18 February 2006

Legislative first extraordinary session through Feb. 17

And so let’s see the final results:

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 2 with minor amendments passed Senate committee and the Senate, House rejected amendments, conference report accepted by both chambers; HB 11 passed House and Senate committee; HB 72 passed the House; SB 8 with major amendments passed Senate, with minor amendments passed House committee and House, Senate concurred and sent to governor; SB 9 passed Senate, with minor amendments passed House committee and House, Senate concurred.

THIS WEEK FOR THE BAD: HB 12 with minor amendments passed Senate, amended bill passed House and sent to governor; HB 14 failed passage; HB 90 passed Senate committee and Senate and sent to governor; HB 93 with minor amendments passed Senate committee and Senate, House concurred with amendments; SB 16 passed House committee; SB 22 with minor amendments passed House committee and House, Senate concurred and sent to governor.

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: 2.

Total House bad bills passing the House: 3; total Senate bad bills passing the Senate: 2.

Total House good bills heard in Senate committee: 3; total Senate good bills heard in House committee: 2.

Total House bad bills heard in Senate committee: 3; total Senate bad bills heard in House committee: 2.

Total House good bills passed by Senate committee: 3; total Senate good bills passed by House committee: 2.

Total House bad bills passed by Senate committee: 3; total Senate bad bills passed by House committee: 2.

Total House good bills passed by Senate: 1; total Senate good bills passed by House: 2.

Total House bad bills passed by Senate: 3; total Senate bad bills passed by House: 1.

Total House good bills advancing to the Governor: 1; total Senate good bills advancing to the governor: 2

Total House bad bills advancing to the Governor: 3; total Senate bad bills advancing to the governor: 1

15 February 2006

Committee and floor action, Feb. 15: HB 11, HB 12, HB 72, HB 82, SB 22

DID YOU KNOW?
The Senate Transportation, Highways, and Public Works Committee rapidly went through Rep. Pete Schneider’s HB 11 and HB 72. The former will facilitate creation of regional levee boards by broadening residency requirements for membership, while the latter forces such boards to go to the people to have taxing authority (presently, existing levee districts can levy some taxes on their own).

Then the committee took his HB 82, originally setting up a regional levee district and essentially reshaped it into Sen. Walter Boasso’s SB 8, recently passed with major amendments. Schneider didn’t get a chance to see the 15 pages of amendments that was to accomplish that, but he took Chairman Sen. Noble Ellington’s word that it had everything as intended, and if not, cleaning up with other amendments could be done before any more action was taken.

DID YOU KNOW?
There was no question what the big issues of the day would be, when before anything got started on SB 22, Democrat Rep. Michael Jackson took personal privilege to warn the body it was facing tough choices, and specifically thanked Republican Rep. Loulan Pitre, whose vote in committee decided the issue favorably. Jackson also explained the walkout of two days previous was only protest, and that the Black Caucus was ready and willing to work on the impending big issues.

But it heated up when HB 12 came up. Rep. Rick Gallot (pinch-hitting for author Rep. Jalila Jefferson-Bullock) informed the Senate had removed a provision that the state had to check residencies (for out of state applicants) because it was being done at the state level (which would make it similar to SB 16). But Reps. Pete Schneider and Peppi Bruneau argued it should be kept in; if it is being done already, what was the problem in writing it into law? Rep. Mike Walsworth pointed out that the applications for absentee balloting had not yet been distributed, so it was not being done currently.

Rep. Steve Scalise, the amendment’s author, pointed out the Senate change did more than that and would damage the process: “Why, I don’t know. I hope people don’t feel intimidated enough not to stand up for voting integrity…. The right to vote is denied when a fraudulent vote cancels out other votes.” Rep. Charlie Lancaster pointed out to defeat this amendment and thus to send the bill to conference which could then increase its scope of coverage, allowing more people that had never given positive identification to vote than the small number now permitted.

The motion to concur with the amendments passed 67-31. It moots SB 16 and sends the measure to the governor without the measure mandating checks for dual registrations (one being out of state).

