Second Extraordinary Session through Oct. 3, 2020

The threat materialized, and so Louisianans will have to endure the 2020 Second Extraordinary Session of the Louisiana Legislature, to last potentially through Oct. 27. As always, bills introduced are good or bad for the state.

THE GOOD: HB 3 by Rep. Jack McFarland would require vetting of a governor’s public health emergency declaration (similar bills: HB 4, HB 15, HB 17, HB 19, HB 23, HB 57, HB 60, HB 61, HB 68, SB 43, SB 48); HB 7 by Rep. Phillip DeVillier would improve the capital outlay process; HB 9 by Rep. Danny McCormick would strengthen religious liberty protections (similar bill: HB 71); HB 11 by Rep. Thomas Pressly would clarify the public health emergency powers of the governor; HB 20 by Rep. Rick Edmonds would aid families who spent extra on children’s education as a result of the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic; HB 31 by Rep. Zee Zeringue would reestablish higher education autonomy measures (similar bill, SB 32); HB 38 by Rep. Lance Harris would maintain adequate funding of police departments (similar bill: HB 67); HB 51 by Rep. Blake Miguez would reduce opportunities for voting fraud; HB 66 by Rep. Beau Beaullieu would reduce improper unemployment benefits payouts; SB 12 by Sen. Robert Mills would reduce personal isolation during public health emergencies (similar bills: HB 33, HB 43); SB 20 by Sen. Sharon Hewitt would improve the emergency election procedure process.

In its original form, SB 29 by Pres. Page Cortez had a neutral rating. But after the legislative process in both houses, it has been upgraded to a good bill.

THE BAD: HB 34 by Rep. Mandie Landry would create penalties too draconian for misclassification of employees for workers’ compensation purposes; HB 48 by Rep. Royce Duplessis would increase opportunities for voting fraud; SB 31 by Sen. Cleo Fields would negate needlessly student assessments for accountability purposes; SB 46 by Sen. Regina Barrow in overbroad fashion would prevent dissemination of judicial eviction records.

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 4 with major amendment passed House committee; with major amendment passed the House; HB 11 with minor amendment passed House committee and passed the House; HB 15 with major amendment passed House committee and passed the House; HB 60 with minor amendment passed House committee and with minor amendment passed the House; HB 68 passed House committee and with major amendment passed the House; SB 29 with minor amendment passed Senate committee and the Senate and House committee and with major amendment passed the House; SB 32 passed Senate committee.

SCORECARD:
Total number of bills, House: 79; total number of bills, Senate: 50.

Total number of good bills, House: 22; total number of good bills, Senate: 6.

 

Total number of bad bills, House: 2; total number of bad bills, Senate: 2.

 

Total House good bills heard in House committee: 10; total Senate good bills heard in Senate committee: 3.

 

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

 

Total House good bills approved by House committee: 5; total Senate good bills passed by Senate committee: 2.

 

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

 

Total House good bills approved by House: 5; total Senate good bills approved by Senate: 1.

 

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: 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: 0; 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: 0; total Senate good bills approved by House: 1.

 

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.