From the House: A local look at Legislators’ 2014 priorities
31st March 2014 · 0 Comments
By Nayita Wilson
Contributing Writer
The following is a short-list of legislation put forth by state representatives from the Greater New Orleans area during the 2014 legislative session. Visit www.legis.la.gov to view all bills filed by legislators in their entirety, to track the status of a bill, or to view archived or live (pending scheduling) session hearings and debates.
La. House of Representatives
Rep. Jeffrey “Jeff” Arnold (D), District 102, has filed 18 bills and one house resolution:
HB459 would allow immediate family members of legislators to lobby the legislature so long as the individual was a registered lobbyist for at least one year prior to Jan. 9, 2012.
HB498 proposes that the counting of absentee by mail and early voting ballots take place at the office of the registrar of voters as designated by the parish board of election supervisors as opposed to the registrar of voters. It also repeals present law requirements regarding the removal of early voting machines and other related matters.
Other bills filed by Arnold pertain to the prohibition of issuing traffic violations via mail, the donation of alcoholic beverages to certain organizations, the qualification of newspapers regarding public notices and other matters.
Contact: larep102@legis.la.gov or (504) 361-6600
Rep. Austin Badon (D), District 100, has filed 11 bills:
HB348 proposes forbidding the “withholding or withdrawing of life-sustaining procedures from a pregnant woman.
HB199 proposes adding sexual orientation, gender identity or expression in approximately 60 provisions listed in state statutes; it also proposes the addition of adding age, disability and/or sex in at approximately 43 provisions.
HB400 takes on naming and trademarking matters regarding Jazz Land and would repeal current state law that protects the term, trade names, trademarks and service mark “Jazz Land.”
Other bills filed by Badon pertain to amending penalties for marijuana possession, inspection exemptions for boat trailers, the booting of vehicles on private properties and other matters.
Contact: larep100@legis.la.gov or (504) 243-7783
Rep. Robert Billiot (D), District 83, has filed one bill:
HB897 proposes creating the “crime of battery of emergency services personnel and amends the crime of obstructing a fireman relative to emergency services personnel.”
Contact: billiotr@legis.la.gov or (504) 436-8929
Rep. Wesley Bishop (D), District 99, has filed six bills:
HB463 proposes a loan forgiveness agreement for certain debt between the state and city of new Orleans under the Local debt Service agreement.
HB826 proposes repealing the state’s “stand your ground law regarding “justifiable homicide and the use of force or violence in defense.”
HB1001 proposes authorizing the city of New Orleans to sell abandoned and blighted property in the Lower Ninth Ward for $100 per parcel.
Other bills filed by Bishop deal with lowering the voter registration age to 16, allowing the state superintendent of education to appoint a designee to the board of directors for the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and blighted property in the Lower Ninth Ward.
Contact: bishop@legis.la.gov or (504) 242-4198
Rep. Neil Abramson (D), District 98, has filed 38 bills:
HB600 will require that certain school governing authorities and charter schools adopt policies “policies prohibiting school bus drivers from loading and unloading students while a bus is in a traffic lane except under certain circumstances.”
HB940 relates to arbitration procedures in Orleans Parish as it relates to nuisance, sanitation and litter violations.
Other bills filled by Abramson focus on: state appropriations; exemption of certain crime security districts and similar districts from providing public notice, recording and broadcasting meetings; state property in Orleans Parish and other matters.
Contact: Abramson@legis.la.gov or (504) 275-8051
Rep. Bryan Adams ®, District 85, has filed seven bills:
HB293 would authorize certain officials to investigate and make arrests in cases of simple arson for religious structures.
HB458 proposes allowing a parish president or chief executive officer to recoup costs for expenses, resources and personnel during a declared disaster or emergency whether or not damage is incurred.
HB831 proposes the exclusion of worker’s compensation into the calculation of the overall salary and average weekly wages for municipal and parish fire department employees.
Other bills filed by Adams deal with penalties for fire prevention interference, the size limitations on alcoholic beverages and the equipping of lighting on fire department vehicles.
Contact: adamsb@legis.la.gov or (504) 361-6013
Rep. Jared Brossett (D), District 97, has filed 12 bills:
HB28 creates a 72-hour window wherein individuals can elect to withdraw from the Teacher’s Retirement System of Louisiana (TRSL).
HB549 proposes reducing the maximum deductible an insurer can charge on named storms and hurricanes from four percent of the property value to two percent regardless of how long the policy has been effect; specifies that an insure can charge a separate deductible for losses when a named storm or hurricane causes wind speeds of 125 mph or greater in Louisiana.
HB804 proposes definitions for sexual orientation, gender identify, gender expression and marital status; adds such terms as defined to the Louisiana Housing Opportunity Act as “factors not be considered in the competition for available housing.”
