Legislative regular session through Apr. 20. 2013

It was the last week to file bills, so except for substitutes that will take the place of others or the exceptional circumstance where a bill gets mutated into something good or bad by amendment, the list is complete. Withdrawn bills prior to the end of filing also have been struck from the list.

THE GOOD: HB 680 by Rep. Dee Richard would repeal corporate income and franchise taxes (similar bills: HB 700, HB 715); HB 689 by Richard would reduce individual income taxes and provides for changes in exceptions (similar bill: HB 701); HB 696 by Rep. Jack Montoucet reduces of eliminates many less-useful tax exceptions; SB 256 by Sen. Dan Claitor would clarify which vehicles may receive an alternative fuel tax credit.

THE BAD: HB 675 by Rep. Karen St. Germain would increase fuel taxes annually by the rate of inflation; HB 679 by Rep. Erich Ponti would expand the use of the wasteful film tax credit (similar bill: HB 693); HB 682 by Rep. Paul Hollis would create more sales tax exclusions for a special interest (similar bills: HB 702, SB 248); HB 704 by Rep. Katrina Jackson would raise state income taxes; HB 706 by Rep. Barbara Norton would take away voter’s veto power over a portion of Shreveport’s sales tax; HB 707 by Rep. Marcus Hunter effectively would increase sales taxes paid by certain business by not reimbursing them for being tax collectors for the state; HB 709 by Hunter would introduce legislative micromanagement into certain tax exemption decisions; HB 711 by Rep. Regina Barrow in statute would tax single-use grocery bags; HB 712 by Jackson would raise taxes automatically in times of forecast budget deficit rather than look for reduction of spending; HB 713 by Rep. Julie Stokes would increase sales taxes paid by certain business by not reimbursing them for being tax collectors for the state and raise tobacco taxes.

THIS WEEK FOR THE BAD: HB 4 was involuntarily deferred; HB 141 was involuntarily deferred.

SCORECARD

Total number of bills, House: 719; total number of bills, Senate: 258.

Total number of good bills, House: 51; total number of good bills, Senate: 15.

Total number of bad bills, House: 53; total number of bad bills, Senate: 13.

Total House good bills heard in House committee: 14; total Senate good bills heard in Senate committee: 3.

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

Total House good bills passed by House committee: 0; total Senate good bills passed by Senate committee: 3.

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

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

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

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

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: 0; total Senate good bills approved by House committee: 0.

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: 0; 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: 0; 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.