One hour could make the difference in the perennial attempt to shorten the election day. The House & Governmental Affairs Committee approved a bill today to push back the opening of polls to 7 a.m. from 6 a.m. Polls would still close at 8 p.m., according to House Bill 209 by Rep. Franklin Foil, R-Baton Rouge. The secretary of state and clerks of court have pressed for the change unsuccessfully over the years, but a bill last year for a 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. voting period failed to clear committee. Officials say starting the day one hour later would help in attracting and retaining poll commissioners, many of whom are elderly. At 14 hours, Louisiana is tied with New York for the longest election day.
—The third major bill in the governor’s education package—to organize an early childhood education network—elicited far less rancorous debate than did the tenure and school choice bills last week. Companion bills passed the Senate, 37-0, and the House Education Committee without objection. Both Senate Bill 581 by Sen. Conrad Appel, R-Metairie, and HB 933 by Rep. Steve Carter, R-Baton Rouge, would lead to uniform assessment and accountability standards to be used in publicly funded early childhood programs. The Legislature would sign off next year on a letter-grade system for education programs for 3- and 4-year-olds. An amendment by Sen. Barrow Peacock, R-Shreveport, to delete the letter grades was defeated, 5-32. “This is the most exciting bill since I’ve been here,” Carter told the House Education Committee, following cordial exchanges—unlike last week—between Superintendent John White and Democratic Reps. Pat Smith and John Bel Edwards. The Senate, meanwhile, is taking its time on companion education bills and taking the rest of the week off. The tenure bill, SB 603, was returned to the calendar by Appel, its author, when it came up in regular order this morning. Yesterday, the voucher bill, SB 597, was recommitted to Senate Finance Committee after the House refused to do the same with its companion bill. The Senate returns to work at 5 p.m. Monday.
(John Maginnis will publish a daily update throughout the legislative session on Daily Report PM. The report is also available to LaPolitics Weekly subscribers on the Subscribers Only page at LaPolitics.com. Registration is available on the homepage.)
Louisiana Public Broadcasting is providing a daily video update featuring highlights of the session, which you can see beginning at 6 p.m. here.
