Among the persistent populist causes, opposition to traffic cameras continues to attract bills that go at attacking local governments’ ticket-issuing technology from different angles. Sen. J.P. Morrell, D-New Orleans, today tried and failed to get a Senate committee to bar local governments from sending unpaid traffic citations to collection agencies. Morrell argued that local governments classify the traffic fines as civil matters to get around due process. The only appeal allowed now is for those ticketed to go to district court, he said, which in New Orleans would cost $450 in filing fees. Representatives of local governments, including Baton Rouge mayoral chief of staff John Carpenter, countered that governments are obliged to collect fines. He expressed concern that passage of the bill would set a bad precedent and send others to the Capitol to seek relief from local government’s ability to collect other fines. The Senate Transportation Committee adopted that view and deferred the bill. It won’t be the last one heard this session.
—A major, long-running issue of the state business community, to enable defendant companies to get more tort trials before juries, failed to get out of the House Civil Law Committee again. For a defendant to get a trial by jury in a civil matter, the threshold for damages sought is $50,000, which Rep. Tony Ligi, R-Metairie, points out is by far the highest such threshold of those in only 14 states where they are required. Ligi’s House Bill 343 would lower the threshold to $15,000 for tort claims, after he had it amended up from $5,000. He pointed out that Louisiana has the highest average car insurance premiums in the country and among the very lowest ratings for fair legal climates. Rep. John Bel Edwards, D-Amite, asked bill supporter Wayne Fontana, if he could assure that passage of the bill would lower car insurance rates. Fontana, representing the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, would not, but said more companies would come to write insurance here “if we got rid of this crazy threshold we have.” Edwards argued that the lowered threshold would dissuade injured citizens from pursuing claims if they had to post jury bonds, which he cited as over $6,000 in some parishes. Fontana said the average in Jefferson Parish was $2,000. A vote to defer the measure deadlocked, 6-6, followed by a motion to advance the bill, which failed, 5-7.
(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.
