Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature Week 10

[00:00:10] Welcome to the Pelican Brief, with your host David Tatman.

[00:00:29] Welcome to the Pelican Brief, I am your host David Tatman.

[00:00:32] Thank you so much for tuning in.

[00:00:35] So today we're going to talk about what happened during week 9 of the 2024 regular session

[00:00:41] of the Louisiana Legislature and what to expect in week 10.

[00:00:46] We are in the home stretch of the 2024 regular session.

[00:00:51] The committee meeting schedule was pretty heavy last week and is expected to be heavy

[00:00:57] for really the next two weeks as we again head into this home stretch.

[00:01:02] One thing that is certain is that the house and the Senate floor calendars are packed.

[00:01:09] They have a lot of work to do to clear their floor calendars and will be there today

[00:01:16] and every day to watch what's going on and to let you know what we know.

[00:01:21] Expect a bunch of late nights and perhaps even week in work in the final three weeks

[00:01:29] of the legislative session.

[00:01:32] So what are the things that are going on?

[00:01:34] So we're still talking constitutional convention, CC24.

[00:01:39] The bill everyone seems to be watching and waiting on is the proposed constitutional

[00:01:46] convention.

[00:01:47] HP 800 by Representative Bobo Ye has now passed the House of Representatives.

[00:01:53] It passed with 75 votes, 7 more than the 2-thirds needed to pass the bill.

[00:02:00] The bill now heads to the Senate and governmental affairs committee for its next stop.

[00:02:05] So there's been quite a few amendments.

[00:02:08] The bill as it currently stands, the constitutional convention would begin no earlier than

[00:02:15] May 20, 2024 and at least three days after the Speaker of the House issues a proclamation

[00:02:23] setting the time and date of convening.

[00:02:27] There continue to be outlined 171 delegates, that's 105 House members 39 Senators and 27

[00:02:37] Gubernatorial appointees.

[00:02:39] It requires that the submission of the proposed constitution be not later than August

[00:02:45] 15, 2024.

[00:02:48] That proposal will be included on the follow-alections ballot for consideration by a public

[00:02:54] vote during the presidential election.

[00:02:59] Quick reminder, the amendments have changed the bill a good bit.

[00:03:04] Articles 1 through 4 of the Constitution would not be included in the constitutional convention.

[00:03:11] The MFP retirement and homestead exemption are now off the table and the timeline has changed

[00:03:17] as I mentioned earlier.

[00:03:20] It needs to be a try, a formal format with the House, the Senate and the Gubernatorial

[00:03:25] appointees operating as distinct and separate entities and they would not have any provisions

[00:03:33] to provide for private funding.

[00:03:37] HB800 could be debated as soon as this week.

[00:03:41] Keep in mind that there has always been concerns that the bill may have trouble in the

[00:03:46] Senate.

[00:03:47] Senate President Cameron Henry has not been affirmative in his support for a constitutional

[00:03:52] convention or this bill in particular.

[00:03:56] Others Senators have expressed their lack of enthusiasm about doing a constitutional convention

[00:04:02] now after two special sessions and a very long and in depth regular session.

[00:04:10] We'll see, we'll see what happens.

[00:04:11] We're going to know soon.

[00:04:12] Let's talk about a couple of other things that are being discussed.

[00:04:16] Words in commissions.

[00:04:18] The Senate has watered down a bill backed by Governor Jeff Landry that would have broadened

[00:04:24] the governor's authority relative to the appointments to boards in Louisiana.

[00:04:31] Senate bill 462 by Senator Valerie Hodges of Denham Springs as originally filed would have

[00:04:38] given Governor Landry broader power to make appointments to boards.

[00:04:45] It would have also allowed him to decide who serves as the chair of each of those entities.

[00:04:51] This is usually done by a vote of that board or a nominating process depending on how

[00:04:57] they're set up.

[00:04:59] The bill, as amended, would remove the state's four higher education boards from the

[00:05:06] bill with regard to appointing who the leader of that board would be.

[00:05:12] Parliament and pension boards were also excluded in amendments on the floor.

[00:05:17] Landry has expressed his desire to enact his political policy priorities quickly.

[00:05:23] The bill did pass the Senate by a vote of 28 to 10, the bill now hedged to the House

[00:05:29] Governmental Affairs Committee.

[00:05:31] Keep in mind there are a few other bills that are in the process that do similar things,

[00:05:37] not exactly the same thing but that deal with boards and commissions appointments and

[00:05:41] leadership.

[00:05:42] So we'll know very soon about how all of this will end up.

[00:05:47] So let's move over to insurance which we've been talking about all session.

