Legislative regular session rankings, 2014

And so the session is complete, save an unprecedented and would be miraculous veto override session being called. Thus, it’s time to compute the voting scorecard for the 2014 session. Sixteen issues were selected and weighed for computation, all but four having been voted upon in both chambers. These were chosen mostly from the watch list compiled throughout the session, along with others of some importance. For a bill’s vote(s) to be selected, in one chamber there had to be more than one legislator not voting for the winning or losing side.

Being that passage of bills depends upon the seated membership of a body, not voting is counted as a negative vote. However, if a legislator had a leave of absence granted for that day, his absent votes weren’t counted for bills voted on that day and the score adjusted to take that into account.

Here are the bills with votes for final passage in every case on which the scorecard was computed, with the conservative/reform position and the weighing indicated:

Legislative regular session through Jun. 28, 2014

And so we come to the final entry for this 2014 regular session, with the disposition of a few remaining bills and the scorecard for 2014.

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 663 was signed by the governor; HB 1013 was signed by the governor; HB 1076 was signed by the governor; HB 1079 was signed by the governor; SB 62 was signed by the governor.

FINAL SCORECARD:

Regular legislative session through Jun. 21, 2014

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 1176 was signed by the governor; HB 1262 was signed by the governor; SB 312 was signed by the governor; SB 468 was signed by the governor; SB 682 was signed by the governor.

THIS WEEK FOR THE BAD: HB 142 was vetoed by the governor; HB 249 was signed by the governor; HB 1097 was signed by the governor; SB 126 was signed by the governor; SB 322 was signed by the governor; SB 554 was signed by the governor.

SCORECARD:

Legislative regular session through Jun. 14, 2014

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 265 was signed by the governor; HB 305 was signed by the governor; HB 388 was signed by the governor; HB 1262 was signed by the governor; SB 337 was signed by the governor; SB 361 was signed by the governor; SB 432 was signed by the governor.

THIS WEEK FOR THE BAD: SB 60 was signed by the governor; SB 624 was signed by the governor.

SCORECARD:

Legislative regular session through Jun. 7, 2014

In a wonderfully wacky move, some of the text of HB 956, what had been a bad-rated bill trapped in a Senate committee, was read into previously unrated SB 359 by Sen. Jack Donahue. Most crucially, it incorporated a phrase which negated the negative effects of the bill (which actually had been added when in left the House). Thus, HB 956 is struck from the list of bad bills.

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 663 was sent to the governor; HB 874 was signed by the governor; HB 876 was signed by the governor; HB 1013 was concurred in and sent to the governor; HB 1076 was concurred in and sent to the governor; HB 1079 had the Senate reject it, the House accept the conference report, the Senate accept the conference report, and was sent to the governor; HB 1176 had the House accept the conference report, the Senate accept the conference report, and was sent to the governor; HB 1199 was signed by the governor; HB 1225 was signed by the governor; HB 1262 was sent to the governor; SB 62 was sent to the governor; SB 177 was signed by the governor; SB 312 was sent to the governor;  SB 394 was sent to the governor; SB 432 was sent to the governor;  SB 445 was signed by the governor;  SB 468 was sent to the governor;  SB 469 was signed by the governor; SB 682 was sent to the governor.

THIS WEEK FOR THE BAD: HB 96 was sent to the secretary of state; HB 111 was sent to the secretary of state; HB 187 was vetoed; HB 249 was sent to the governor; HB 322 was signed by the governor; SB 322 was concurred in and sent to the governor.

Legislative regular session through May 31, 2014

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 265 passed the Senate and was sent to the governor; HB 305 passed the Senate and was sent to the governor; HB 328 with minor amendment passed Senate committee and the Senate; HB 663 with minor amendment passed Senate committee and the Senate; HB 876 was sent to the governor; HB 1013 with minor amendment passed the Senate; HB 1076 with minor amendment passed Senate committee and the Senate; HB 1079 with minor amendment passed Senate committee and the Senate; HB 1176 passed the Senate and was rejected by the House; HB 1199 passed Senate committee and the Senate; HB 1262 passed the Senate and was concurred in; SB 62 with minor amendment passed the House; SB 177 was sent to the governor; SB 312 passed the House; SB 337 was sent to the governor; SB 361 was sent to the governor; SB 394 with minor amendment passed the House and was concurred in; SB 432 passed the House and was concurred in; SB 445 with minor amendment passed the House and was concurred in; SB 468 passed the House and was concurred in; SB 469 passed the House and was concurred in; SB 682 passed House committee and the House.

