Senate has questions about House's state budget bill

Advocate staff photo by RICHARD ALAN HANNON -- State Sen. Fred Mills Jr., R-St. Martinville, left, applauds state Sen. Eric LaFleur, D-Ville Platte on LaFleur's announcement during the Senate Committee on Finance meeting Thursday that he was last year's Louisiana Swine Festival king in Basile. The announcement was a lighthearted moment during an otherwise weighty meeting on state budget issues.

State senators cracked open the Louisiana House’s version of the nearly $25 billion state spending plan Thursday and immediately raised questions. Members of the state Senate Finance Committee focused their concerns on a planned tax amnesty program, severance tax adjustments and the TOPS program. State Sen. Fred Mills characterized one piece of the plan … Continue reading →

Legislative Coverage from May 17, 2013

Coverage of the 2013 Regular Session of the La. Legislature. For previous coverage of this session go to http://theadvocate.com/news/politics . The website for the Legislature is at http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/home.aspx . Live coverage of the session is provided by LPB each day from 2-6 p.m. Continue reading →

Friday at the Legislature

HOUSE CONVENES MONDAY AT 4:00 p.m. SENATE CONVENES MONDAY AT 4:00 p.m. JOINT LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE ON THE BUDGET. 9:30 a.m. in Committee Room 5. Agenda includes: LOUISIANA STATE EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM, THE TEACHERS RETIREMENT SYSTEM OF LOUISIANA, THE LOUISIANA SCHOOL EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM AND THE LOUISIANA STATE POLICE RETIREMENT &HELLIP; Continue reading →

School funding to be considered next week

One day after rejecting a public school spending plan, a legislative leader said Thursday his committee will consider a slightly different version submitted by Louisiana’s top school board. The latest proposal will allow the panel to consider a $3.5 billion spending plan without forcing a new proposal from the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, said … Continue reading →

New Orleans firefighters bill causes controversy in La House

Advocate staff photo by RICHARD ALAN HANNON -- State Rep. Kevin Pearson, R-Slidell, left, squares off Thursday with state Rep. Jeff Arnold, D-New Orleans, far right, bottom, over his bill, House Bill 49, as State Reps. Karen St. Germain, D-Pierre Part, Chris Leopold, R-Port Sulphur, and Jack Montoucet, D-Crowley, watch.

A fight between the New Orleans firefighters and the city’s mayor caused the unusual occurrence Thursday in the Louisiana Legislature of a committee chairman having his bill tabled. The House soundly rejected an effort Thursday to advance a competing vehicle for addressing problems with the New Orleans Firefighters Retirement System. New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu is … Continue reading →

Bill would create election day

No statewide election is scheduled this year but an effort is underway to slate one so Louisiana voters can decide the fate of proposed constitutional amendments approved in the current legislative session. House Bill 522, which calls for an Oct. 19 special statewide election, moved out of committee Friday at the request of House Speaker Chuck Kleckley, … Continue reading →

Jindal’s state salary provides main income in 2012

Gov. Bobby Jindal’s latest financial disclosure report, released Thursday, shows his $127,592-a-year state salary provided the main source of income for him and his wife in 2012. Jindal’s yearly report was filed with the state Board of Ethics by deadline. It doesn’t show net worth. The report shows the couple also received income from capital … Continue reading →

Change to teacher retirements advances

Legislation prohibiting future teacher union employees from receiving state retirement benefits cleared the Louisiana House Thursday after fierce debate. House Bill 727 would not allow employees hired after Sept. 1 by the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, the Louisiana Association of Educators, the Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana and the Louisiana Resource Center for Educators to belong to … Continue reading →

Social networking while driving bill nears final vote

With little debate Thursday, the Louisiana House backed a measure that would make it illegal to tweet, post on Facebook and use other social network sites while driving. Senate Bill 147 heads back to the state Senate for concurrence on a change that exempted ham radio operators from the ban. The House voted 94-0 in favor … Continue reading →

Baton Rouge mayor visits Legislature

Advocate staff photo by RICHARD ALAN HANNON

Baton Rouge Mayor-President Kip Holden, center, bottom, looks out onto the state Senate floor as he visits the body on Thursday. Holden first came to the Capitol as a state representative in 1988. He served as a state senator from 2002-2004 before being elected mayor-president.

