By: Adrian Dubose, LSU Manship School News Service
BATON ROUGE, La – Democratic Rep. Malinda White of Bogalusa tearfully withdrew her domestic violence bill Thursday, a day after a verbal altercation with Rep. Alan Seabaugh, R-Shreveport, on the House floor.
House Bill 159 would have expanded the definition of domestic abuse to include coercion and control by the abuser.
“I come today with a lot of heartache,” White said. “I’m disappointed we have to let down victims of domestic violence.”
Rep. Malinda White, D-Bogalusa
Rep. Alan Seabaugh, R-Shreveport
White promised victims of abuse that she would bring the bill back up next year in an improved version.
Seabaugh raised questions about what the bill meant and did during the debate that led to the confrontation.
By: Adrian Dubose, LSU Manship School News Service
Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards receives his first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine on Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2021.Pool footage courtesy of Louisiana Public Broadcasting
BATON ROUGE, La. – Louisiana lawmakers gave final passage Thursday to a bill banning discrimination by state agencies based on an individual’s COVID-19 vaccination status, sending the bill to the governor’s desk.
House Bill 498 by Rep. Kathy Edmonston, R-Gonzales, passed the House 71-28.
The bill prohibits government agencies from refusing to issue licenses, permits and degrees to someone who has not been vaccinated against COVID-19.
The bill also prohibits state agencies from barring access to public facilities or colleges to anyone who has not received a COVID-19 vaccine.
The ban would remain in place until the COVID-19 vaccinations have received full authorization from the U.S. Federal Drug Administration.
Hundreds of LSU faculty members have called on the university to require students to get the vaccines before coming to campus in the fall. Vaccination rates in Louisiana lag behind those in most other states, and professors also would like to see the university maintain its mask mandate and reduce the number of students in each classroom to keep faculty members and students safe.
The Chronicle of Higher Education has reported that 488 college campuses plan to require students to get the vaccines. They include several private universities in Louisiana, including Tulane, Loyola, Xavier and Dillard, that are not subject to Edmonston’s bill.
It is not clear whether Gov. John Bel Edwards will veto the bill. LSU President Tom Galligan said university leaders speak to state officials about policies and concerns but does not lobby them.
Published: June 10, 2021 By: Adrian Dubose, LSU Manship school News Service
BATON ROUGE, La. (LSU Manship School News Wire) – A bill to increase the amount paid to people who have been wrongfully convicted of crimes in Louisiana cleared the Legislature Thursday.
House Bill 92 by Rep. Joseph Marino, I-Gretna, increases compensation for people wrongfully convicted of crimes from $25,000 annually with a cap of $250,000 to $40,000 annually and a cap of $400,000.
The bill also would extend the deadline to file for the compensation.
At first, Marino asked for $50,000 per year, but the chambers agreed to $40,000 with the $400,000 cap.
The increased compensation would go into effect on July 1, 2022. Filers on or after the new effect date have the option to receive a lump sum payment of $250,000 instead of receiving $40,000 per year.
Many states – including Texas, Alabama and Florida – offer money to the wrongfully convicted.
Sen. Rick Ward, R-Lake Charles, discussed his legislation on sports betting. (Photo by Ryan Nelsen/LSU Manship School News Service)
Published: June 10, 2021
By: Ryan Nelsen | LSU Manship School News Service
BATON ROUGE—Lawmakers passed the final pieces Thursday to create sports gambling in the state, and it could start before the upcoming football season.
Gov. John Bel Edwards signed the first of the three bills last week, and the other two bills faced last-minute adjustments on the final day of the legislative session Thursday.
“We’re simply putting in place the rules and regulations for something that our constituents have told us they wanted,” Sen. Rick Ward, R-Lake Charles, said earlier in the debates.
Last fall, 55 of 64 parishes voted in favor of some form of sports betting, and over 64% of voters in the state approved the measure.
Ward and three other Republicans spearheaded the writing of how Louisiana would welcome legal wagering on sports events. Sen. Ronnie Johns, R-Lake Charles, and Senate President Page Cortez, R-Lafayette, authored the bills along with Rep. John Stefanski, R-Crowley, authored the bills and co-sponsored other measures.
Before the session, the looming decision for the state was to either mimic Mississippi’s approach and limit sports wagering to in-person bets placed in casinos or allow betting over the internet. States that have allowed online betting have seen more lucrative tax collections.
Louisiana chose to allow betting in-person or online and to allow bars and restaurants to have kiosks similar to video poker machines. The nine parishes that did not favor sports gambling will be “geofenced” out from participating in online wagering.
By: Adrian Dubose, LSU Manship School News Service
BATON ROUGE — Lawmakers gave final approval Wednesday to a bill that would make kindergarten mandatory in Louisiana.
Senate Bill 10 by Sen. Cleo Fields, D-Baton Rouge, requires parents to send their children to kindergarten at age 5 or offer a home-school equivalent in Louisiana.
The final version of the bill passed the House 70-32 and the Senate 38-0.
SB 10 will now go to the governor’s desk. Gov. John Bel Edwards has said he will sign it into law.
Under the bill, a child who is five years old on or before September 30 must be enrolled in kindergarten unless a parent feels they are ready. In that, the parent may put the child in pre-k or home-school.
Rep. Jason Hughes, D-New Orleans brought the bill back to the House floor after a House-Senate conference committee made amendments.
Some lawmakers raised concerns about compulsory attendance laws and options for if a child is not ready for kindergarten in the parents’ opinion.
