Legislative regular session through Apr. 30, 2016

The substitute for HB 151 became HB 1148. And a substitute bill mutated into something good: SB 473 by Sen. Ronnie Johns would re-establish the Health Premium Payment Program for Medicaid recipients that could save the state money.

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 152 was deferred involuntarily; HB 453 failed to pass the House; HB 558 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 573 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 606 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 922 passed House committee; HB 948 with minor amendment passed the House; HB 1005 passed House committee; HB 1019 with minor amendment passed the House; HB 1021 was deferred involuntarily; HB 1081 with minor amendment passed the House; SB 406 with minor amendment passed Senate committee and passed the Senate.

THIS WEEK FOR THE BAD: HB 7 with minor amendment passed Senate committee; HB 74 with major amendment passed House committee; HB 101 was deferred involuntarily; HB 109 passed Senate committee and the Senate; HB 266 passed the House; HB 454 passed House committee; HB 598 failed to pass the House; HB 693 with major amendment passed House committee; HB 943 with minor amendment passed the House; SB 260 passed Senate committee and with minor amendment passed the Senate; SB 436 passed Senate committee.

Committee action, Apr. 25: HB 454, HB 174, HB 1021

DID YOU KNOW?
HB 454 by Rep. Dee Richard would force reporting of contracts of a certain amount to the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget. The current amount is $40,000; this bill would lower it to $25,000, he told the House’s Appropriations Committee.

Rep. Pat Smith said she thought the committee would have to meet more often to review more contracts, which at the current threshold numbers 1,700. Richard didn’t think that necessary.

Without objection, the bill was approved.

Legislative regular session through Apr. 23, 2016

HB 125, on the list of bad bills, has been removed as a substitute bill for it has transformed into a benign bill. By contrast, SB 470 with a floor amendment has become so watered down that it no longer qualifies as a good bill.

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 151 was substituted for by some unspecified bill and passed House committee ; HB 439 passed House committee; HB 453 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 586 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 606 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 812 passed Senate committee; HB 842 with minor amendment passed the House; HB 948 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 1019 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 1081 with minor amendment passed House committee; SB 174 passed House committee; SB 329 passed the Senate.

THIS WEEK FOR THE BAD: HB 223 passed the House; HB 231 passed House committee; HB 266 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 598 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 805 with minor amendment passed the House; HB 1079 was deferred involuntarily; HB 1102 with minor amendment passed House committee.

Committee action, Apr. 20: HB 606, HB 266, HB 1019, HB 1081, HB 598, HB 1079

DID YOU KNOW?

HB 606 by the House Health and Welfare Committee Rep. Frank Hoffman would prohibit state funding to any organization that performs abortion, regardless of whether the funding went to abortion. After a minor amendment was approved, supporters said that such organizations deceptively steered women towards abortions, distorted the overwhelming role abortions played in their service provision and revenues, and have many options for health care.

Rep. Kenny Cox wondered whether money that went to such organizations could be diverted to other pressing health needs, such as addressing diseases related to reproduction. Rep. Mike Johnson noted the complete constitutionality of the bill that would not restrict abortion.

Opponents claimed it would be restrictive and would not protect women because of economic disparities. Rep. Katrina Jackson noted that sufficient providers existed that could receive funding otherwise going to abortion providers, some providing free services, which opponents disputed. Johnson asked if it were an economic burden to women, why adoption was not a viable option. He wondered whether Planned Parenthood representatives were present and willing to testify, and one showed up. Johnson asked a number of questions about finances and incriminating video evidence concerning organization, which she gave little in the way of answers except to try to defend the content on the videos. Additional questions by Jackson also were evaded.

Legislative regular session through Apr. 16, 2016

The session rolls on, with the only “new” bills coming from substitutes.

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 6 was deferred involuntarily; HB 103 was deferred involuntarily; HB 153 was withdrawn; HB 315 was deferred involuntarily; HB 594 passed the House; SB 89 was substituted for by SB 470; SB 174 passed Senate committee; SB 307 with minor amendment passed Senate committee and passed the Senate; SB 351 with minor amendment passed Senate committee and the Senate.

THIS WEEK FOR THE BAD: HB 32 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 82 was deferred involuntarily; HB 84 was deferred involuntarily; HB 98 was deferred involuntarily; HB 155 was deferred involuntarily; HB 159 was withdrawn; HB 167 was deferred involuntarily; HB 223 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 805 with minor amendment passed House committee; SB 254 with major amendment passed the Senate; SB 433 with minor amendment passed Senate committee and the Senate.

Committee action, Apr. 13: SB 393, SB 84

DID YOU KNOW?
SB 393 by Sen. Troy Carter would call for a limited constitutional convention. Carter explained to the Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee that the time had come for one to create budgetary flexibility. The Legislature would serve as the convention. He said he had no preconceived notions as to the final product, but that it would address fiscal matters.

