Legislation to allow victims of domestic violence with a protective order to carry a concealed handgun with an expedited and temporary permit now moves to the full House. Emelie Gunn has more…
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A bill to expand the list of diseases for which doctors can prescribe medical marijuana barely made it out of the House Health and Welfare Committee. Michelle Southern has more…
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Public school students could start getting lessons in personal finance management, if a bill by Minden Representative Gene Reynolds gains more approval in the legislature. The measure has been approved in the House Education Committee with no objection. Reynolds says this proposal would not create a financial literacy course. He says teachers could add finance lessons to the regular curriculum.
Reynolds says students in every grade can learn something about money. He says even in kindergarten, you learn to count pennies, which he says could be considered financial literacy. He says many schools are already teaching students about finance management.
The bill now moves to the House floor.
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Another proposal aimed at public schools by New Orleans Representative Walt Leger would require students to have wellness exams before entering kindergarten and sixth grade. Leger says this just ensures that any health issue that a student may have can be caught early.
But Houma Representative Beryl Amedee says this could cost the state more money, because kids who use government healthcare would be required to get medically unnecessary exams at the state’s expense.
Leger says parents would be able to opt out of getting the exams, like they can with vaccines. He says these exams would benefit all students who get them, even if they are healthy.
The measure passed on a 59-37 vote and moves to the Senate.
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A bill to allow victims of domestic violence who have been issued a protective order to carry a concealed handgun with an expedited and temporary permit passed out of the House Criminal Justice committee. Author of the legislation, Denham Springs Rep. Valerie Hodges, says according to the FBI, a woman is battered every 15 seconds. She says she is committed to protecting victims of domestic violence.
Hodges says this is a very real problem and right now it takes six to eight weeks to obtain a permit. Wade Duty with the Louisiana Shooting Association says it’s very hard to get into a class and a woman could be killed waiting to take a training course.
The measure now heads to the full House. The NRA supports expediting the process for obtaining concealed carry permit. Hodges says daughters, sisters, and mothers are being murdered at the hands of former loved ones and wants to give them a chance.
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Buying, selling, transporting, or donating fetal tissue from an abortion could earn someone a bed behind bars for at least 10 years, under a proposal by Bossier City Senator Ryan Gatti. The bill has been approved by the Senate, as well as a House committee. Gatti says people should not benefit in any way from induced abortions.
Gatti says this bill does not apply to donating fetal tissue for stem cell research or umbilical cord blood. He says he put every word that could possibly be used for this act, to make sure that everyone involved can be prosecuted.
The measure passed the House Health and Welfare committee without opposition and now heads to the full House.
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A bill that expands the number of diseases for which medical marijuana can be prescribed was narrowly approved by the House Health and Welfare Committee today. St. Martin Parish Senator Fred Mills is the author of the legislation and says he’s encountered many individuals who say medical cannabis can help their child cope with numerous diseases.
When the legislature approved the legal dispensing of medical marijuana last year, they only allowed three different diseases to receive the medication. Katie Corkern says her son, who has uncontrollable seizures, could benefit from medical marijuana and doesn’t understand why lawmakers would oppose a bill that could help her child.
Dr. Will Hall with the Louisiana Baptist Office of Public Policy spoke out against the bill. He says this proposal would put medical marijuana in the hands of more and more people without prescriptions.
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Pete Adams, Executive Director of the Louisiana DA’s Association, also opposes the measure because he says medical cannabis has not been proven to help with these illnesses. He says this bill is a gateway to total legalization.
The bill passed on an 8-6 vote and moves to the full House for more debate.