DID YOU KNOW?
Shortly thereafter, Gallot argued for passage of SB 22 which would create “super-precincts” located in eight parishes where anybody from an area affected by a declared emergency could vote, until Jul. 16. Gallot reported that the judiciary had informed him it would defer to the Legislature in this matter, but said the court still could step in if this wasn’t passed.

Walsworth offered an amendment that would require all parishes to open up to this kind of voting access – this after Sec. of State Al Ater had testified in committee that it would be difficult operationally to do this. “And it would be economic development – all of these Orleans [candidates for mayor] come traveling across the state,” which prompted Rep. Jeff Arnold to ask if this meant Walsworth (from around Monroe) would vote for the measure. Walsworth didn’t commit. “Now that we’ve got a court intervening, and to honor the Governor’s commitment that all evacuees be 30 minutes away” from a polling place, he argued this was necessary.

Rep. Eric LaFleur said he heard from Ater that this was not practical, and said he gathered the existing plan would be satisfactory to the court. Lancaster argued that the memo from the court only asked that the law comply with federal law, and that the law did not require satellite voting sites. Rep. Karen Carter said Florida had done it before. But Walsworth said all the court’s documents never mentioned satellite centers. The amendment was defeated 21-71.

Schneider then offered essentially the amendment stripped from HB 12 in the Senate. It was approved without objection.

During debate on the bill, Rep. Monica Walker, recognizing the close vote on HB 14, presented what she said was a laundry list of reasons how to justify a vote for this. But Bruneau then brought up what he argued were constitutional prohibitions, that the bill was local and special and the Louisiana Constitution prohibited the Legislature from changing the election code this way. Bruneau raised the specter that a successful suit on this basis would negate the entire election. He pointed out all of the easy options already provided for voting when outside of a precinct. “It is a false[sic] canard to say that it is not easy to vote in this state,” he said.

The bill passed 71-29, magnifying the crucial committee vote of Pitre’s the day earlier.

DID YOU KNOW?
Rep. Billy Montgomery offered a resolution commending the ailing Rep. Roy “Hoppy” Hopkins. This could indicate that Hopkins, slowed by cancer, may be calling quits to his legislative career even as he remarked he “hoped” to return to regular attendance in the future. Feb 15 will be known as “Hoppy Hopkins” day in the House.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“You’ll explain the bill after that?”
Schneider to Ellington, after the latter said Senate amendments to HB 82 could be adopted to have the bill conform to SB 8.

“I have a way of bringing people together like that.”
Rep. Danny Martiny, when discussing how he excised part of his HB 52 because there seemed to be universal opposition to it.

Lawyers’ opinions are like everybody’s bodily appendages – everybody’s got one.
Bruneau during debate on SB 16.

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: 2.

Total House bad bills passing the House: 3; total Senate bad bills passing the Senate: 2.

Total House good bills heard in Senate committee: 3; total Senate good bills heard in House committee: 2.

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: 3; total Senate good bills passed by House committee: 2.

Total House bad bills passed by Senate committee: 3; total Senate bad bills passed by House committee: 2.

Total House good bills passed by Senate: 0; total Senate good bills passed by House: 0.

Total House bad bills passed by Senate: 1; total Senate bad bills passed by House: 1.

Total House good bills advancing to the Governor: 0; total Senate good bills advancing to the governor: 0

Total House bad bills advancing to the Governor: 1; total Senate bad bills advancing to the governor: 1

14 February 2006

Committee action, Feb. 14: SB 16, SB 22

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

13 February 2006

Floor action, Feb. 13: HB 14, boycott

DID YOU KNOW?
HB 14 would allow registered voters during the early voting period to vote at satellite locations outside the parish. Rep. Cedric Richmond assured that the centers would be set up in real time, so that someone voting at a registrar satellite office could not then have an absentee vote or vote elsewhere count. Richmond said positive identification would be required.