THIS WEEK FOR THE BAD: HB 96 passed the Senate; HB 111 was passed by the Senate and concurred in; HB 142 with major amendment passed the Senate; HB 249 passed Senate committee and the Senate; HB 1097 was sent to the governor; SB 126 with major amendment passed the House and was concurred in; SB 322 passed the House; SB 554 with minor amendment passed the House and was concurred in; SB 624 was sent to the governor.

SCORECARD:

Committee action, May 28: HB 1079, HB 695, HB 858, HB 956

DID YOU KNOW?

HB 1079 by Rep. Tim Burns would require more detailed reporting of campaign expenditures. He had an amendment offered by the Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs that simplified the language to say a brief description of the expense was required. Example entries were prepared by the Board of Ethics that could be distributed to candidates and posted in the website. The amendment was offered and adopted.

Witnesses urged that the legislature’s own rules supplement the bill with more detail, who described it as a “tiny step forward.” The bill was reported favorably without objection.

DID YOU KNOW?

HB 695 by Burns would allow the Board of Ethics to make informal inquiries into minor questions about a disclosure form, which its staff does not have the authority to be able to do currently, meaning that formal inquiries have to be launched over information that otherwise could be gathered much more easily. The panel discussed who the appropriate individuals connected to a campaign should be in order to receive such inquiries and answer them, and concluded because of the variety it should not be put into law. They agreed that either the filer or a person designated by him would be the relevant contact. Clarified with an amendment, they reported the bill favorably without objection.

Legislative regular session through May 24, 2014

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 265 passed Senate committee; HB 305 passed Senate committee; HB 328 passed the House; HB 388 was concurred in, HB 663 with major amendment passed Senate committee; HB 874 was sent to the governor; HB 876 passed Senate committee and the Senate; HB 896 was signed by the governor; HB 1075 was signed by the governor; HB 1176 with minor amendment passed Senate committee; HB 1225 was passed by the Senate and sent to the governor; HB 1262 with minor amendment passed Senate committee; SB 62 passed House committee; SB 177 passed the House; SB 312 passed House committee; SB 337 passed the House; SB 361 passed the House; SB 468 passed House committee; SB 469 with minor amendment passed House committee; SB 536 was substituted for by SB 685; SB 652 was withdrawn from the Senate; SB 682 passed the Senate; SB 685 with minor amendment passed the Senate.

THIS WEEK FOR THE BAD: HB 96 passed Senate committee; HB 111 passed Senate committee; HB 128 passed the House;  HB 142 with major amendment passed Senate committee; HB 187 was sent to the governor; HB 237 was sent to the governor; HB 322 was sent to the governor; HB 501 was sent to the governor; HB 1097 passed Senate committee and the Senate; SB 60 passed the House; SB 322 passed House committee; SB 624 passed the House and was concurred in.

SCORECARD:

Committee action, May 21: HB 305, SB 62, HB 1079, HB 1176, HB 1274

DID YOU KNOW?

HB 305 by Rep. Frank Hoffman would have abortion providers prohibited from distributing materials or speak about abortion in public schools. He told the House Health and Welfare Committee that this protected life and the self-esteem of girls. He said this help prevent the selling of abortion. Witnesses gave examples of how Planned Parenthood in particular has distributed material supporting abortion in schools.

Opponents testified that it was unnecessary but would reduce the amount of sex education available where needed, deny free speech they claimed would be unconstitutional and litigated, claimed it would overbroad in preventing other kinds of information including that which would be helpful in reducing pregnancy and disease, and alleged it would cost money to defend.

Hoffman closed by saying sex education is not restricted by the bill, and another supporting witness said that the opponents’ unconstitutionality arguments are meritless because schools are not public forums. Without opposition, it was moved favorably.

Legislative regular session through May 17, 2014

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 328 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 373 failed to pass the House; HB 388 with minor amendment passed the Senate; HB 663 with minor amendment passed the House; HB 874 was concurred in; HB 1075 was concurred in; HB 1225 passed Senate committee; SB 394 passed House committee; SB 432 with minor amendment passed House committee; SB 468 with minor amendment passed Senate committee and with minor amendment passed the Senate.

