Multiple legislators and staff confirmed the episode. It highlights the distrust, contention, and one-upmanship that continues between legislative leadership, the governor, and this session, the first of a four-year term. Gunn delivered the special message after legislators had stayed late at night to finish their work. Gunn and the Lt. Governor followed. Delbert Hosemann, who presided over the Senate, completed the legislative process quickly by signing the bills passed in the past few days. As is the custom, the legislative staff called Reeves’s office to request someone to pick up the legislation. This would allow the governor to begin the process to review the bills and decide what he would sign into law and which he would veto. The governor’s office refused the bills. Legislative staff tried unsuccessfully to deliver the bills to his office at the Sillers Building. Gunn, third-term House speaker took it upon himself, to deliver the bills at Reeves’ home in the Governor’s Mansion. Gunn’s delivery began the clock. Reeves had five days to sign, veto or allow the legislation to become law without him signing it. Gunn’s main intention was likely not to make Reeves or his staff endure a July 4th weekend of work. His primary purpose was likely to start the five-day process early enough that the Legislature could return on July 9 to address any possible veto. The complicated resolution that the Legislature passed earlier allows members to reconvene the session for any reason up until July 9. The resolution permits the Legislature to reopen the session for COVID-19-related issues only after July 9. Gunn’s perseverance was justified. Reeves did veto, or partially veto, five of these bills, which included $2.2 billion in funding for local school districts. As they say, “The best laid schemes of mice and men often go wrong.” Gunn and Hosemann both developed coronavirus symptoms over the July 4th weekend. Multiple members of the Legislature also tested positive. It was impossible for them to return to the Legislature on July 9 to address the vetoes. The current situation is that the funds received by the Gulf Coast-based Department of Marine Resources and local school districts, which lawmakers intended to fund upon their return on July 9, are based on smoke and mirth, which might or might not be challenged in court. Most people agree that the Constitution states that the Legislature has the power to appropriate state funds. The Legislature will meet again at some point, either in a special session called Reeves or in regular sessions to address COVID-19 issues. Legislators could address at least the Education veto or the Department of Marine Resources budget in that regular session. This year, there have been many disagreements between the governor of Louisiana and legislators. Most recently, there was a dispute over the selection of members of the special commission to recommend a new flag design for the state. This is in addition to the banner that flew above the state for the past 126 years and featured the Confederate battle emblem. Reeves failed to meet his legal deadline to nominate members to the commission. He was also not allowed to pick from other members chosen by the speaker or lieutenant governor. Hosemann and Gunn convened a flag meeting, despite the fact that the commission had a very tight deadline for a recommendation on Nov. 3. The commissioner was unable to meet this deadline. The governor was furious that Hosemann and Gunn convened the first flag meeting without the Reeves appointees. Courts have held that legislators can’t serve on or appoint executive board members, as per the state Constitution’s separation of powers. Maybe Reeves had good points. The judiciary would decide if the flag commission is truly an executive agency. The fact is that Reeves signed the bill authorizing the flag commission and the procedure for appointing its members into law. It was part of a package of bills that the governor received during the regular process, and not through a special delivery by the speaker._x000D