Rep. Steve Scalise asked that, with these safeguards, whether HB 12 that loosened election standards would be necessary. Richmond said it would, so as to assure “maximal participation.” Scalise replied, “Maximum participation might be achieved, but not the way the law intended.” He also wondered about poll watchers. Richmond stressed the same safeguards would be present, but Scalise thought 10 scattered sites were too much for monitoring by independent groups or candidates. He also expressed concern about technology failures.

Rep. Mike Walsworth wondered about how permanent the law was; Richmond said it could apply in any emergency plan situation. He also pointed out distances were a lot longer for rural folks, and said these people were “excluded.” Richmond claimed it was too expensive to do it in every registrars’ offices. He also wanted to know whether this courtesy should be extended to servicemen abroad, since it was not.

Rep. Billy Montgomery offered an amendment to prevent those who registered after the declared disaster from exercising this option. He said only those who were registered prior to the disaster should vote with this option. Others could vote in person or absentee. Richmond objected, saying sufficient safeguards to fraud existed without this. The amendment succeeded 54-39.

Rep. Kay Katz then proposed an amendment that would create a July 16, 2006 termination date, matching the date in HB 12, “in the spirit of that legislation.” It passed without objection.

Rep. Charlie Lancaster, a supporter of HB 12, suggested the plan too risky. Absentee ballots’ system worked before, but this was untried. He said the cost was unknown and New Orleans would have to foot the bill; if not, the state would have to. Registrars may not be ready technically to handle this pilot project. Potential lawsuits may cost the state even more. But Rep. Monica Walker said she believed this actually would add more protection. Rep. Donald Cazayoux argued the legislation would be almost the same with computer technology, but Lancaster said Sec. of State Al Ater could not guarantee the process could be ready and it may not work because the records could not be physically present at the satellite centers.

In closing, Richmond asserted that Ater said it could be done without a hitch. The bill was defeated 46-53.

DIDYOU KNOW?
Later, while debating on HB 44 which would consolidate some levee districts, Richmond got up, expressed extreme disappointment at the turn of events with HB 14 and levee reorganization, and asked for immediate adjournment. This is a type of motion that can be made at any time, so it had to be debated. During it, Rep. Don Cravins expressed the same, and said to continue the session “would be lying to ourselves” that anything substantive was being accomplished. Richmond said “this house is more divided than I’ve ever seen” and didn’t think meaningful tasks could be accomplished. The motion was defeated 24-77.

At this point, supporters of that motion, essentially black Democrats, absented themselves from subsequent votes.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“You can’t tell I’m a lot better-looking than Martiny?”
Lancaster, when mistakenly called “Rep. [Danny] Martiny” by Rep. Juan LaFonta.

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: 3.

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: 1.

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: 1.

Total House good bills passing the House: 3; total Senate good bills passing the Senate: 0.

Total House bad bills passing the House: 3; total Senate bad bills passing the Senate: 1.

Total House good bills heard in Senate committee: 1; total Senate bad bills heard in House committee: 0.

Total House bad bills heard in Senate committee: 2; total Senate bad bills heard in House committee: 0.

11 February 2006

Legislative first extraordinary session through Feb. 11

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 2 with minor amendments passed committee and the House; HB 11 passed committee with minor amendments; HB 50 was involuntarily deferred; HB 57 with minor amendments passed committee and the House; HB 72 passed committee; SB 8 passed committee with major amendments; SB 9 passed committee.

THIS WEEK FOR THE BAD: HB 12 with minor amendments passed committee and the House; HB 14 passed committee with minor amendments; SB 16 with minor amendments passed committee and the Senate; HB 90 passed committee and the House; HB 93 passed committee and the House.

SUNDAY: HB 12 is scheduled to be heard in the Senate and Government Affairs Committee.

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: 3.

Total House good bills heard in committee: 5; total Senate good bills heard in committee: 2.

Total House bad bills heard in committee: 4; total Senate bad bills heard in committee: 1.