THIS WEEK FOR THE BAD: HB 128 passed House committee; HB 187 with minor amendment passed the Senate and was concurred in; HB 237 passed the Senate; HB 249 passed the House; HB 283 was deferred involuntarily; HB 322 passed Senate committee; HB 1097 with major amendment passed the House; SB 126 passed House committee; SB 674 with minor amendment passed House committee.

SCORECARD:

Committee action, May 13: HB 341, HB 342, HB 128

DID YOU KNOW?

HB 341 and HB 342 by Rep. Joe Harrison would rejigger the organization of the executive branch to allow for a Department of Elderly Affairs. He told the House and Governmental Affairs Committee that other bills to combine two departments to allow this one (there is a cap of 20 on these in the Constitution, which these would expand) were hung up, but that he needed to move on these if they were to make it to the voters by the fall. He said it was not an expansion of government, just a reorganization.

Rep. Taylor Barras asked about the new cabinet position and that it would cost $160,000 in salary. Harrison said the present job that would be elevated from the governor’s office to fill this was vacant. Barras asked also whether other allied jobs also would not cost more, but Harrison insisted they were still there in the Division of Administration and could be moved back.

Rep. Mike Danahay asked, what was the need? Harrison claimed most states had their own cabinet department to serve a growing need and could better lobby with the federal government for funds. Danahay said he wasn’t convinced there was an advantage of this, and asked why not put elderly affairs (now in the Division of Administration) under the Department of Health and Hospitals. Harrison replied that he would not want to put anything under DHH because, he alleged, of “ten bad audits.” Danahay then asked why Harrison’s other bills wanted to put the Department of Children and Family Services under DHH. He also wondered by he was trying to combine two larger departments to create a smaller one, and said to him this was an expansion of government.

Legislative regular sesison through May 10, 2014

There was a magnificent metamorphosis this week when SB 107 essentially was gutted and replaced with an entirely better framework for providing health care for the indigent. Thus, this bill not only shed its bad label, it acquired a good one.

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 373 passed House committee; HB 388 with minor amendment passed Senate committee; HB 452 was deferred involuntarily; HB 663 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 874 with minor amendment passed the Senate; HB 896 was sent to the governor; HB 923 was deferred involuntarily; HB 1153 was deferred involuntarily; HB 1225 with major amendment passed the House; SB 4 was deferred involuntarily; SB 177 passed House committee; SB 337 passed House committee; SB 340 passed Senate committee; SB 343 passed Senate committee;  SB 445 with minor amendment passed House committee; SB 520 with minor amendment passed Senate committee; SB 652 with minor amendment passed Senate committee; SB 682 passed Senate committee.

THIS WEEK FOR THE BAD: HB 222 with major amendment passed the House; HB 237 passed Senate committee;  HB 246 passed the Senate;  HB 249 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 501 passed the Senate and was sent to the governor; HB 956 with minor amendment passed the House;  HB 1097 passed House committee; HB 1172 was deferred involuntarily; SB 60 passed House committee; SB 107 was substituted; SB 554 with minor amendment passed House committee.

Committee action, May 7: HB 185, HB 1097

DID YOU KNOW?

HB 185 by Rep. Kenny Havard would allow direct service workers to administer certain medications to self-directed users of Medicaid waiver services, after amendment that required standards for training to be set by the state. The Senate Health and Welfare Committee was told this would allow for those individuals not to have to hire expensive nursing on an as-needed and periodic basis to give simple administrations of medicine. Without objection it passed.

DID YOU KNOW?

HB 1097 by Rep. Barbara Norton would allow Shreveport to increase its allowable tax rate permanently. City employee spokesmen argued to the House Municipal, Parochial, and Cultural Affairs Committee that the money was needed, saying is created too much uncertainty for the public safety departments to which it was dedicated in that it had to be renewed on occasion. Next renewal would become its last if the bill passed. Without objection it passed.

Legislative regular session through May 3, 2014

Due to amending over the past couple of weeks, this relaxed the rigidity of HB 490 as far as legislative discretion, and therefore the bill is elevated from its bad status. And SB 520 gets promoted into the list of the good as a result of its (slightly) strengthening TOPS standards.