Other bills filed Brossett deal with creating a state minimum wage; nepotism exceptions involving certain health professionals and adding Sunday to the early voting period.
Contact: brossettj@legis.la.gov or (504) 286-1033
Rep. Patrick Connick (R), District 84, has filed 19 bills and one house concurrent resolution:
HB109 would require a majority vote by citizens for lease of hospital that is oversaw by Jefferson Parish; current law requires a majority vote for the sale of such.
HB92 (Constitutional Amend-ment) would increase the income limit to qualify for special assessment level for property subject to ad valorem tax from $50,000 to $125,000.
HB114 increases the time in which a civil lawsuit can be filed from one to two years.
Other bills filed by Connick include multiple bills regarding sex offender registry and littering bill relating to the discarding of cigarette butts from vehicles.
Contact: connickp@legis.la.gov or (504) 371-0240
Speaker Pro Tempore Rep. Walt Leger, III (D), District 91, has filed 21 bills, two house concurrent resolutions and one house resolution:
HB267 proposes changes in terminology referring to individuals with disabilities and exceptionalities. It also removes the mention and requirements of entities that are no longer in existence and provides for other matters.
HB339 includes New Orleans in current law that allows municipal governing authorities to create ordinance relative to the removal of weeds and other poisonous growths.
HB389 allows for governing authorities to receive a portion of revenue generated from based casinos for the parishes’ roles in supporting such entities.
HB941 proposes a $775 per pupil dedication for the Recover School District with regard to facilities preservation and improvements; and other related matters
Other bills filed by Leger deal with regulation of craft breweries; authorizing the secretary of state to disclose certain e-mail addresses to other public entities or employees; retirement requirements relative to the Firefighters Pension and Relief fund, and other matters.
Contact: legerw@legis.la.gov or (504) 556-9970
Rep. Christopher Leopold (R), District 105, has filed five bills, including:
HB1046 requires shell stock oysters to be “market size and wholesome;” requires labeling and packaging of oysters in accordance with national standards; provides for other related matters.
HB913 provides for the establishment, membership and functioning of the Louisiana Finfish Task Force within the Department of Wildlife and Fishereis.
HB909 provides for the Property Insurance Clarity Act, and would require insurance provides to provide, annually, data on “incurred losses, number of policies in force, and direct earned premiums” to the Department of Insurance.
Contact: leopoldc@legis.la.gov or (504) 393-5649
Rep. Nick Lorusso (R), District 94, has filed nine bills, three house concurrent resolutions and three house resolutions, including:
HB476 proposes allowing the commissioner of insurance to deny, refuse to renew, or revoke the license of an insurance producer who receives a deferred sentence under the state’s driver’s license laws (Criminal Procedure Article 893).
HB254 would exempt the Bucktown Marina, owned and operated by Jefferson Parish, from current law pertaining to advertising and bidding on leases on public property.
Other bills filed by Lorusso deal with appropriating state funds to pay judgments in legal matters involving the state.
Contact: larep094@legis.la.gov or (504)483-4711
Rep. Helena Moreno (D), District 93, has filed 18 bills, one house concurrent resolution and one house resolution, including:
HB365 was amended and adopted by the House allows the secretary of state to enter into cooperative agreements with the Electronic Registration Information Center—not groups of states—for the purpose of determining whether voters are registered in other states; provides an exception to disclosing some personal information.
HB742 proposes expanding pay equity for women working on behalf of the public to include to local governmental subdivisions, political subdivisions or any “agency or department thereof.”
HB749 allows for immediate divorce when certain domestic and sexual abuses have occurred and removes time delays in such instances.
HB752 includes clerks of courts, deputy clerks of courts and recorders of mortgages to the existing list of law enforcement and court officers against whom it illegal to file a false lien. Co-sponsored by Sen. J.P. Morrell.
Other bills filed Moreno deal with workforce retaliation; prohibiting minors for using tanning equipment; domestic violence, sentencing requirements, credit and other matters.
Contact: morenoh@legis.la.gov or (504) 568-2740
Rep. Ebony Woodruff (D), District 87, has filed four bills this session:
HB827 requires the Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) to make food service establishment inspection reports available to the public via the department’s website within seven days of the inspection.
HB828 requires that food items derived from cloned animals be labeled and provided disclosure; exempts food restaurant prepared foods; requires record keeping relative the sale and purchase of cloned animals; gives DHH rule making and regulatory authority regarding the matter.
HB829 defines genetically modified foods, requires the labeling and disclosure of genetically engineered agricultural foods; requires record keeping relative the sale and purchase of genetically modified foods; exempts foods prepared in restaurants; gives DHH rule making and regulatory authority regarding the matter.
HB906 provides lessened fines for criminal possession of marijuana possession.
Contact: woodroodruffe@le-gis.la.gov or (504) 361-6972.
This article originally published in the March 31, 2014 print edition of The Louisiana Weekly newspaper.
