Louisiana legislature (175)
Site for Louisiana legislative news, Louisiana legislators, legislature, Legislation, Louisiana budget, fiscal cliff
Activist judge in Louisiana jury cases means new steps to fix decision
Written by Jeffrey Sadow
Although a decision on the matter will apply to many fewer defendants across Louisiana now, a needed challenge to a badly flawed decision on jury sentencing points out in passing an unintended consequence of recent change to this policy.
Last year, voters amended the Constitution to sweet away the state’s requirement – shared now only by Oregon – that juries decide cases with only 10 of 12 votes (except, according to the criminal code, cases that could carry a capital sentence). However, the change to unanimity didn’t affect cases already in the pipeline.
LABI claims Louisiana No. 1 in startling rise in business taxes
Written by Bayoubuzz Staff
BATON ROUGE, LA (February 20, 2019) – More than two dozen new laws permanently affect the taxes paid by small and large companies conducting business in Louisiana, ultimately leading to an additional $3 billion in state taxes over just three years. That startling statistic is one of many outlined in a summary released today by the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI), reviewing business taxes enacted in Louisiana since 2015.
Upcoming Louisiana House race, a harbinger of red Republican MAGA-domination
Written by Jeffrey Sadow
A slew of upcoming state House of Representatives special elections could confirm the tightening grip conservatives have on the Louisiana Legislature.
In a matter of days voters can head to polls in seven districts: the 12th vacated by Republican Rob Shadoin, the 17th left by Democrat Marcus Hunter, the 18th cut loose by Democrat Major Thibaut, the 26th set aside by Democrat Jeff Hall, the 27th departed from by Republican Chris Hazel, the 47th traded in by GOP state Sen. Bob Hensgens, and the 62nd jettisoned by Republican Kenny Havard.
Louisiana could be leader in terminating abortions
Written by Jeffrey Sadow
It may take awhile longer, but Louisiana looks set to shape state powers to regulate abortion providers, in a good way.
Last week, the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit refused to hear a decision made by a panel from it last September. The case involved operating restrictions upon abortion mills placed by the state back in 2014, but stayed from implementation because of the court challenge. The three-judge panel had ruled the state could proceed with the changes, which would tighten up provision standards on par with other surgical procedures and have doctors involved obtain admitting privileges to a hospital within 30 miles.
Put Louisiana government under the arch of performance
Written by Jim Brown
How do you put a dollar value on the worth of a public official? How about this idea. Shouldn’t receiving any salary increase be based on results?
LSU football coach Ed Orgeron will pocket some three and a half million dollars this year, making him one of the highest-paid football coaches in the nation. He received such an enormous salary package based on results. It’s the old adage that you get what you pay for, and with Ed, LSU ended the football season winning10 games.
Should time and work be the only criteria in paying public employees? Why not pay the governor, the secretary of economic development, the superintendent of education, and a cross section of other public officials that directly affect our lives based on a scale of how well they perform and what results they achieve?
Barras, not Governor Edwards is right on revenue estimating conference and projections
Written by Jeffrey Sadow
Nothing has changed, so nothing should change, despite the histrionics of the Gov. John Bel Edwards Administration.
Louisiana insurance rates highest, Too big to fail, too big to regulate
Written by Jim Brown
A headline in several regional newspapers caught my eye. “Homeowners Insurance Rate Increases Have Slowed,” said one front page banner. I guess that’s supposed to be good news. But in my home state of Louisiana, rates have skyrocketed since 2005 — by an astounding 50%. No other state in the country has experienced such dramatic increases. And we continue to read that it’s all the fault of Katrina. There have been only a few major weather-related losses in recent years, but the rates continue to go up. There must be something rotten in Denmark. Hmmm – make that Louisiana.
Check the box, Louisiana Republican legislative brass don't care about last place
Written by Guest OpED
by Tom Aswell
Republican members of the Louisiana Legislature are pretty smug about their ability to block any proposed legislation or budget put forward by Gov. John Bel Edwards.
Witness the antics of Rep. Cameron Henry (R-Metairie) as he danced to puppeteer/House Speaker Taylor Barras (R-New Iberia) in rejecting the findings of the Revenue Estimating Conference, effectively killing any chance Edwards had of implementing badly needed pay raises for Louisiana’s public school teachers.
But do Henry and Barras, members in good standing of the “Caucus of No,” give a damn about teachers or, for that matter, the state as a whole?
Ten year anniversary, AIG still too big to fail in Louisiana
Written by Jim Brown
It’s been ten years since the financial crisis on Wall Street filtered down through the insurance industry. Many national insurance companies were under siege, and even though Louisiana is a small state in population, policyholders were affected proportionally at a much greater degree than in most other parts of the country.
Good news for Edwards, others: S & P removes Louisiana from negative watch
Written by Bayoubuzz Staff
Good news for the State of Louisiana and politically, for Governor John Bel Edwards and others in the legislature.
One of the remnants from the Jindal administration is now history.
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Louisiana High Auto Rates Task Force holds first meeting
Written by Bayoubuzz Staff
On Tuesday, August 21, the Louisiana High Auto Rates Task Force held its first meeting at the Department of Insurance. The newly appointed task force was formed to look into high auto insurance rates in the State of Louisiana and make recommendations to the legislature for actions to lower rates. The 2018 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature passed a House Concurrent Resolution (HCR 47) and Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR 55) urging and requesting the Louisiana Department of Insurance to assemble a task force to address the high cost of auto insurance during the 2018 Regular Session.
2 Baton Rouge area, 5 New Orleans area legislators get perfect LABI scores
Written by Bayoubuzz Staff
On Tuesday, the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI) released the 20th edition of its Legislative Scorecard highlighting the leaders who voted for a solid foundation of policies that promote economic growth and job creation across the Pelican State.
For the greater New Orleans region, Sen. Conrad Appel (R-Metairie) and Reps. Patrick Connick (R-Marrero), Raymond Garofalo (R-Chalmette), Kirk Talbot (R-River Ridge), and Polly Thomas (R-Metairie) were named “Most Valuable Policymaker” (MVP) for earning a perfect score on major legislation that affected the state’s economy. Reps. Stephanie Hilferty (R-Metairie), Cameron Henry (R-Metairie) and Julie Stokes (R-Kenner) were named “LABI All-Stars” for scoring 90 percent or higher on legislation selected for analysis. Rep. Joseph Marino (I-Gretna) was given a “LABI Honorable Mention” for scoring 80 percent or higher on bills selected for the Scorecard analysis.
Louisiana Capitol: Home of flying shoes, rolling lies and the N-Word
Written by Jim Brown
There seems to be a wealth of fabricators at the state capitol in Baton Rouge. Gov. Edwards is accusing U.S. Senator John Kennedy of making "untruthful comments" on the early release of state prisoners. Kennedy has countered back calling out the Governor for “bending the truth.” Two state senators physically squared off against each other in a local bar. And both Democrat and Republican legislators have accused each other of “hiding the truth” as to just whose at fault over the state’s perilous financial condition.
And you thought Louisiana legislature couldn't take a yoke? What about California?
Written by Jim Brown
For years, legislators in Louisiana have maintained a well-deserved reputation of irrelevance when it comes to substantively addressing a host of public issues. The mantra seems to be one of keeping a finger in the financial dike to get through the next fiscal year, and side stepping a host of idiosyncratic concerns that include bestiality, hair braiding and sports betting. But if you think Louisiana has an oddball legislature that leans toward quirky solutions to non- existent problems, check out California that has moved a notch ahead of us here in the Deep South.
Dead Pelican