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 265 passed the House; HB 313 was deferred involuntarily; HB 725 was withdrawn; HB 806 was withdrawn; HB 876 passed the House; HB 896 passed the House; HB 1075 passed the Senate; HB 1102 was deferred involuntarily; HB 1176 with minor amendment passed the House; HB 1199 passed the House; HB 1225 with major amendment passed House committee; SB 340 passed Senate committee; SB 361 passed House committee; SB 445 passed the Senate; SB 469 with major amendment passed Senate committee; SB 520 with major amendment passed Senate committee.

THIS WEEK FOR THE BAD: HB 96 with minor amendment passed the House; HB 125 failed to pass the House; HB 127 failed to pass the House; HB 187 with minor amendment passed Senate committee; HB 322 passed the House; HB 703 passed the House; HB 871 was deferred involuntarily; HB 956 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 1084 was deferred involuntarily; HB 1168 was deferred involuntarily; HB 1212 passed House committee; HB 1221 was deferred involuntarily; SB 322 with minor amendment passed the Senate; SB 443 with minor amendment passed the Senate; SB 624 passed House committee.

Committee action, Apr. 30: SB 1, HB 451, HB 1079

DID YOU KNOW?

SB 1 by Sen. Dan Claitor would circumscribe the use of Tulane University scholarships by legislators. This entailed reversing a previous amendment from a previous meeting of the Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee. It would not allow nomination of immediate family as defined by the Ethics Code, nor any elected official, nor members of their immediate families, nor federal elected officials, nor statewide elected officials. Additional criteria may be imposed by legislators, or it may be deferred to Tulane with preference to students residing in a legislator’s district and then financial need. Names of awardees and awarders would be published on the Legislature’s website, to which Tulane’s would link. It also would indicate any relationship to an official. It also allowed for a legislator to pass along a scholarship to another legislator’s district.

Sen. Jack Donahue asked why information about contributions was removed. Claitor said since that is reported elsewhere, it can be cross-checked, although some different names and the like might obscure that. Sen. Neil Riser said many local officials and family members from large population areas were still eligible; Claitor said he had no easy way to be able to exclude them and he didn’t think it would pass if he included them.

Without objection, it was reported favorably.

Legislative regular session thorugh Apr. 26, 2014

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 45 failed to pass the House; HB 265 passed House committee; HB 874 with minor amendment passed Senate committee; HB 876 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 896 passed Senate committee; HB 1013 passed Senate committee; HB 1079 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 1176 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 1199 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 1233 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 1261 with minor amendment passed the House; HB 1262 with minor amendment passed the House; SB 79 with major amendment passed Senate committee; SB 312 with minor amendment passed the Senate; SB 361 with major amendment passed the Senate.

THIS WEEK FOR THE BAD: HB 96 passed House committee; HB 125 failed to pass the House; HB 142 with minor amendment passed the House; HB 174 was deferred involuntarily; HB 222 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 237 with major amendment passed the House; HB 246 with minor amendment passed Senate committee; HB 374 was deferred involuntarily; HB 501 passed Senate committee; HB 703 passed House committee; HB 1189 was deferred involuntarily; SB 322 passed Senate committee; SB 334 passed Senate committee; SB 443 with minor amendment passed Senate committee; SB 554 with minor amendment passed the Senate; SB 674 with major amendment passed Senate committee and passed the Senate.

SCORECARD:

House floor action, Apr. 21: HB 1262, HB 45, HB 237

DID YOU KNOW?

HB 1262 by Rep. Barry Ivey would requiring provision information to women considering abortion about the procedure and options to encourage diversion of victims from human trafficking. He told the House that the cost to print the pamphlets would be negligible. Rep. Pat Smith contended even that cost might be too much for the Department of Health and Hospitals. When technical amendments were offered, she then asked whether English would be the only language in which these would be printed; Ivey said DHH could accommodate more languages. After the amendments were adopted without objection, the bill passed 80-10.

DID YOU KNOW?

