Legislation by Senate President Page Cortez requiring the Governor to meet with the Legislature before extending public health emergencies clears committee. Included in the proposal, the Chief Justice of the Louisiana State Supreme Court must also be informed of any decisions ahead of time. Cortez says the ongoing pandemic inspired the legislation.
Democrats are pushing back against those Republican efforts in the special session to restrict or change the Governor’s public health authority or require him to consult with the Legislature. Baton Rouge Representative Ted James says nearly all Democrats back the Governor’s pandemic decisions and says there’s a difference between campaigning and governing.
Aiding southwest Louisiana with hurricane Laura recovery efforts is a topic of the current special session. Lake Charles Senator Ronnie Johns says there’s a series of laws on the books that state if a business is non-operational for a certain amount of time they lose their license.
Johns says his first priority though is securing funding for the region’s school districts.
The state surpasses 5,300 COVID-19 fatalities with 10 new deaths being reported today. The total case count is 165,624… increasing by 553 out of just over 18,000 tests. Hospitalizations increase by 15 to 578, with 80 of those on ventilators.