In about a week and a half, on March 29, lawmakers will gather in Baton Rouge to kick off their 2010 regular session. While there are new fiscal challenges, there will still be the same old cornucopia of policy ideas that will grab our interests, maybe make us laugh and definitely have us scratching our heads. So far, House members have filed 533 bills for consideration and senators have filed 119 bills.
Here’s a brief overview of a few that you’ll likely hear more about in the coming weeks and months:
:: House Bill 119 by Rep. Scott Simon, R-Abita Springs, would classify as litter any printed materials that ware left on a windshield or under a windshield wiper
:: House Bill 271 by Rep. Fred Mills, D-Parks, creates the crime of illegally selling urine or adulterants to circumvent screening tests
:: House Bill 296 by Rep. Nita Hutter, R-Chalmette, allows a public servant to accept certain gifts for customary social occasions
:: House Bill 387 by Rep. Joe Harrison, R-Napoleonville, would require an online database be built to display monthly spending reports from each state department and every agency of the executive branch.
:: House Bill 430 by Rep. Stephen Pugh, R-Ponchatoula, would require that all strawberries be labeled to show the farm of origin
:: House Bill 470 by Rep. Rickey Hardy, D-Lafayette, is a constitutional amendment that would prohibit a person 70 years old or older from qualifying for elective office
:: House Bill 487 by Harrison provides that the lieutenant governor shall serve as commissioner of administration
:: House Bill 489 by Harrison is a constitutional amendment that would abolish the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education
:: House Bill 500 by Rep. Wayne Waddell, R-Shreveport, would removes the exemption in public records laws currently enjoyed by economic development negotiations
:: House Bill 503 by Rep. Michael Danahay, D-Sulphur, establishes the “Louisiana Homemade Beer Law” to determine the “amount of homemade beer that may be made” and how it can be transported to “exhibitions, contests, competitions, fairs, or festivals.”
:: House Bill 529 by Rep. Patricia Smith, D-Baton Rouge, requires sex education in public schools
:: Senate Bill 38 by Sen. Danny Martiny, R-Metairie, creates the crime of participation in cockfighting
:: Senate Bill 32 by Sen. J.P. Morrell, D-New Orleans, provides that state government emails are public records and requires public servants to execute written acknowledgement that such emails are considered public
:: Senate Bill 95 by Sen. Dan Morrish, R-Jennings, is a constitutional amendment to abolish the offices of lieutenant governor and state treasurer
To view all of these bills in their entirety, plus hundreds more, click here.
