Committe action, May 21: HB 625, SB 33

DID YOU KNOW?

HB 625 by Rep. Randal Gaines would undo the loosening of tenure protections previously passed in terms of disciplinary procedures for teachers. It claimed many procedural issues from previous reform that needed resolution, and was causing confusion.

Rep. Nancy Landry from the House Education Committee pointed out that this seemed pretty much like the system that had been replaced, and that had caused an unrealistically-low removal rate of ineffective teachers. Gaines said the previous effort was too hasty and a familiar system was best to correct for the asserted shortcomings. Landry said this turned the focus away from achievement and these changes in the bill broke the link between outcomes and continued employment. She said there may be procedural problems worth fixing, but that this bill went far beyond that.

Rep. Chris Broadwater asked who would pay for these added procedures, which seemed to him this would increase costs on schools. However, it was possible that arbitrators would pass costs onto other parties.

Legislative regular session through May 18, 2013

Interestingly, this week one bill made the unusual move of going from one category to another. HB 693 had started as a bad bill because it expanded the use of motion picture investor tax credits. But as a result of committee action this week, it became not only more like HB 696 which limits exposure to credits, but goes even farther. Thus, it flips categories.

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 6 passed Senate committee; HB 8 passed Senate committee; HB 68 was substituted for by HB 729; HB 161 was withdrawn; HB 525 was approved by Senate committee; HB 582 passed House committee; HB 693 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 725 with minor amendment passed the House; HB 727 passed House committee; SB 4 was withdrawn; SB 45 passed House committee; SB 165 with minor amendment passed the Senate,

THIS WEEK FOR THE BAD: HB 174 passed Senate committee; HB 240 passed House committee; HB 352 with minor amendment passed the House; HB 387 with minor amendment passed the House; HB 706 failed to pass the House; SB 33 passed House committee; SB 63 passed the Senate.

Committee action, May 13: SB 215, HB 693, HB 268

DID YOU KNOW?

SB 215 by Sen. Francis Heitmeier would force funding for Mississippi River ferries by transferring operations to metropolitan New Orleans’ Regional Transit Authority. The House Transportation, Highways, and Public Works Committee was told that they would collect fees, but then also take money from license plate fees in the area. This was in response to the state defunding their operations.

It attracted no substantial questions or opposition, and therefore was approved without objection.

Legislative regular session through May 11, 2013

Because of improving amendment, HB 115 has been removed from the bad bill list.

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 87 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 98 with minor amendment passed the House; HB 111 with minor amendment passed the House; HB 162 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 197 was substituted by HB 725; HB 444 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 666 was involuntarily deferred; HB 696 was reported unfavorably by House committee and with major amendment passed the House; HB 725 passed House committee; SB 31 with minor amendment passed House committee; SB 45 with minor amendment passed the Senate; SB 118 with minor amendment passed House committee; SB 165 with minor amendment passed Senate committee; SB 259 passed the Senate.

THIS WEEK FOR THE BAD: HB 160 passed the House; HB 179 was involuntarily deferred; HB 233 with major amendment passed House committee; HB 240 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 352 passed House committee; HB 387 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 519 passed House committee; HB 653 was unfavorably reported by House committee and with major amendment passed the House; HB 706 passed House committee; SB 33 with minor amendment passed the Senate.

Committee action, May 6: HB 240, HB 519

DID YOU KNOW?

HB 240 by Rep. Kenny Havard would allow legislative committees to interpose themselves in the administrative contracting process, for those more than $5 million, to see whether a contract is worth it and its implications, even as it already is part of the Administrative Procedure Act.  Technical amendments were to the House Appropriations Committee offered and adopted without objection.

Opponents from the Division of Administration noted that this added an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy, despite several other vetting stops within both the executive branch and Legislature, which has the effect of discouraging privatization and in that respect, contrary to Havard’s assertion, was anti-privatization. It also forcibly makes contractors to offer job opportunities to former state employees into privatized operations, which are neither necessary nor appropriate at all times. It also subjects privatization to additional scrutiny beyond tasks done by government employees.

Rep. Roy Burrell wondered whether any follow-up was done to check on whether laid off employees subsequently took on lower-paid jobs or had any job at all. They replied that often this frees employees for better positions even in government.