HB 45 by Rep. Alan Seabaugh would not permit those who are officers in teacher unions who do not work in the classroom would have retirement contributions from the state suspended into the Teachers Retirement System of Louisiana and also others in health care who are employees in the private/nonprofit sector who have the state paying for their retirement, who are hired after a certain date. He said if this occurs through the four state systems, the state is on the hook for payment, even if the employers voluntarily pay for any unfunded accrued liability. Rep. Sam Jones kept asking him whether he knew this voluntary payment always has been made, but Seabaugh kept adding that these were not state employees and that the state should not be put in a position to pay retirement for people who are not employees of the state. Jones asked whether Seabaugh had voted for corporate welfare for sports teams in the state, which he said he didn’t know in which version of last year’s budget these were but he may have. Jones said he was looking for consistency from Seabaugh; Seabaugh said he was providing consistency in the treatment of state vs. non-state employees concerning retirement.

Upon questioning by Rep. Kevin Pearson, Seabaugh noted that any required or voluntary payment down of the UAL by the state also encompassed any UAL portion that would be paid by non-state employees, thus taxpayers paid for non-employees’ retirement of all entities that have a portion of the UAL. Rep. Ed Price asked what happened to union officials that then did not get retirement money, but Seabaugh pointed out they went on sabbatical and did not work for the state during their people. Price claimed as officials they still worked for state employees, but Seabaugh noted they actually worked for a private employer. Price, and then Smith, claimed it was a “witch hunt” against teachers. Rep. Kenny Cox said he wondered whether this would be a union-busting bill; Seabaugh said it included the health care employees which to his knowledge weren’t unionized.

Legislative regular session through Apr. 19. 2014

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 305 with minor amendment passed the House; HB 961 failed to pass the House; HB 1013 passed the House; HB 1075 passed Senate committee; SB 361 with minor amendment passed Senate committee; SB 553 with minor amendment passed the Senate.

THIS WEEK FOR THE BAD: HB 111 passed the House; HB 125 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 127 passed House committee; HB 142 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 237 passed House committee; HB 858 passed the House; HB 1188 was deferred involuntarily; HB 1256 with minor amendment passed the House; SB 424 was withdrawn; SB 554 with major amendment passed Senate committee; SB 624 passed Senate committee and the House.

SCORECARD:

Leigslative regular session through Apr. 12, 2014

Occasionally, the legislative process will change a bill in such a way that it no longer is good or bad. This happened recently with HB 601, which therefore is removed from the list of bad bills. The process even can take a bill from one status to another, typically in the form of a substitute because the changes can be extensive, as happened to HB 626 when it became HB 1261. Clarifying covered entities made the difference.

THE GOOD: HB 1262 by Rep. Barry Ivey, another substitute bill, would provide information to women that both discourages abortion and encourages beneficial lifestyle changes.

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 74 was deferred involuntarily by House committee; HB 225 with minor amendment passed the House; HB 305 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 801 with minor amendment failed to pass the House; HB 1013 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 1075 passed the House; HB 1076 with minor amendment passed the House; HB 1261 passed House committee; SB 553 with minor amendment passed Senate committee.

Committee action, Apr. 9: HB 727, HB 305

DID YOU KNOW?

HB 727 by Rep. Barry Ivey would require resource provision for women contemplating abortion. He told the Health and Welfare Committee the current law did not provide adequate mental health counseling. Then Rep. Regina Barrow offered a substitute bill, which expanded on the original. Basically, it creates pamphlets that must be distributed 24 hours prior to the contemplated procedure, emphasizing mental health, coercive, and human trafficking aspects. Witnesses said it was important because information helps some women understand that abortion often is a symptom of much larger life crises for which they can receive assistance in addressing.

Opponents, who ran abortion clinics or financing mechanisms, said they didn’t talk anybody into abortions. They said they give counseling information already (although the list read off titled to pro-abortion sources). They claimed many of the things in the bill they already did, so it was unnecessary. They said it was lack of support services that encouraged abortion, not lack of information. Also, they said they provided this information at their cost, not the state’s.

Chairman Scott Simon asked what the purpose of the information they gave was, the answer being it was to help women make a decision. Simon said this differed from the purpose of the bill, which was to give women who did not have full information the kind of information to discourage abortion. He also noted even if there was a cost to the state in preparing these brochures, even prevention of one abortion made that worthwhile.

Legislative regular session through Apr. 5, 2014

Prefiling of bills ended earlier this week, with the usual rush.