Total House good bills passing committee: 4; total Senate good bills passing committee: 2.

Total House bad bills passing committee: 4; total Senate bad bills passing committee: 1.

Total House good bills passing the House: 2; total Senate good bills passing the Senate: 0.

Total House bad bills passing the House: 3; total Senate bad bills passing the Senate: 1.

10 February 2006

Committee and floor action, Feb. 10: HB 50, HB 14, HB 57

DID YOU KNOW?
A key part of Orleans Parish consolidation came up in front of the House Ways and Means Committee, in the form of Speaker Joe Salter’s HB 50 and HB 51. Together they would offer a chance for the state, with a veto power effectively given to Orleans voters, to consolidate the seven assessors of the parish into one. He must have known, with six of the 14 members (eventually who would vote; traditionally, the chairman and vice chairwoman do not) present from the Orleans Parish area that this would be a tough sell.

Salter asked why New Orleans should be treated differently. Rep. Art Morrell said properties, not people, must be assessed and that parcels are small and need more assessors. Salter asked why Jefferson was different. Morrell said there was double the number of parcels. “You want to kick New Orleans when it’s down,” which Salter disagreed with. Morrell backtracked, but said the general idea of reducing government in Orleans was “racial and prejudiced.” Morrell said if he heard from New Orleans citizens (but “not there now”) that wanted this, he’d support. Salter said having an amendment would show whether this is an outcry for change. “We’re fine, just leave us alone,” Morrell said. “Give them the right to vote,” Salter asked, but Morrell said it was up to the Legislature to decide in this case.

Rep. Alex Heaton said any effort was too rushed, not enough people were back even for a fall vote. Further, the state would not save money. Salter said it would save Orleans up. Heaton also cited that several parishes together with their assessors didn’t equal the population of one New Orleans district (which is illogical). Rep. Ken Odinet said people were fearful of change, fanned by “talk radio hosts.” “They’re having they’re levee boards taken away,” he said, and then added, “Don’t call me a racist.”

Rep. Damon Baldone brought up the question of length of terms. Staff eventually concluded that the amendment as written would leave assessors in place until 2010. Rep. Jeff Arnold kept taking issue with the amount of cost savings and whether it was demanded. But subsequent testifiers from the private sector argued there would be cost savings and better, more consistent assessments, and opinion polls supported it. Odinet accused the real estate business of bad faith, of wanting a single assessor to increase its profit. “We don’t appreciate you coming in here and tell us how to run our business.”

Rep. Cedric Richmond said why not go statewide, like he thought Vermont did (he wasn’t sure). He implied that it was inconsistent to change Orleans and not anything else. Opponents such as Arnold’s father, an assessor, also picked up on this theme, trying to show in comparative perspective the seven assessors were no worse than any other parish.

Morrell made a motion to defer, which effectively would kill the bill. The committee agreed 8-6, all Democrats in favor. Salter then pulled his companion bill HB 51.

DID YOU KNOW?
Republicans lost another close committee vote, again along party lines, when the House and Governmental Affairs Committee approved 5-4 Rep. Jalila Jefferson-Bullock’s HB 14 that would allow regional voting centers set up to allow registered displaced voters to vote outside of their parishes of residence. Republicans seemed unconvinced that the setup as indicated would provide sufficient ballot security. Rep. Billy Montgomery made it two-for two – he was the decisive vote that deferred HB 50 and to pass HB 14 out of committee (although the same could be said of Arnold as he was on both committees, too, but Montgomery was the only non-urban representative to side with the majority for HB 50).

DID YOU KNOW?
To date, HB 57 has been the only consolidation bill that has made it to the floor of a chamber unscathed. Its sponsor Rep. Peppi Bruneau pointed out that New Orleans was the only city in the country with its split judicial system and wondered if the system was so good, why nobody else does it. He also said post-hurricane realities in terms of population also dictated this consolidation. He noted the various inefficiencies in the various separate court and clerical organizations.

