07 April 2012

Legislative regular session through Apr. 7, 2012


Bill filing ended this week, and with a last minute rush. As a result, a couple of hundred came in, with a few more added to the list of good and bad.

THE GOOD: HB 1023 by Rep. Alan Seabaugh would prevent any organization that engages in political activity from receiving public payroll withholdings or deductions; HB 1043 by Rep. Henry Burns would allow for forms of donated or granted money to go into a fund for Medicaid waiver services; HB 1133 by Rep. Thomas Carmody to prevent higher education management boards from poaching money from foundations designed to aid education in a specific parish; SB 708 by Sen. Sharon Weston Broome would increase information provided to women contemplating abortion; SB 727 by Sen. Dan Claitor would discourage moving legislators into executive branch jobs by not permitting them to join a retirement system

THE BAD: HB 1095 by Rep Walt Leger would subvert majority will and legislative autonomy in Louisiana to a national majority in voting for presidential and vice presidential elections (similar bill: SB 705); HB 1110 by Rep. Jeff Thompson would increase the incidence of retired teachers getting both retirement pay and salaries without any demonstrated critical need; HB 1139 by Rep. Regina Barrow unduly would restrict administrative discretion in responding to budget reductions; HB 1161 by Rep. Katrina Jackson would make it more difficult for hospitals to care for indigents in a fiscally responsible way; HB 1172 by Rep. Alfred Williams would backtrack from improved evaluation and teacher tenure measures (similar bill: SB 650); HB 1181 by Rep. Barbara Norton would pass on the results of bad fiscal decision-making from a school district from which a new district has been formed to the new district; HB 1185 by Rep. Patrick Connick would force collection of tolls on many major bridges in the state; SB 739 by Sen. Elbert Guillory could discriminate against state employees participating in a defined contribution retirement plan.


THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 89 with major amendment passed the House; HB 95 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 209 with minor amendment passed the House; HB 292 with minor amendment passed the House; HB 378 with major amendment passed House committee; HB 390 failed to pass the House; HB 873 passed House committee; HB 942 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 950 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 974 with minor amendment passed the Senate and gained House concurrence; HB 976 with minor amendments passed Senate committees, with minor amendments passed the Senate, and gained House concurrence; SB 581 passed House committee.

THIS WEEK FOR THE BAD: HB 68 passed House committee; HB 100 was involuntarily deferred by House committee; HB 1144 got substituted for HB 953 and passed House committee; SB 552 with minor amendment passed the Senate.

Total number of bills, House: 1191; total number of bills, Senate: 746.

Total number of good bills, House: 63; total number of good bills, Senate: 37.

Total number of bad bills, House: 42; total number of bad bills, Senate: 24.

Total House good bills heard in House committee: 13; total Senate good bills heard in Senate committee: 9.

Total House bad bills heard in House committee: 8; total Senate bad bills heard in Senate committee: 4.

Total House good bills passed by House committee: 11; total Senate good bills passed by Senate committee: 6.

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

Total House good bills approved by House: 5; total Senate good bills approved by Senate: 3.

Total House bad bills approved by House: 0; total Senate bad bills approved by Senate: 2.

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

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

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

Total House bad bills approved by Senate committee: 0; total Senate bad bills approved by House committee: 0.

Total House good bills approved by Senate: 2; total Senate good bills approved by House: 0.

Total House bad bills approved by Senate: 0; total Senate bad bills approved by House: 0.

Total House good bills going to governor: 2; total Senate good bills going to governor: 0.

Total House bad bills going to governor: 0; total Senate bad bills going to governor: 0.

Total House good bills signed by governor/filed with Secretary of State: 0; total Senate good bills signed by governor/filed with Secretary of State: 0.

Total House bad bills signed by governor/filed with Secretary of State: 0; total Senate bad bills signed by governor/filed with Secretary of State: 0.

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