Two Baton Rouge lawmakers from either side of the aisle are sponsoring bills that would affect coastal Louisiana. Rep. Dalton Honore, a Democrat, is pushing House Bill 582 to create a new minority judgeship in Terrebonne Parish—nearly 100 miles from his backyard. “This doesn’t guarantee that there will be a minority judge,” says Honore. “But it gives the people an opportunity to elect a judge of their choosing.” Honore says he filed the bill at the request of Rep. Damon Baldone, D-Houma, who in turn says he had already filed his limit of regular session bills when the issue reared its head. The bill is expected to be heard on the floor for final passage Tuesday.
In the upper chamber, Sen. Dan Claitor, a Republican, introduced Senate Bill 145 to extend Louisiana’s current three-mile threshold in the Gulf of Mexico, which would in theory open up more territory for activities like fishing and oil exploration. It has yet to receive an opposing vote and is one hearing away from being sent to the desk of Gov. Bobby Jindal. Yet there is a catch: The Legislature does not have the authority to do this; it was Congress that set the standard and it will be up to federal lawmakers ultimately whether to reverse the decision. “This bill sets us up for a run at the U.S. Supreme Court, or maybe Congress will recognize it first,” Claitor says. Based on some estimates, Louisiana’s windfall from a threshold extension in the gulf could be between $342 million and $480 million. —Jeremy Alford
