After most of Tuesday was consumed by lawsuit reform arguments the Legislature managed to get some other issues moving through the process Wednesday. Legislation banning handheld use of mobile devices while driving clears the Senate and is headed to the House.
And the full Senate also overwhelmingly passed a bill giving voters a chance to decide if they want sports betting legalized in their parish. Metairie Senator Cameron Henry says if his proposal gets full legislative approval, the proposition will appear on the November third ballot
AM Cut 16 (13) “…moving forward.”
Henry says if residents in a parish vote for this proposition, then the legislature will decide how it will be taxed and regulated during the 2021 fiscal session…
While the House Appropriations Committee awaits a budget proposal from Governor Edwards lawmakers are planning what they hope will be an expedient path to passage. The proposal must include a billion dollars in cuts due to the COVID and oil related deficits, and House Appropriations Chairman Jerome Zeringue says the unfortunate reality of a billion-dollar deficit is that our constitution is clear on where those cuts must come from…
A balanced budget must be passed by the start of the next fiscal year, July 1st.
Zeringue says crafting that budget is difficult because right now we don’t know how much federal aid the state will get, or how we can use it.
Thursday a slate of minimum wage and equal pay for women bills will be taken up by a House Committee that is known for routinely shooting down such efforts.