, abolish programs, , close state-run institutions. voters rejected proposals in statewide constitutional referendum.

as governor, roemer worked boost lagging teacher pay , toughened laws on campaign finance. state employees , retirees received small pay increases too, first in many years of austere state budgets. roemer first governor in recent state history put priority on protecting environment. secretary of department of environmental quality, paul templet, repeatedly angered louisiana s politically powerful oil , gas industry. legislature, dominated supporters of edwards, repeatedly opposed roemer s initiatives. roemer acquired reputation being difficult work with, had been accused of member of house well.

state representative bruce m. bolin of minden, later state district court judge, supported roemer s reform efforts: state can t everybody, , new budget reflects that. bolin correctly predicted roemer in time run president, roemer did not seek white house twenty-four years. attempts unsuccessful. make presidential run, bolin said roemer needs no political baggage , louisiana must viewed progressive state him able accomplish goal. edward j. steimel, executive director of pro-business lobby, louisiana association of business , industry, applauded roemer s reform efforts. business, said steimel, achieve half of goals in 1988 legislative session. session of equal outcome, added, make state competitive neighbors within year.

also in 1989, louisiana board of appeals recommended pardon political prisoner , victim of extreme racism during racial integration of louisiana s public schools, gary tyler. notwithstanding governor roemer s own father, charles e. roemer, ii having been strong advocate african-american civil rights in own political career in louisiana, governor roemer refused consider pardon tyler in racially charged environment david duke gaining popularity , rising prominent political power. gary tyler had been in prison 14 years of 1989, , result of governor roemer s decision refuse consider appeal, african-american go on serve additional 27 years in louisiana state penitentiary in angola before being released in 2016.

in 1990, roemer vetoed bill – authored democratic senator mike cross , supported influential republican senator fritz windhorst of gretna , state senate president, allen bares of lafayette. bares had been supported roemer senate president on sydney b. nelson of shreveport, had been politicking behind scenes months position. after 2 years, senators removed bares position , returned previous president sammy nunez of chalmette in st. bernard parish, seen striking rebuke roemer.

the cross bill sought ban abortion in cases of rape , incest , imposed fines of $100,000 , ten years imprisonment on practitioners, roemer declared legislation incompatible united states supreme court decision roe v. wade. veto alienated large numbers of socially conservative electoral base. legislature subsequently overrode roemer s veto larger margin in original bill. state representative woody jenkins of baton rouge, 1 of leading abortion foes in legislature, said prohibition regarding rape , incest needed prevent women filing false claims in such matters. state senator sydney nelson said opposed abortion ban because of problems of unwanted children , defective births. nevertheless, in 1991, united states district judge adrian g. duplantier of new orleans, former state senator, ruled measure in conflict roe v. wade , 1991 companion ruling planned parenthood of pennsylvania v. casey.

roemer came under fire hiring friend teach positive thinking staff. staffers asked wear rubber bands on wrists , told snap band whenever had negative thoughts. earlier, in 1989, roemer had separated second wife, former patti crocker, divorce final in 1990, after seventeen years of marriage. second mrs. roemer patti crocker marchiafava of elkin, north carolina; couple had 1 child, dakota frost roemer, businessman in baton rouge, in 2012 married former heather rae gatte, daughter of nacis , patty gatte of iota, louisiana.

roemer presided on legalization of state lottery , controversial riverboat gambling, initiatives reformers opposed. in 1991, support, legislature legalized fifteen floating casinos throughout louisiana , video poker @ bars , truck stops throughout state. left office before riverboat casinos or video poker went on line).