Ferriday &8212;Will she or won&8217;t she?

It&8217;s the question members of the Louisiana Legislature are asking, but whether or not Gov. Kathleen Blanco calls a special session won&8217;t make much difference in Concordia Parish.

There is a push by representatives of the parishes hardest hit by hurricanes Katrina and Rita to call a special session in order to take up matters regarding the reformation of the levee board and coastal restoration, which proponents argue can&8217;t wait until the March 27 regular session.

&8220;My opinion is that it should wait until then,&8221; Rep. Bryant Hammett said. &8220;A lot of the business community in New Orleans are concerned about addressing this ASAP.&8221;

A special session would cost the state hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Blanco has not decided when, or if, to call a special session. She has been saying since the end of the November special session that another may be needed early in 2006 to deal with hurricane-related issues.

In a statement released Dec. 29, 2005, Blanco said she has been told by the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security that she will be expected to testify either late January or early February.

&8220;I have not yet bee given a specific day and, therefore, do not know when I will be in Washington,&8221; the statement read.

She wrote that she hopes to know soon so she can set a date for a possible special session.