First Extraordinary Session through Jun. 6, 2020

The 2020 First Extraordinary Session of the Louisiana Legislature kicked off this week, in partial response to the month-and-a-half layoff during the regular session taken because of the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic. Let’s see what good and bad offerings have surfaced, none of which moved this week:

THE GOOD: HB 14 by Speaker Clay Schexnayder would amend the Constitution to allow for centralized sales tax collection; HB 20 by Rep. Debbie Villio would create managed care for Medicaid long-term care; HB 23 by Rep. Stephen Dwight would amend the Constitution to allow for payment in lieu of property taxes (similar bills: HB 28, HB 33, HB 38, HB 41); HB 26 by Rep. Zee Zeringue would extend self-autonomy powers of higher education institutions; HB 36 by Rep. Barry Ivey would amend the Constitution to bring uniformity to property tax exemptions;  SB 1 by Sen. Patrick Connick would change vehicle insurance laws as compared to present law to a form in states with lower insurance rates (similar bills: SB 2, SB 3, SB 9, HB 42, HB 43, HB 44); SB 12 by Sen. Big Mike Fesi would amend the Constitution to increase the ability of the state to pay out unclaimed funds in a timely fashion.

THE BAD: HB 10 by Rep. Cedric Glover would decrease the state’s ability to leverage highway construction dollars; HB 24 by Rep. Ted James would impose an unnecessary level of legislative intervention into executive branch decision-making; HB 30 by James would introduce arbitrary elements into vehicle insurance rate determinations (similar bills: HB 31, HB 32).