Rep. Jack Smith quoted some figures showing it would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to make the transition among the sheriffs’ offices, although they were figures provided by the sheriff’s office which Bruneau questioned. He also pointed out the combination would infuse more money into criminal judicial system. In response to other queries, Bruneau said the judicial system would be studied further under the bill which may realize even greater cost savings.

Smith later offered an amendment which would largely undo the combination of the sheriff’s departments. Bruneau kept wondering how all other parishes’ sheriffs could perform all these functions that are separated in Orleans, and Orleans’ can’t. When Rep. Troy Hebert suggested it be put to a vote of the people, Bruneau wondered whether that should also be the case when the Orleans’ sheriffs wanted pay raises.

Proponents of the amendment made the chamber sound like an echo of Room 6 where earlier that day the assessor consolidation bill got deferred: the existing arrangement works, why not go consolidating of other parishes, Orleanians don’t want it. “Why is the Governor pushing this?” asked Morrell. “If it weren’t for New Orleans, she wouldn’t have gotten elected.”

The amendment failed 31-62. In closing, Bruneau pointed out a nonpartisan study which pointed out numerous benefits from consolidation. He said to follow those guidelines would “rebuild for the 21st century, not the 19th.” The bill passed 85-14.

QUOTES OF THE DAY:
“I don’t get Moon Griffon. I mean, I don’t listen to him.”
Salter, when discussing public opinion concerning the single assessor issue.

“Chocolate City.”
Sen. Nick Gautreaux, when asked by Sen. Edwin Murray where the latter was from during debate on his SB 5.

SCORECARD:
Total House introductions: 99; total Senate introductions: 56.

Total House good bills: 13; total Senate good bills: 2.

Total House bad bills: 12; total Senate bad bills: 4.

Total House good bills heard in committee: 2; total Senate good bills heard in committee: 2.

Total House bad bills heard in committee: 5; total Senate bad bills heard in committee: 1.

Total House good bills passing committee: 2; total Senate good bills passing committee: 2.

Total House bad bills passing committee: 4; total Senate bad bills passing committee: 1.

Total House good bills passing the House: 2; total Senate good bills passing the Senate: 0.

Total House bad bills passing the House: 3; total Senate bad bills passing the Senate: 1.

09 February 2006

Floor action, Feb. 9: SB 4, SB 16

DID YOU KNOW?
Was the uncontroversial passing of SB 4 by Sen. Nick Gautreaux a prelude of the defeat of Sen. Walter Boasso’s SB 8 and SB 9? This bill would just get heads of levee districts together to communicate about matters, nothing more. Boasso and five other Republicans voted against it. Boasso then asked his bills for tabling since Sen. Jody Amedee was absent due to his daughter’s health. This shows that Boasso is scraping for every possible vote, which would require 26 affirmative votes. Stay tuned.

DID YOU KNOW?
Sen. Charles Jones introduced his SB 16, saying it was largely the same as his attempt in the 2005 special session. He offered an amendment to match it to HB 12, passed earlier in the day in the House, which would allow those who registered in time for the 2004 national elections up until after Hurricane Rita hit that did so by mail to vote without positive identification.

Sen. Jay Dardenne, who voted against the bill in committee, questioned whether the affadavit provision that supporters claimed should reduce fraud would do so, and if (because a notary would be required for these voters) whether it constituted a poll tax. He said unless there’s a notary present, no legal perjury could occur. Gautreaux argued that the language, as he heard it in the House debate, would not require a notary, since that standard applied for students and military members in exiting law.

But Jones indicated the language was there on the backs of absentee ballots, and could not provide legal confirmation. Dardenne pointed out that those people had voted before in person. Jones said because they “intended” to vote in person until the hurricanes hit, this should not matter. Both amendments (date and affidavit) were adopted without objection.

Quinn said the bill granted special privilege to displaced people, relative to the military; the latter often got called away “intending” to vote in person yet no provisions ever have been made for them. Sen. Rob Marrionneaux said present law took care of those who just turned 18 and then got called away by the military or went off to college, and are granted an exception the first time. He accused opponents of using “scare tactics” by bringing up the issue.