Sen. Jim Fannin said it concerned him that negative changes could occur without some prior agreement over what should come out. Carter replied that this kind of argument only discourages from taking the responsibility to make needed changes that would prevent panicked, last-minute solutions on an ongoing basis. Fannin questioned whether this convention could achieve much more than making changes in statute.

Carter then announced he would defer the bill in order to change some the dates, which would not allow the proposal to go to voters in the spring.

Regular legislative session through Apr. 9, 2016

Filing of bills finally has ended, with a final batch of the good and bad:

THE GOOD: HB 977 by Rep. Rick Edmonds brings greater flexibility to the state’s voucher program; HB 986 by Rep. John Schroder would eliminate certain statutory dedications and funds; HB 1005 by Rep. Tom Willmott would encourage more efficient use of agency resources; HB 1019 by Edmonds would protect the unborn from being killed due to genetic malformation; HB 1021 by Edmonds would require voter approval before initiation of camera traffic enforcement; HB 1075 by  Rep. Steve Carter would create more informative accountability grades for school districts; HB 1081 by Rep. Mike Johnson would outlaw a gruesome form of abortion; HB 1091 by Rep. Barry Ivey would reintroduce closed primary elections for Congress; HB 1095 by Rep. Alan Seabaugh would have the state join an effort to reduce federal government deficit spending; SB 406 by Sen. Eddie Lambert would bring more stability to indigent defense funding (similar bill: SB 418); SB 416 by Sen. Jack Donahue would apportion more accurately costs of operating special funds; SB 417 by Donahue would establish a rolling sunset for many statutory dedications; SB 446 by Sen. Sharon Hewitt would prod towards restructuring higher education; SB 452 by Sen. Bodi White would increase flexibility of local education employers in offering retirement benefits; HB 466 by Hewitt would facilitate restructuring state health care.

THE BAD: HB 971 by Steve Carter meddles too intrusively and selectively in collegiate athletic scheduling; HB 985 by Schroder could cost the state more in its Taylor Opportunity Programs for Students; HB 1023 by Rep. Kenny Havard would weaken needlessly education accountability standards; HB 1045 by Rep. Dustin Miller overregulates teacher pay policies; HB 1079 by Rep. Dee Richard would cause greater potential voter confusion; HB 1102 by Rep. Stuart Bishop would allow the state to enforce surrogate motherhood contracts; HB 1112 by Rep. Ted James would legalize cannabis medical use even as it scientifically offers almost no significant benefits; SB 393 by Sen. Troy Carter would call an elitist and unduly restricted constitutional convention; SB 401 by Sen. Ryan Gatti would put civil jury trials even more out of reach by raising the nation’s highest threshold even more; SB 433 by Sen. JP Morrell would limit the effectiveness of the State Bond Commission; SB 436 by Carter would implement overly intrusive and unnecessary employment regulations; SB 438 by Sen. Karen Peterson would enable government unionization at taxpayer expense; SB 449 by Sen. Wesley Bishop would restrict unduly options for government contractors.

Committee action, Apr. 6: SB 245, SB 148

DID YOU KNOW?
SB 245 by Sen. John Milkovich would reduce the dates on which local tax elections could be held. He told the Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee that these standalone elections, because of their low turnout, favored local government over taxpayers. He presented a long jeremiad trying to establish that the middle class paid too much in taxes relative to other groups and that it worked too hard to find the time to vote in every election. He said legislators should represent the people, not local government with its lobbyists, and only have tax elections during higher-stimulus elections to help out busy people.

After technical amending, Sen. Neil Riser expressed sympathy, but pointed out that local governments can petition for a special election as an “emergency” which can moot the point of the bill. Even as the term was removed from statute, the Constitution still allowed for it on four dates not always in conjunction with other scheduled dates, with “emergency” being a very subjective term.

Sen. Troy Carter, but pointed out that in Orleans Parish in particular the bill would remove some high-turnout dates as possibilities for elections. He said in this instance voter access should trump saving money. Milkovich said if the bill passed out of committee he would amend it on the floor to allow Orleans could hold these elections on those dates.

Regular legislative session through Apr. 2, 2016

Bill introduction nearly has concluded, with a few more relevant ones popping up this past week:

THE GOOD: HB 922 by Rep. Bob Hensgens would allow for more realistic fee-setting for nursing homes without legislative micro-management; HB 948 by Rep. Steve Carter would create more efficient use of higher education facilities; SB 373 by Sen. Beth Mizell would repeal a useless local district.

THE BAD: HB 925 by Rep. Joseph Bouie would regulate unnecessarily business and needlessly duplicate; HB 928 by Rep. Barbara Norton would introduce the unsound concept of comparable worth into the state regulating pay; HB 943 by Rep. Chris Leopold too restrictively imposes on executive branch personnel administration.