[00:05:50] I've got some good news and bad news.

[00:05:52] The good news is the package of bills designated to impact property insurance rates has

[00:05:58] passed the legislature and been signed by the Governor.

[00:06:02] That's Tim Temples package that was put together to try to bring some relief to the property

[00:06:07] insurance markets and property insurance rates in Louisiana.

[00:06:11] What's the bad news?

[00:06:13] There's no help on the way to lower auto insurance rates.

[00:06:17] There are a few bills that are still floating around but it is unlikely that anything

[00:06:21] significant will pass.

[00:06:23] So for auto insurance rates, expect your rates to continue to rise and to be high.

[00:06:30] Let's switch over to elections.

[00:06:32] The Louisiana Congressional elections that are scheduled for this fall, not very far away.

[00:06:38] The three judge panel in-surey for throughout the congressional maps that were passed

[00:06:43] in the first special session of 2024.

[00:06:46] That map created a new majority minority district in Louisiana or a new black district.

[00:06:53] The federal court ruled that the maps were developed basically and primarily on race

[00:07:01] and this would be a violation of the Voting Rights Act.

[00:07:06] Louisiana Attorney General Liz Merrill asked the U.S. Supreme Court to suspend the judicial

[00:07:11] panels order that rejected those maps that were drawn.

[00:07:15] If that does not happen, the state will be forced to use the maps it used in the last election.

[00:07:21] And remember that would be pretty old maps.

[00:07:24] It would be the 2022 maps.

[00:07:27] That map is only one majority minority congressional district and that district is currently

[00:07:33] held by Troy Carter of New Orleans.

[00:07:36] We've been eye on this.

[00:07:37] There are deadlines from the Secretary of State that have to be met in order to do what

[00:07:42] needs to be done to get the districts organized for the fall election.

[00:07:47] Secretary of State Nancy Landry has set a deadline of May 15th in order to be able to

[00:07:54] have that election.

[00:07:56] Otherwise, they will use the maps that are currently in the system.

[00:08:01] So let's move on over to public records.

[00:08:03] We've talked a little bit about this bill in the past.

[00:08:06] But we've got some new players in it.

[00:08:09] Former Governor John Bell Edwards has weighed in on Senate Bill 482 by Senator Cloud

[00:08:15] that provides four public records.

[00:08:18] The press, as you know, are apoplectic over this bill.

[00:08:22] If you read the articles or watch the news channels, they're going crazy over this issue.

[00:08:27] John Bell Edwards has weighed in.

[00:08:28] He doesn't like it.

[00:08:29] Doesn't think it should be that way.

[00:08:31] It's kind of interesting to hear a former governor get involved that quick in a new governor's

[00:08:38] politics.

[00:08:39] So as I mentioned, in a public, a Bible public record, in a previous episodes, public records

[00:08:46] requests can sometimes be used to harass elected and appointed officials.

[00:08:53] And in doing so, it doesn't cost the appointed or elected officials anything.

[00:08:57] It costs the taxpayers of Louisiana millions of dollars at state and local levels.

[00:09:02] I'm all for public access to information, but the truth is you can get most of the information

[00:09:07] you need online if you want it.

[00:09:09] You can also subget its opinion if you want it.

[00:09:12] You can also ask an elected official to get it for you.

[00:09:16] In my time as a public official, it was weaponized.

[00:09:19] I was used against me in a way that was designed to harass or intimidate me.

[00:09:25] So keep an eye on this.

[00:09:26] That's the primary reason why I think you're seeing this bill.

[00:09:31] Don't know if it'll pass, but I do want to watch it because it definitely will

[00:09:37] it will bring a very significant change in the public records law that will kind of

[00:09:47] set the tone for how things will be moving forward.

[00:09:51] So let's talk about synthetic nicotine.

[00:09:53] We talked about vapor.

[00:09:54] We talked a little bit about this, but synthetic nicotine has become a pretty big fight

[00:09:59] in this session.

[00:10:00] So it is synthetic nicotine sounds eerie, I should have some background music for that.

[00:10:06] It is nicotine that is not derived from tobacco.

[00:10:09] It's created in labs.

[00:10:11] It's used in vapor products, but more recently and more predominantly it's used in

[00:10:15] pouches that are usually labeled by their strength.

[00:10:20] So products like on juicet, v-low and others have packaging that would say 1 milligram

[00:10:28] or 3 milligrams or 8 milligrams.

[00:10:31] And to give you a little bit of relative consideration when you smoke a cigarette, a single

[00:10:39] cigarette you get about about a gram and a half of nicotine impact.

