Louisiana lawmakers Wednesday edged closer to inserting themselves into the decision-making of high school sports, a response to parents’ criticism about the state athletic association’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
Sen. Stewart Cathey’s proposal would add two lawmakers to the governing board of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association, a private institution that regulates two dozen sports such as volleyball, track, swimming, wrestling, golf, tennis and basketball.
But the impetus for the bill was mainly high school football.
Lawmakers say they were inundated with complaints from disgruntled parents about the athletic association’s delays in starting Louisiana’s football season because of the pandemic, while neighboring Southern states resumed practices and games. Amid the pressure, football season began earlier this month.
“My district, during the regular session (earlier this year), they didn’t really get active when we talked about tort reform, taxes, things like that. But when we started talking about impacts to high school football, that’s when my phone really started lighting up,” says Cathey, a Monroe Republican.
The House Education Committee advanced the measure to the full House without objection Wednesday, after decreasing legislative representation on the governing board from four members to two. The Senate already has voted 30-4 for the proposal.
Lawmakers meeting in the monthlong special session are trying to assert more authority across the pandemic. Republican lawmakers are trying to lessen Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards’ emergency authority, give the Legislature more say in what emergency decisions are made and revoke some of Edwards’ current coronavirus restrictions.
This legislation represents a backdoor approach to forcing the organization to accept two lawmakers for its board. The bill would ban schools that receive public funds from participating in any sports event overseen or sponsored by an association that does not include two lawmakers with voting rights on its governing board. Read the full story.
