Hodge-podge of new state laws proposed

During the regular session of the state Legislature, which began Monday, state Sen. Reggie Dupre of Houma filed a bill changing the current Louisiana law mandating that public works projects costing more than $100,000 must be put out to bid.

That bill was one among many dozens filed by Tri-parish area lawmakers, including a proposal to eliminate the Tulane University Legislative Scholarship Program by state Rep. Jerome Richard of Lafourche Parish.

State agencies and local governments currently can use their own regular maintenance employees on projects costing below $100,000. Dupre’s bill would raise the threshold to $200,000.

Dupre said he filed the bill on behalf of the Police Jury Association of Louisiana.

“The $100,000 was placed many years ago,” Dupre said.

The amount needs to be adjusted because of inflation, he said. Construction costs have skyrocketed since Hurricane Katrina.

“We’re having problems getting things built,” Dupre said. “Contractors are not interested in smaller scale projects. Agencies have the resources to do it. “

State Rep. Damon Baldone of Houma filed a similar bill to Dupre’s in the House, though Baldone’s removes the threshold altogether, authorizing state and local government employees to work on all public works projects without putting them out to bid.

The Terrebonne Parish Council at its meeting last Wednesday passed a resolution supporting the Police Jury Association’s effort to raise the threshold to $200,000.

Pet scholarship program questioned

Richard said state legislators should not have the authority to dispense full-tuition scholarships to Tulane University, which he said are worth $35,000 yearly.

However, Richard would not object to Tulane University deciding which students receive the scholarship as long as the students meet certain requirements.

Tulane receives million of dollars in state property tax breaks in exchange for the scholarships. The program is not need-based. Scholarships can be given out to legislators’ close relatives.

Richard said 142 out of 144 state legislators distributed Tulane scholarships last year.

Hodgepodge of bills would change way state does business

Richard also filed bills allowing parishes to use their government Web sites as official journals instead of newspapers and prohibiting the use of campaign donations to pay for campaign finance violations.

State Rep. Sam Jones, who represents St. Mary Parish, filed a bill eliminating the provision in state law requiring some members of the St. Mary Levee District to own property to serve on the Levee District board.

“It’s not fair to people who don’t own property,” Jones said. “What if someone liquidates his property to move into a condo but wants to serve on the board?”

State Rep. Jerry Gisclair, who represents Lafourche Parish, filed a bill requiring entering ninth graders to have a vaccination against meningococcal disease.

Gisclair said Marty and Jeri-Lynn Acosta of Galliano, who lost their college-age son Robert to the disease, asked him for assistance. The Acostas have campaigned nationally against the disease.

Gisclair also filed a bill requiring restaurants in the state to display on their menus and signs the state or country of origin of the cooked seafood used by the restaurants.

“A lot comes from Alaska,” he said. “If it’s imported shrimp from Thailand or Vietnam, it could have (harmful) bacteria present. It’s killing our shrimp industry and hurting our crawfish industry.”

State Rep. Joe Harrison, who represents St. Mary and Lafourche parishes, filed a bill requiring all state agencies to submit to the state commissioner of administration an itemized monthly report of spending.

The reports would have to be posted on a Web site.

He also filed a bill allowing immigrants to Louisiana employed in farm jobs to obtain biometric cards to work in the state.

“The jail system is full,” he said. “People from many countries are breaking the law. Louisiana has to enforce the law we thought the U.S. government would. We’re going to protect our citizens.”

Local lawmakers proposed bills

Other bills filed by Tri-parish area legislators include:

• A constitutional amendment by Dupre allowing landowners who donate property to the state in parishes lying along the Gulf Coast to keep the mineral rights to the land

• A bill filed by Baldone expanding the types of sellers who can sign non-compete agreements with buyers. The list would grow to take in corporations, partnerships and limited liability corporations. Dupre filed a similar bill in the Senate.

• Several bills filed by Baldone dealing with criminal sentences and supporting crime victims’ rights, including raising the number of crimes not subject to suspension of sentence; increasing the amount of jail credit earned by inmates serving consecutive sentences, and allowing crime victims to receive a photograph of an inmate 10 days before the inmate’s release.

• A bill by Richard prohibiting all smoking in nursing homes

• A bill filed by Gisclair requiring political advertisements shown within 30 days of an election to have the name of the person or group paying for them clearly displayed on the advertisement. The legislation is aimed at last-minute attack ads by third parties, he said.

• Another Gisclair bill requiring insurers to offer homeowners’ insurance, including windstorm and hail coverage, at rates no higher than those charged by the Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation in the parish containing the home. The Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation is a nonprofit organization providing property insurance at noncompetitive rates to people unable to get insurance in the marketplace.

• A bill filed by Harrison making educational opportunities for children in the state with exceptionalities conform more closely to federal guidelines

• A bill by Jones expanding restrictions in the state ethics code on local public officials applying for subdivisions and zoning on property they own. The proposal includes parishes and towns of 25,000 or less.

• A bill filed by state Rep. Gordon Dove, who represents Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes, depositing $100 million from the state general fund into two barrier islands and coastal passes stabilization funds. “I remind the administration every year about the barrier islands,” Dove said. “I make sure we keep the money flowing.”

Proposed bills would address need for skilled workers

Several bills were filed in the regular session addressing the need for skilled workers in Louisiana. State Sen. Butch Gautreaux of Morgan City, who as chairman of the Senate Retirement Committee filed bills dealing with retirement funding, took issue with some of the workforce development proposals.

Some of the bills take power away from the state and put money into local workforce boards.

“I don’t know how I feel about that,” Gautreaux said.

He said the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry wrote many of the workforce development bills.

“Will it address issues of lower wages?” Gautreaux said. “Jobs without benefits packages? We won’t develop a reliable workforce unless they know they can support their family and have quality of life.”

“Security is something workers look at,” he said. “Jobs that come and go with contractors, jobs that don’t provide vacation and retirement-it’s hard to get them enthusiastic about work when they’re not sure these issues will be addressed.”