Gautreaux claimed this bill gave displaced people the “right to vote.” He also blamed “conservative talk radio” for stirring up people, that the bill would give the same rights to the displaced as “wealthy people.” Sen. Reggie Dupre said Secretary of State Al Ater said a judge would retaliate if not passed.

Sen. Robert Adley argued that it was the choice of the voter to use a method that would require their presenting positive identification; the rules “cannot be changed in the middle of the game.” A number of supporters began to through all sorts of “what about” and “they didn’t expect” to try to dissuade Adley, but he remained firmly on message: those who took the extra effort to register with identification should be rewarded.

The bill passed 26-12. Five Republicans joined with the majority; two Democrats voted against it.

THE BAD: SB 51 and SB 52, both introduced by Sen. Willie Mount, would allow the state to incur massive debt in response to reduced state revenues. To do so would be riskier than cutting state spending. HB 93 by Rep. Bryant Hammett does the same thing when combined with Hammett’s HB 90.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“I’m all leveed out.”
Boasso, testifying in the House after 9 PM about HB 84, passage of which would help pave the way for his SB 8 and SB 9 passing.

FRIDAY: HB 14 is scheduled to be heard by the House and Governmental Affairs Committee; HB 50 and HB 51 are scheduled to be heard by the House Ways and Means Committee; SB 51 is scheduled to be heard by the Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee.

SCORECARD:
Total House introductions: 99; total Senate introductions: 56.

Total House good bills: 13; total Senate good bills: 2.

Total House bad bills: 12; total Senate bad bills: 4.

Total House good bills heard in committee: 2; total Senate good bills heard in committee: 2.

Total House bad bills heard in committee: 3; total Senate bad bills heard in committee: 1.

Total House good bills passing committee: 1; total Senate good bills passing committee: 2.

Total House bad bills passing committee: 3; total Senate bad bills passing committee: 1.

Total House good bills passing the House: 1; total Senate good bills passing the Senate: 0.

Total House bad bills passing the House: 1; total Senate bad bills passing the Senate: 1.

08 February 2006

Committee action, Feb. 8: SB 8, SB 16

The Senate Transportation, Highways, and Public Works Committee embarked upon the main event of the special session, levee governance consolidation in the form of Sen. Walter Boasso’s SB 8 . In opening remarks, Boasso made clear that it was science, not politics, that lay behind his proposal. Further, he would echo Gov. Kathleen Blanco and her administration that Louisiana would forfeit federal money on the table unless a plan as comprehensive as his was adopted. Blanco also pointed out that no expert in the area of flood protection did not think that the current fragmented system was detrimental to protection.

Sen. Robert Adley began a nitpicking that would continue throughout the day. He argued that there was not clear definition of “southeast Louisiana” and that the authority created in the last special session might qualify under the Congressional appropriation of $12 million. He said it was a “well-intentioned” gesture by a “young” Congressman done “in haste” and should not be the determining factor in the debate. Throughout, when questioning, Adley tried to steer debate in the direction that the congressman in question, Rep. Bobby Jindal or his estimation of Congress was that they would not object to not having a single entity to qualify for federal funding. Adley also kept trying to find explanations in the area of why which parishes were included (saying at one point “it depends on whose oxen are getting gored”), and why “experts” would be needed for oversight.

Sen. Francis Heitmeier emphasized that he saw geographical distinctions that should limit the size of the consolidation. Sen. Tom Schedler argued that certain jurisdictions should be excluded, and a number of their officials paraded forward to complain they would be left out in funding if they were forced into a consolidated district. They also said patronage was not a problem and things were being done efficiently, that the system was not broken and didn’t need fixing. Others said their jurisdictions regularly worked together and didn’t need consolidation to do it. Other testifiers argued that existing federal legislation already defined the term – Orleans, Jefferson, St. Tammany, excluding a number of parishes included in the bill, and delivered money on that basis (although St. Charles and St. Bernard have separate federal funding). Thus, there was no need to consolidate to get federal money.

