Regular legislative session through Apr. 9, 2022

Bills came pouring in prior to the Tuesday filing deadline, and a number began moving.

THE GOOD: HB 917 by Rep. Beau Beaullieu would cut individual income taxes (similar bill HB 943); HB 928 by Rep. Mike Echols would prevent discrimination by health status; HB 947 would prevent electoral gamesmanship by elected officials (similar bill: SB 441); HB 953 by Rep. Alan Seabaugh would strengthen religious freedom protections for organizations; HB 969 by Seabaugh would clarify veto override procedures; HB 978 by Rep. Blake Miguez would prevent viewpoint discrimination in state contracting; HB 990 by Rep. Thomas Pressly would prohibit coronavirus vaccination mandates by state or local governments; HB 993 by Rep. Rick Edmonds would create conscience protections for counselors; HB 1014 by Rep. Ray Garofalo would prohibit employing harmful stereotypes as instructional material; HB 1031 by Rep. Barbara Freiberg would shore up revenues for transportation expenditures; HB 1056 by Rep. Valarie Hodges would monitor better voter registration; SB 415 by Sen. Barrow Peacock would bring greater transparency to litigation.

THE BAD: HB 945 by Rep. Stephanie Hilferty would create a too-generous paid leave option for state employees; HB 995 by Rep. Sam Jenkins would create a too-generous paid leave option for all (similar bill: HB 1003); HB 1012 by Rep. Rodney Lyons would add an unnecessary and costly Medicaid benefit; HB 1013 by Rep. Malinda White would add unneeded taxpayer expense with a state employee minimum wage; SB 451 by Sen. Gary Carter would impose additional taxpayer costs for expungement actions; SB 467 by Carter would waste taxpayer dollars on studying a wasteful passenger rail system; SB 468 by Sen. Gary Smith would unwisely discourage using the deterrent effect of capital punishment.

THIS WEEK FOR THE GOOD: HB 33 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 166 passed the House; HB 178 passed House committee; HB 194 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 500 was substituted for by HB 1059; HB 618 passed House committee; HB 824 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 1059 passed House committee; SB 44 passed Senate committee; SB 141 with minor amendment passed Senate committee; SB 350 passed Senate committee.

THIS WEEK FOR THE BAD: HB 206 with minor amendment passed House committee; HB 308 passed House committee; SB 334 passed Senate committee.

SCORECARD:

Total number of bills, House: 1059; total number of bills, Senate: 494.

Total number of good bills, House: 81; total number of good bills, Senate: 25.

 

Total number of bad bills, House: 55; total number of bad bills, Senate: 19.

 

Total House good bills heard in House committee: 12; total Senate good bills heard in Senate committee: 4.

 

Total House bad bills heard in House committee: 6; total Senate bad bills heard in Senate committee: 6.

 

Total House good bills approved by House committee: 8; total Senate good bills passed by Senate committee: 4.

 

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

 

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

 

Total House bad bills approved by House: 0; total Senate bad bills approved by Senate: 1.

 

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

 

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: 0.

 

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: 0.

 

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.