[00:10:46] Some of these products are at 8 grams.

[00:10:48] So it would be like smoking 3 cigarettes all at once.

[00:10:51] Maybe it's a good thing.

[00:10:52] I don't know.

[00:10:53] I do know that the FBA has been FDA food and drug administration has banned these products.

[00:11:00] However in Louisiana, we're a poor poise to pass a bill by Representative Boe Boe

[00:11:05] ier to make them legal.

[00:11:08] House bill 970 would do just that.

[00:11:11] So keep an eye on it.

[00:11:12] This bill will be likely in committee this week.

[00:11:15] And we'll see if it's going to squeeze out a committee and head to the floor.

[00:11:21] A couple other things I want to talk about one is money.

[00:11:24] Louisiana's income projections will give the legislature more money to spend over the next

[00:11:29] year, actually over the next two years.

[00:11:31] The revenue estimating committee increased its projections for an additional $197 million

[00:11:38] for the 23 24 fiscal year and an additional $87 million in the 24 25 fiscal year.

[00:11:46] It's more money for the legislators to spend on priority projects or whatever else it

[00:11:52] is they want to spend.

[00:11:54] While the budget is still being considered, this will give the legislators direction

[00:12:00] on how much money they have to spend as they finalize the budget in the final days of

[00:12:05] the legislative session.

[00:12:07] Keep in mind as we approach June 30, 2025 that the point four five sales tax sunsets.

[00:12:16] That means that there will be about a half a billion dollar hole in revenues, beginning

[00:12:25] in 26 25 26 fiscal years.

[00:12:28] So keep an eye on the money.

[00:12:30] Show me the money.

[00:12:32] Follow the money.

[00:12:34] Finally, in local politics wanted to share with you a little bit about the new city of

[00:12:40] St. George.

[00:12:42] The Louisiana Supreme Court has overturned several lower court rulings and voted

[00:12:47] 43 to allow the city of St. George to move forward.

[00:12:51] Metro Council member and leader Lamont Cole had filed lawsuit to try to stop it.

[00:12:58] He was a plaintiff in that lawsuit.

[00:13:01] His only option moving forward is to ask for a re-hearing.

[00:13:07] He has indicated he will ask for that re-hearing.

[00:13:11] If that re-hearing is denied, the city of St. George will become official right away.

[00:13:15] If the Supreme Court decides to grant a re-hearing one or more of the justices who voted

[00:13:21] for allowing the city of St. George to move forward would have to flip.

[00:13:25] That is not likely to happen.

[00:13:27] So what do you need to know about the city of St. George?

[00:13:30] A couple of things.

[00:13:31] One is, it's not named after St. George church in school.

[00:13:34] It is fashioned after the St. George fire department.

[00:13:37] One of the top fire departments in the state and in the country just FYI.

[00:13:44] What else do you need to know?

[00:13:45] The governor will have to appoint five council members, the initial five council members

[00:13:52] and a mayor in order to work on the development and the organization of the city of St. George.

[00:13:58] Once the city of St. George gets up and running, it will be the eighth largest city

[00:14:03] in Louisiana or about the size of the canner.

[00:14:07] It's hard for me to say canner without saying bra.

[00:14:10] So canner bra.

[00:14:11] Sorry.

[00:14:12] There is no school system currently in the city of St. George.

[00:14:18] East Baton Rouge Paris School System operates within the city of St. George.

[00:14:24] In order to get their own independent school district, the legislature would need to pass

[00:14:28] a constitutional amendment with two-thirds vote in both bodies.

[00:14:32] There is no instrument to do it this year.

[00:14:34] So the first it could be, first time it could be considered, would be next year.

[00:14:39] The measure would then go to the voters and it would have to pass statewide,

[00:14:46] and within the confines of the new school district, whatever that would look like.

[00:14:51] If any one of those three failed then the school district failed.

[00:14:56] So it's a pretty big lift, a pretty big climb.

[00:15:00] The school district's boundaries also do not have to be contiguous with the new city of St. George.

[00:15:07] The whole process is likely to take about two to three years.

[00:15:11] So if a new school district does pass, it will not need new taxes because it will likely

[00:15:18] be the fourth richest school district in the state.

[00:15:22] So no new taxes for schools in the city of St. George, but perhaps for the municipal services.

[00:15:27] We don't really know.

[00:15:29] But wanted to give you a little bit of an update on that if you've been reading it, everyone

[00:15:33] is calling me and saying, well when does our new school district happen with the city

[00:15:38] of St. George and I have to let them know that it is a municipality, not a school district,

[00:15:42] that would come later. So again, that's our show for today.

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