Supporters, mostly from state government bodies, interest groups, professional experts, and ordinary citizens, stressed the increased oversight and accountability that was crucial to good management and that the federal government would be reticent to provide increased funding otherwise. They also warned that the private sector also was judging investment decisions of whether comprehensive consolidation would occur. They argued that the new Coastal Restoration Authority was too generally overseeing to bring the benefits foreseen under Boasso’s bill. They also said the bureaucratic structures of levee districts would not change, just their governance. Regional planning and professional application would be enhanced. The citizens made impassioned pleas that the legislation would enhance their safety.

The committee adopted the bill without objection. At the same time, over in the House no bill regarding consolidation was specifically discussed, but rather some general considerations. It would seem that the Senate was being used as the venue to discuss Boasso’s specific consolidation plan, and pending its fate, the House would then take up more modest bills of consolidation.

Meanwhile, Sen. Charles JonesSB 16 was heard in the Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee. A stream of witnesses favoring it came forward which had in common a history of supporting Democrat candidates. A common theme seemed to be that somehow not to pass the bill would fail to “protect the right to vote” for people who, essentially, merely would be out of their home parishes, which procedures already are in place to address.

Only Sen. Jay Dardenne objected to a favorable recommendation, with Sens. Jones, Cleo Fields, and Derrick Shepherd favoring it.

QUOTE OF THE DAY:
“Senate time is not like normal time.”
Sen. Noble Ellington on explaining why a 10-minute break really lasted 40. No truer words ever were spoken.

THURSDAY: HB 36, HB 37, HB 56, and HB 57 are scheduled to be heard in the House Judiciary Committee; SB 13 is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Transportation, Highways, and Public Works Committee.

SCORECARD:
Total House introductions: 98; total Senate introductions: 49.

Total House good bills: 13; total Senate good bills: 2.

Total House bad bills: 10; total Senate bad bills: 2.

Total House good bills heard in committee: 1; total Senate good bills heard in committee: 2.

Total House good bills passing committee: 1; total Senate good bills passing committee: 2.

Total House bad bills heard in committee: 1; total Senate bad bills heard in committee: 1.

Total House good bills passing committee: 1; total Senate good bills passing committee: 1.

07 February 2006

Legislative first extraordinary session through Feb. 7

Since I try to report about legislative actions not normally covered in other media, well, today had a fairly sparse offering so I really couldn’t find anything that won’t get covered elsewhere. But tomorrow ought to have more variety. And, a few more bills got introduced today.

THE GOOD: HB 84 by Rep. Karen Carter will amend the constitution to recognize the regional levee authority created by legislation which is linked to Carter’s HB 86 which essentially is a duplication of Senate legislation.

THE BAD: HB 90 by Rep. Bryant Hammett would lift the cap on authorized debt spending to allow unlimited debt incurred for disaster-related spending. SB 22 by Sen. Derrick Shepherd has the dubious distinction of permitting never-verified voters of voting until May 31 and in any parish in the state.

WEDNESDAY: SB 8, SB 9, and SB 13 are scheduled to be heard in the Senate Transportation, Highways, and Public Works Committee; HB 12, HB 13, HB 14, HB 30, HB 63, HB 64, HB 65, HB 66, and HB 67 are scheduled to be heard by the House and Governmental Affairs Committee; HB 90 is scheduled to be heard in the House Ways and Means Committee; HB 11 , HB 72, HB 84 and HB 86 are scheduled to be heard in the House Transportation, Highways, and Public Works Committee; SB 16 and SB 22 are scheduled to be heard by the Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee.

SCORECARD:
Total House introductions: 90; total Senate introductions: 41.

Total House good bills: 13; total Senate good bills: 2.

Total House bad bills: 10; total Senate bad bills: 2.

Total House good bills heard in committee: 1; total Senate good bills heard in committee: 0.

