Welcome to the first post of the 2021 Regular
Session, as always the good, bad, and ugly bills prefiled. Given that particularly
the tax-related bills interact so complexly with each other, bills could appear
and disappear weekly from this list depending upon their amendments and
combinations moving forward.
THE GOOD: HB 16 by Rep.
Danny McCormick would reduce bureaucracy regarding the ability to carry a
concealed firearm (similar bill: HB 596; SB 118); HB 20 by Rep.
Blake Miguez would make more difficult private interests interfering with
elections; HB
30 by Rep. Phillip DeVillier would reduce severance taxes to create a more
balanced energy policy; HB 36 by
DeVillier would reduce waste in the Motion Picture Production Tax Credit program;
HB 40 by
Rep. Mark Wright would wean off using money for transportation better suited
for infrastructure from personnel costs; HB 61 by Rep.
Valarie Hodges would reduce fraudulent Earned Income Tax Credit claims; HB 83 by Rep.
Bryan Fontenot doesn’t allow bail decisions in one parish to override those of
another; HB
103 by McCormick would reduce discrimination on the basis of coronavirus
vaccine reception; HB 118 by
Rep. Larry Frieman would strengthen Second Amendment protections; HB 138 by
Rep. Les Farnum would strengthen ballot integrity (similar bills: HB 167, HB
581, HB 599, HB 653, SB 63, 64, SB 219, SB 220; SB 221, SB 224); HB 149 by Frieman
would clarify emergency declaration powers; HB 154 by
Rep. Zee Zeringue would amend the Constitution to allow for greater latitude in
investments for some state funds; HB 180 by
Rep. Jonathan Goudreau would reduce unemployment compensation waste; HB 203 by
Rep. Stuart Bishop would amend the Constitution to change vote requirements
that create more efficient use of tax exceptions; HB 204 by
Rep. Christopher Turner would allow for greater flexibility in delivery of some
Medicaid waiver services; HB 205 by
DeVillier would amend the Constitution to eliminate the corporate federal
income tax deduction (similar bills: HB 208, HB 209, HB 210, HB 274, HB 275, HB
292, HB 293, HB 454); HB 207 by
Zeringue would amend the Constitution to broaden and flatten non-corporate income
taxation (similar bills: HB 171, HB 206, HB 233, HB 278, HB 369, HB 376, HB
441, HB 475, HB 486, HB 488, HB 504, HB 546, SB 159), HB 211 by Rep.
Mark Wright would strengthen public school choice options; HB 213 by
Rep. Tony Bacala would strengthen accountability of Medicaid; HB 256 by
Rep. Philip Tarver would end privileging of teacher unions under law; HB 273 by
Rep. Beau Beallieu would amend the Constitution to create a more realistic expenditure
limit (similar bill: HB 276); HB 279 by
DeVillier would phase out the corporate franchise tax (similar bills: HB 520,
HB 543, HB 547, HB 629); HB 280 by
Rep. Rick Edmonds would expand access to and accountability of the state’s
voucher program; HB 297 by
Tarver encourages more responsible administration of mayor’s courts; HB 349 by
Rep. Kathy Edmonston would prohibit the state from permitting use of potentially
discriminatory medical information (similar bills: HB 498, SB 198); HB 352 by Hodges
would clarify civics instruction; HB 356 by
Bacala would improve Medicaid efficiency; HB 388 by
Rep. Lance Harris would increase the efficiency of ballot tabulation; HB 393 by
Rep. Joseph Oregon would remove impediments to wine sales; HB 423 by
Julie Emerson would provide better data for policy-making concerning abortion; HB 428 by
Rep. Brett Geymann would prevent federal disaster funds alone from increasing
ordinary state spending; HB 438 by
Miguez would prevent abuse of public records requests; HB 487 by
Rep. Michael Echols would amend the Constitution to give greater latitude in
addressing budgetary shortfalls; HB 496 by
Harris would extend financial disclosure requirements to judges; HB 542 by
Rep. Beryl Amedee would secure fairness in school sports competition (similar
bill: SB 156); HB
556 by DeVillier increases school choice options; HB 564 by
Rep. Ray Garofalo would generally promote intellectual rigor in education; HB 575 by
Rep. Gabe Firment would protect children’s health (similar bill: SB 104); HB 578 by
Amedee would provide more information to women seeking abortions; HB 579 by
Amedee would prevent government intrusion on bodily autonomy in health care
decisions; HB
597 by Miguez would promote greater fairness in state government
contracting; HB
612 by Rep. Richard Nelson would simplify and update sales taxation rates; HB 630 by
Rep. Dodie Horton would make more accountable a quasi-independent state agency;
HB 650 by
Rep. Thomas Pressly would depoliticize and improve operations and regulation of
river port pilots and steamship pilots; SB 1 by Sen. Barrow
Peacock would siphon temporary sales tax money to roads (similar bill: SB 30); SB 4 by Sen.
Ed Price would remove arbitrary limits on financing campaign speech; SB 8 by
Peacock would end a needless tax break; SB 91 by
Peacock would facilitate estate transfers; SB 115 by
Peacock would provide for sensible gun control; SB 124 by
Sen. Sharon Hewitt would require national anthem performance before athletic contests
in venues constructed with public dollars; SB 137 by
Sen. Kirk Talbot would make progress towards lowering long-term care costs while
providing better services; SB 177 by
Sen. Barry Milligan would amend the Constitution to create a more efficient
sales tax collection system (similar bill: HB 199); SB 194 by
Sen. Gerald Boudreaux extends the existing moratorium on increasing nursing home
beds until 2027; SB 235 by
Hewitt would establish closed primaries without runoff for parties with a non-trivial
amount of registrations for congressional elections.