Tax credits questioned

Lawmakers in the Louisiana House have bumped up their scrutiny of tax break proposals that often have won easy and quick passage in previous years. State Rep. Walt Leger, D-New Orleans, won passage of his House Bill 726 to revamp a tax credit program that doles out tax credits as percentages of investments made into certain types … Continue reading →

Movie credits to be measured

Motion picture production companies wanting to qualify for Louisiana tax credits would first have to submit a certified audit of the planned expenditures to the state, under a bill approved Thursday by the state Senate. The cost report analyzed by an independent certified public accountant would have to be submitted before a tax credit is issued. Under … Continue reading →

Battle of New Orleans plates approved by Legislature

The 200th anniversary of the Battle of New Orleans will be commemorated on Louisiana’s license plates, starting next year. House Concurrent Resolution 67 requiring that license plates issued for private passenger vehicles from 2014 through 2015 should honor the battle’s bicentennial received final passage Thursday with a unanimous vote of the state Senate. The current pelican … Continue reading →

Toughened school safety bill wins final passage

Public schools, already required to have written crisis management plans, will now have to coordinate those plans with local law enforcement and emergency preparedness officials — and hold annual safety drills to rehearse them. House Bill 718 rewriting Louisiana’s school safety law received final passage Thursday with a unanimous Senate vote. It comes in response to the … Continue reading →

Legislative Coverage from May 16, 2013

Legislative Coverage from May 15, 2013

Legislative Coverage for May 14, 2013

Legislative Coverage from May 13, 2013

Legislative Coverage from May 10, 2013

Legislative Coverage from May 9, 2013

Legislative Coverage from May 8, 2013

Legislative Coverage from May 7, 2013

Legislative Coverage from May 6, 2013

Legislative Coverage from May 3, 2013

Coverage of the 2013 Regular Session of the La. Legislature. The session will reconvene on Monday, May 6. There are no meetings on Friday, May 3. For previous coverage of this session go to http://theadvocate.com/news/politics . The website for the Legislature is at http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/home.aspx . Live coverage of the session is provided by LPB each day from 2-6 p.m. Continue reading →

Legislative Coverage from May 2, 2013

Legislative Coverage from May 1, 2013

Legislative Coverage from April 30, 2013

Legislative Coverage from April 29, 2013

Legislative Coverage from April 26, 2013

Legislative Coverage from April 25, 2013

Coverage of the 2013 Regular Session of the La. Legislature. There are only a few meetings scheduled on Friday, April 26, at the Legislature. See Friday in the Legislature. For previous coverage of this session go to http://theadvocate.com/news/politics . The website for the Legislature is at http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/home.aspx . Live coverage of the session is provided by LPB each day from 2-6 p.m. Continue reading →

Legislative Coverage from April 24, 2013

Legislative Coverage from April 23, 2013

Legislative Coverage from April 22, 2013

Legislative Coverage from April 18, 2013

Coverage of the 2013 Regular Session of the La. Legislature. There are no meetings on Friday, April 19. For previous coverage of this session go to http://theadvocate.com/news/politics . The website for the Legislature is at http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/home.aspx . Live coverage of the session is provided by LPB each day from 2-6 p.m. Continue reading →

Legislative Coverage from April 17, 2013

Legislative Coverage from April 16, 2013

Legislative Coverage from April 15, 2013

Legislative Coverage from April 12, 2013

Coverage of the 2013 Regular Session of the La. Legislature. There is no planned legislative action scheduled for Friday, April 12. For previous coverage of this session go to http://theadvocate.com/news/politics . The website for the Legislature is at http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/home.aspx . Live coverage of the session is provided by LPB each day from 2-6 p.m. Continue reading →

Legislative Coverage from April 11, 2013

Legislative Coverage from April 10, 2013

Legislative Coverage from April 9, 2013

Legislative Coverage from April 8, 2013

The 2013 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature convenes at noon on Monday, April 8, 2013. Gov. Bobby Jindal will address the legislature at 1 p.m. The Advocate’s coverage of the session will be available here each day and at http://theadvocate.com/news/politics . The website for the Legislature is at http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/home.aspx . Live coverage of the session will be provided by LPB each day from 2-6 p.m. Continue reading →

Thursday in the Legislature

House convenes at 9:00 a.m. Senate convenes at 9:00 a.m. Appropriations. At adjournment in Committee Room 5. Agenda includes: Presentation by Dept. of Revenue on tax issues Commerce. At Adjournment in Committee Room 1. Agenda includes: … Continue reading →

Panel sends public school funding bill back to BESE

Advocate staff photo by RICHARD ALAN HANNON -- Gov. Bobby Jindal greets a crowd of schoolchildren Wednesday before speaking during a rally on the State Capitol steps in support of his voucher program, which allows some students to attend private and parochial school at state expense.

A state Senate panel Wednesday rejected a $3.5 billion funding request for public schools, further muddling an already confused picture on how classrooms will be funded. The Senate Education Committee approved a resolution, without objection, that asks the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to submit a new request in light of last week’s ruling by … Continue reading →

Panel adds $155 million to spending plan

Advocate staff photo by RICHARD ALAN HANNON -- Greg Albrecht, left, chief economist for the Legislative Fiscal Office, along with Patrick Goldsmith with the House fiscal division, Manfred Dix, an economist with the Division of Administration, and state Rep. Robert Billiot, D-Waggaman, talk Wednesday following the Revenue Estimating Conference meeting.

Legislators got an extra $155 million to spend Wednesday on next year’s state spending plan. With the dollars officially recognized, debate can begin on how to spend them. The governor and legislators already disagreed on how to fund the state’s public colleges and universities before the modest windfall. A number of legislators want to use the … Continue reading →

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