Call to Action
Hello friends,
We have just a week and a half left of special session and there’s a lot to cover, so let’s just jump in.
POLICING & LAW ENFORCEMENT SYSTEMS
“For those of you who are offended by the words, just look at me and Royce and think about how offended we are by the actions.”
-Rep. Ted James
Last week, Representative Ted James presented HR 13 to the House and Governmental Affairs Committee, which aimed to create a task force studying policing and law enforcement systems in light of George Floyd’s murder. Republican Representative Dodie Horton called it “the most racist document she had ever seen,” and rejected what she viewed as “offensive language” along with Reps. Johnson and Beaullieu. The Republicans refused to pass the Resolution until all language referencing race or George Floyd was stripped. Thank you to Reps. Ted James, Sam Jenkins, Royce Duplessis and Candace Newell for fighting to get this Resolution through. And shoutout to Rep. Barry Ivey for being the lone Republican who wasn’t clutching his pearls over the language—just grazing them at times.
There is a similar Senate Resolution, SCR 7 by Senator Cleo Fields, which creates the Police Training, Screening, and De-escalation Task Force, that is also currently making its way through the Legislature.
Finally, Representative Rodney Lyons has introduced HR 9, asking the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office to implement a body camera program, which has been a rallying cry since the death of Modesto Reyes.
CALL TO ACTION
Email the House Criminal Justice Committee before 9am Thursday, June 18th and ask them to support SCR 7 and HR 9.
Email addresses:
"Hon. Ted James" <james.ted@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Tony Bacala" <bacalat@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Marcus Anthony Bryant" <hse096@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Bryan Fontenot" <hse055@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Jonathan Goudeau" <hse031@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Frederick Jones" <hse016@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. C. Denise Marcelle" <marcelled@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Joseph Marino III" <marinoj@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Scott McKnight" <hse068@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Nicholas Muscarello" <muscarellon@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Richard Nelson" <hse089@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Alan Seabaugh" <seabaugha@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Debbie Villio" <hse079@legis.la.gov>
Script:
Dear Members of the House Criminal Justice Committee:
Please vote for both resolutions-HR 9 for body cameras to be used in Jefferson Parish and SCR 7 to create a “Police Training, Screening, and De-escalation Task Force” to hold law enforcement accountable and stop the killing of black men and women.
Sincerely,
Name, zip code
VETO UPDATES
The Governor vetoed HB 197! Although HB 197 technically just added “water control structures” to the definition of critical infrastructure and increased penalties for trespassing and/or vandalizing such structures, this bill would have had the unintended (or perhaps intended) consequence of criminalizing peaceful protest or just a casual stroll along the levee.
The Governor also vetoed HB 846. HB 846 was a payroll incentive for minimum wage jobs, without any protections such as paid sick leave, health insurance or retirement benefits. In addition, it was drafted with little regard to its impact on our already strained budget.
The Governor signed into law the four gun bills we requested he veto. HB 140, HB 781, HB 746, and HB 334 were all signed into law, collectively limiting the power of local governments to regulate guns and now allowing concealed carry in churches. This is a devastating blow to New Orleans and the entire state of Louisiana.
Email the Governor here and tell him thanks but also no thanks. He needs to hear from you. Tell him what he’s doing right and what he’s doing wrong.
POLITICIZING THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS
House Speaker Clay Schexnayder and Senate President Page Cortez have fired John Carpenter, who has served as the independent Legislative Fiscal Officer (LFO) for the past eight years. The LFO is responsible for producing fiscal notes for bills, which basically tells lawmakers how much each piece of legislation will cost the people of Louisiana. It is meant to be an impartial, nonpartisan estimation so that we can continue to keep our budget straight. Although there was no real reason given for Carpenter’s firing, it coincidentally occurred after he produced a fiscal note that killed a bill that would have prohibited parishes from filing lawsuits against oil and gas companies. So ima just let you connect whatever dots you see fit.
Y’all stay safe out there. Keep washing your hands.
Louisianahbrah