DID YOU KNOW?
Yesterday, House Legislative Black Caucus members walked out when HB 14 was defeated. A related bill, SB 16, came up today in the House and Governmental Affairs Committee. The stakes were evident as Gov. Kathleen Blanco and Sec. of State Al Ater were present with sponsor Sen. Charles Jones.
Rep. Peppi Bruneau’s questions circulated along these lines, asking whether he could trust that the bill would take the shape the committee desired, and whether a similar walkout would occur if the committee’s or House’s decision diverged from its sponsors’ intent. He said it was logical to put the bill in the same form as its companion HB 12 had, but Jones said his understanding prior to the action on HB 14 was his SB 16 would not be amended on the floor or committee.
Bruneau argued that ballot security was at stake, but Ater said the bill would neither improve nor make matters worse over present law, just that it would expand the franchise under the law. Jones had accepted amendments that would attempt to strengthen security. Blanco left shortly thereafter, asking that SB 16 essentially be made a duplicate of HB 12. Basically, the committee did that without objection.
DID YOU KNOW?
HB 14’s companion SB 22 by Sen. Derrick Shephard looked to bring up the same ballot security concerns as did its House version. Ater defended the legislation saying it was the state’s obligation to provide more access to voters. Blanco returned and read a speech about the “right to vote,” saying there had to be a temporary, unique solution to “give the opportunity to vote.” She said this bill would give an opportunity to vote in a registrar’s office, that not to pass this bill would “disenfranchise” and “would deny a basic American right.” To oppose this bill is “to keep evacuees from voting.”
Bruneau asked who would pay. Ater said New Orleans would have to pay the extra expense, but Ater thought he could get the state or city to be paid back by the federal government. Ater echoed Blanco in claiming the bill would make the election more legitimate. Atty. Gen. Charles Foti emphasized he thought there would be fewer court challenges with this provision than without.
Bruneau pointed out that no voting rights were being denied, since other options were available. “Where are people ‘deprived’ of voting under these circumstances?” he asked. Ater said it provided better ballot security under this bill. Bruneau then asked whether SB 16, which would expand voting by mail to those who could not positively identify themselves, ought to be reconsidered in light of that comment.
Rep. Loulan Pitre said he thought the state needed to have a more systematic approach and wondered whether Ater thought this would prevent legal action about the integrity of the election. Ater could not give such a guarantee, but said he thought “in his heart” it would do so. Foti said “it would solve all the problems.” But he admitted to Rep. Charlie Lancaster that the court never formally said this had to be done.
Lancaster asked Ater if he would commit that there would be “no problems.” Ater said not, if that was defined as that the system was in place even if it had not yet been used. In response to a question from Pitre, Ater did say that he thought the same limitations should be placed upon the bill as had been for HB 14, saying each situation was different and should be judged on a case by case situation.
More heavy artillery came out in the form of Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu. “The right to vote, if not free of undue burden, is not a right at all,” he claimed. “Don’t … make it hard for American citizens to vote.” He said it would discourage help from the rest of the country “to move away from the principles of American democracy.”
The vote was 5-4 in favor, with Republican Pitre in favor while Democrat Rep. Billy Montgomery was against.
WEDNESDAY: SB 8 and SB 9 are scheduled to be heard by the House Transportation, Highways, and Public Works Committee; HB 11 and HB 72 are scheduled to be heard by the Senate Transportation, Highways, and Public Works Committee; HB 57 is scheduled to be heard by the Senate Local Affairs and Municipal Committee.
QUOTES OF THE DAY
“You offend me all the time and I offend you all the time, so it really doesn’t matter.”
Bruneau to Jones, as he created hypothetical situations to voice concerns about SB 16.
“Did you know we have a sitting governor in the pen?”
“But that had nothing to do with voting.”
Ater’s reply to Bruneau about honesty in politics.
SCORECARD:
Total House introductions: 99; total Senate introductions: 58.
Total House good bills: 11; total Senate good bills: 2.
Total House bad bills: 11; total Senate bad bills: 4.
Total House good bills heard in House committee: 5; total Senate good bills heard in Senate committee: 2.
Total House bad bills heard in House committee: 4; total Senate bad bills heard in Senate committee: 2.
Total House good bills passing House committee: 4; total Senate good bills passing Senate committee: 2.
Total House bad bills passing House committee: 4; total Senate bad bills passing Senate committee: 2.
Total House good bills passing the House: 4; total Senate good bills passing the Senate: 0.
Total House bad bills passing the House: 3; total Senate bad bills passing the Senate: 2.
Total House good bills heard in Senate committee: 1; total Senate good bills heard in House committee: 0.
Total House bad bills heard in Senate committee: 2; total Senate bad bills heard in House committee: 2.
Total House good bills passed by Senate committee: 0; total Senate good bills passed by House committee: 0
Total House bad bills passed by Senate committee: 0; total Senate bad bills passed by House committee: 2
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