THE GOOD: HB 1079 by Rep. Tim Burns would require more extensive annotation of campaign finance reports; HB 1102 by Rep. Simone Champagne would close a loophole that serves to advertise candidacies through public funds; HB 1153 by Rep. Joe Harrison would move the Taylor Opportunity for Scholars Program towards becoming a true scholarship program; HB 1176 by Rep. Chris Broadwater would prevent use of cash welfare benefits to be used for certain unproductive purposes; HB 1177 by Rep. Steve Carter would improve governance of larger school districts (similar bill: SB 636); HB 1199 by Rep. John Schroder would increase families’ abilities to review school materials taught; HB 1225 by Rep. Joel Robideaux would balance better paying off retirement liabilities and giving increase to retirees; HB 1233 by Rep. Alan Seabaugh would encourage certain municipalities to enforce traffic laws on the basis of safety first; SB 652 by Sen. Elbert Guillory would improve classroom discipline

THE BAD: HB 1084 by Rep. Jared Brossett would impose additional unneeded environmental regulation; HB 1097 by Rep. Barbara Norton would allow Shreveport to charge more sales tax than the Constitution permits and permanently; HB 1132 by Rep. Neil Abramson would place too much restriction defined imprecisely on use of state sales tax revenues (similar bill: HB 1229); HB 1165 by Rep. Katrina Jackson would produce a chilling effect of combating government corruption; HB 1168 by Norton would weaken ethics standards needlessly; HB 1172 by Rep. Wesley Bishop would weaken needlessly teacher accountability standards; HB 1183 by Rep. Sam Jones would inexpertly micromanage financial affairs of the state’s technical and community colleges; HB 1188 by Rep. Herbert Dixon would cost jobs and raise costs to taxpayers (similar bills: HB 1221, SB 646); HB 1189 by Norton would increase homeowners vulnerability to violent crime; HB 1212 by Rep. Ted James would allow nonresidents of areas wishing to incorporate to vote on that decision; SB 613 by Sen. Gary Smith would make the state subsidize health insurance premiums for some non-employees; HB 621 by Sen. Jody Amedee would put unnecessary constraints on state fiscal practices; SB 624 by Sen. Bob Kostelka would allow West Monroe among other cities to charge more sales tax than the Constitution permits and permanently; SB 666 by Sen. Page Cortez makes charter schools unfairly pay for past funding mistakes of public schools; SB 674 by Sen. Ben Nevers would prevent capriciously the exercise of self-government; SB 679 by Nevers would restrict unduly the marketplace for small lending.

Committee action, Apr. 2: HB 373, HB 112, HB 686

DID YOU KNOW?
HB 373 by Rep. Steve Carter would shorten “general” session lengths and limit the number of bills to be offered in them. He told the House and Governmental Affairs Committee that in these general sessions have a lot of bills filed, whereas less than half pass, while during the “fiscal” sessions fewer are filed but higher proportions pass. He said other states filed fewer and passed higher proportions. He argued that fewer bills translated into higher quality bills that concentrated efforts.

Rep. Dee Richard was invited to give his input for HB 112, which addresses the fiscal sessions shortening it and would have only tax measures permitted. He said Carter’s reasoning worked for his.

Rep. Mike Danahay asked whether these limits counted for local matters. Carter said the limit of 10 proposed did not include local bills, which would be unlimited. Despite that, Danahay said he was uncomfortable with a limit. Carter said there also would be cost savings in addition to time savings. Rep. John Schroder wondered about the impact on budget matters, but Carter said they managed to get one out during the fiscal sessions, and staff didn’t think it would matter. Richard said budgeting would not be affected. Schroder said it would be better to keep the starting date the same and end earlier rather than start later and end at the same time.

Legislative regular session through Mar. 29, 2014

There still a week or so left for filing bills, and they continue to trickle in.

THE GOOD: HB 1059 by Rep. Kirk Talbot would prevent government for working as dues collectors for unions in local transit agencies; HB 1075 by Rep. Patrick Connick would close a loophole to discourage the most common form of littering; HB 1076 by Rep. John Schroder was adopted as a substitute for HB 946 that would make educational data collected by the state more secure.

THE BAD: HB 1049 by Rep. James Armes would have state employee ratepayers and taxpayers pay for surgery to correct morbid obesity from non-medical causes.

THE UGLY: SB 569 by Sen. Blade Morrish would create a special carve-out for a particular nursing home to be exempt from the state’s additional bed moratorium.