By: Matthew Bennett and Adrian Dubose | LSU Manship School News Service
BATON ROUGE–The Legislature gave final approval Thursday to a bill to streamline sales tax collections, while the House refused to extend $180 million in tax credits for the movie industry, at least for now.
The Senate also voted to extend the suspension of the corporation franchise tax on the first $300,000 of capital for small business corporations with taxable income of $1 million or less. The measure could cost the state $313.5 million in revenue over five years.
The push to streamline sales tax collections was led by House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, R-Gonzalez. The goal was to create one body to collect both the state and local portions of the sales tax, simplifying the payment process for businesses, and then distribute the money to the various jurisdictions.
Schexnayder’s bill, HB 199, would require a constitutional amendment approved by state voters. It would then create the State and Local Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Commission, comprised of eight members, to oversee the effort and make the collection process as simple for businesses as it is in many other states.
“We’ve been trying to get this done for nearly 40 years and today we did it,” Schexnayder said in a statement. “Removing this roadblock is the critical first step in turning our state around and bringing good, high-quality jobs for our people. Today was a big day for Louisiana.”
Also on Thursday, the House voted 45-37 against extending the sunset date for the movie industry tax credit.
By: Adrian Dubose, LSU Manship School News Service
LSU Athletics
BATON ROUGE, La. – A bill that would let Louisiana college athletes cash in on the use of their names, images or other likenesses passed the Legislature and is on the way to the governor’s desk.
The Senate voted 35-0 Tuesday to approve the bill with amendments that had been added in the House. The bill, SB 60, passed 88-7 in the House on Monday.
The bill would allow college athletes to profit off their names and likenesses once the National Collegiate Athletic Association gives guidance on how athletes can profit off themselves.
The bill comes shortly before the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decide on the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s case about its limits on eligibility and compensation. A number of states have passed similar bills to overcome the NCAA’s reluctance to loosen its rules when athletes’ names and images are used in video games or for other commercial reasons.
“I think this is important, and I think this is where our country is headed, and I think this is important for the schools in Louisiana,” said Rep. John Stefanski, R-Crowley. “Fifteen other states have passed legislation on this matter, so if Louisiana does not pass this, they will be left behind.”
In this image provided by Hodges Photography, Hot Rod Charlie, with Joel Rosario aboard, wins the 108th running of the $1,000,000 Grade II Louisiana Derby horse race at the Fair Grounds Race Course, Saturday, March 20, 2021, in New Orleans.(LOU HODGES, JR.. | AP Images)
Published: June 8, 2021
By: Adrian Dubose, LSU Manship School News Service
BATON ROUGE, La. (LSU Manship School News Wire) – The Senate gave final legislative approval Tuesday to two bills relating to horse racing, including one that would benefit a close friend of Senate President Page Cortez.
Senate Bill 209, pushed by Cortez, would let off-track betting parlors allow gambling on video replays of horse races that occurred in the past.
The bill was authored by Sen. Gary Smith Jr., and it passed the House 84-11 Monday with amendments that limited the number of establishments that could offer this type of gambling.
The Advocate reported Monday that Cortez, R-Lafayette, lives next door to Joel Robideaux, a former state representative and Lafayette mayor who is the lobbyist for one of the companies expected to offer the betting via devices like slot machines.
By: Adrian Dubose | LSU Manship School News Service
Legislation to regulate advertisements by lawyers seeking clients with problems with drugs or medical devices won final legislative passage Tuesday.
Senate Bill 43 by Sen. Barrow Peacock, R-Shreveport, passed the Louisiana House 70-30 Monday. The Senate concurred 34-1 Tuesday with a House amendment and moved the bill to the governor’s desk.
The bill prohibits lawyers from using terms like “medical alert” or “health alert” in ads soliciting clients who might have had problems with prescription drugs or medical devices.
It also prevents the lawyers from using the logos of government agencies in ways that imply that they have government approval for their lawsuits.
During the House debate, some lawmakers raised questions about the bill’s purpose and whether it was violated the First Amendment.
Gov. John Bel Edwards unveiled his “shot for a shot” campaign Thursday. (Photo Credit: Ryan Nelsen/LSU Manship School News Service)
BATON ROUGE, La. — With hurricane season having started Tuesday, Gov. John Bel Edwards urged Louisianans to add a COVID vaccination to their prep list and offered incentives for getting the shot.
In a news briefing at the Capitol Thursday, Edwards debuted his “shot for a shot” campaign that allows citizens to show their vaccination cards at participating establishments for a free drink.
“So please kick off the summer with a refreshing beverage while also supporting our local restaurant and bars,” said Edwards.
The offer is good with proof of vaccination taken within the last seven days and lasts through July. Edwards also announced that anyone with a vaccination card has a free day pass to visit the 21 State Parks or 18 Historical Sites until the end of the month.
Dr. Dawn Marcelle of the Louisiana Department of Health announced that the state had 300 new COVID cases and 10 new deaths in the 24 hours through noon Thursday. She said that the state has found variants of the virus from Brazil, United Kingdom and India.
Marcelle also said that out of the more than 3 million people vaccinated in the state, only 23 have died of COVID. The deaths did not occur from an adverse reaction to the vaccination.
Louisiana has vaccinated 32% of its citizens, which is well below the national average of 41.5%. The state has vaccinated 72% of its citizens 65 and older.
LSU Manship School Statehouse Bureau 