Total House good bills passing committee: 1; total Senate good bills passing committee: 0.

Legislative first extraordinary session through Feb. 6

Since it’s such a compressed session, things happen fast. Dozens of more bills got introduced today and just a few more days remain for them to be introduced. So, I’ll to identify them and tell when they’re scheduled to be heard in committee on the fly here.

THE GOOD: HB 36 by Rep. Peppi Bruneau and HB 37 by Speaker Joe Salter largely do the same thing, consolidating the clerks of courts office in Orleans Parish. Salter’s HB 50 and HB 51 also do basically the same thing, creating a single tax assessor in Orleans. Bruneau’s HB 56 and Salter’s HB 57 also are essentially the same, creating a single court system in Orleans. Sen. Walter Boasso’s SB 8 and SB 9 create a single regional levee authority. Rep. Pete Schneider’s HB 72 will then not permit that new authority to raise money through taxation on its own without a vote of the people in all parishes involved. Sen. Edwin Murray’s SB 13 has the salutary effect of getting the Orleans Levee District out of activities that have nothing to do with flood control. And Bruneau’s HB 24 prevents expropriation of private property by government for transfer to another private holder, in response to last year’s U.S. Supreme Court decision that said local governments did have this power, although Rep. Billy Montgomery’s version HB 34 is a near-substitute.

THE BAD: A slew of bills threaten to increase voter fraud: HB 30 by Rep. Charmaine Marchand, HB 63, HB 66, and HB 67 by Rep. Cedric Richmond, and HB 64 and HB 65 by Rep. Juan LaFonta all would strip away standards that could make fraudulent voting in the next election far easier. Add to that SB 16 by Sen. Charles Jones.

TUESDAY: HB 2 is scheduled to be heard by the House Insurance Committee; HB 11 and HB 72 are scheduled to be heard in the House Transportation, Highways, and Public Works Committee.

WEDNESDAY: SB 8, SB 9, and SB 13 are scheduled to be heard in the Senate Transportation, Highways, and Public Works Committee; HB 12, HB 13, HB 14, HB 30, HB 63, HB 64, HB 65, HB 66, and HB 67 are scheduled to be heard by the House and Governmental Affairs Committee; SB 16 is scheduled to be heard by the Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee.

SCORECARD:
Total House introductions: 74; total Senate introductions: 18.

Total House good bills: 11; total Senate good bills: 2.

Total House bad bills: 9; total Senate bad bills: 1.

05 February 2006

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Prefiled bills -- Week of Feb. 5, 2006

Welcome to coverage of the 2006 First Extraordinary Session of the Louisiana Legislature. As in the past, this blog will identify the best and worst bills from the session from Feb. 6 to possibly Feb. 17, and periodically report on the committee and floor actions, and the ultimate fate, of these bills. Given the narrow subject areas of the call, obviously hurricane-related, we should not expect to see many bills with a substantial long-term impact emerge, but three areas that might spawn some are levee governance reform, consolidation of government, and loosening up of election standards.

The extra-short prefiling session permitted after the announcement of the call has produced some bills of note:

THE GOOD: HB 2 by Rep. Shirley Bowler could go a long way to prevent home insurance rates for all Louisianans getting jacked up. There’s been a run on the state insurance corporation because of all the hurricane damages which would have the ultimate impact of forcing insurers to raise everybody’s rates in the state. This bill could prevent that by funneling federal grant money into the fund rather than carving it out of ratepayers. HB 11 by Rep. Pete Schneider would start the process of levee board reform to allow for a statewide or regional board by removing district residency requirements.

THE BAD: Rep. Jalila Jefferson-Bullock hit a trifecta of bills that would open up the state to widespread voting fraud. HB 12, HB 13, and HB 14 would allow “voters” whose identities cannot be confirmed, if they even exist, to vote in upcoming elections, either by mail or outside of their home parishes and precincts.

Couldn't find an ugly bill but I'm sure we'll get plenty before it's all over.