Editor’s Note: We’re passing this along as a quality reference for our readers interested in what’s happening at the State Capitol this week; LABI is tracking the legislation most consequential to Louisiana’s economic future and provides a preview of what will be heard in the various committees in the next several days…

Paycheck Protection

Government resources should be used solely for activities leading to the proper and efficient execution of governmental functions. Collecting union dues is not such an activity.These dues are collected and remitted at taxpayer expense for unions to engage in what many believe to be anti-taxpayer activities.Therefore, LABI supports the elimination of union dues collection by taxpayer-funded agencies through automatic payroll deductions.

HB 418 by Rep. Stuart Bishop and SB 204 by Sen. Danny Martiny will prohibit the automatic deduction of union dues by state and local government.
Pending House and Senate Labor.

Visit paycheckprotectionla.com to learn more. Send your organization’s logo to laurenj@labi.org to join the Louisiana for Paycheck Protection Coalition.

Infrastructure

With the tremendous growth underway in Louisiana’s economy, businesses and workers face significant and time-sensitive challenges in transportation and infrastructure. LABI supports sensible, fiscally responsible solutions that better leverage dollars for transportation to enhance and sustain that economic growth.

SB 221 by Sen. Robert Adley repeals and restarts the “trigger” on the dedication of motor vehicle sales taxes to the Transportation Trust Fund and an infrastructure bank.
Pending Senate Finance.

HB 208 by Rep. Terry Landry reduces the utilization of the Transportation Trust Fund for State Police traffic control.
Pending House Appropriations; scheduled for April 20.

HB 157 by Rep. Mike Danahay and SB 160 by Sen. Norby Chabert dedicate 15 percent of future surplus funds to highways.
HB 157 is pending House Appropriations; SB 160 is pending Senate Finance. 

Judicial Transparency

We should expect transparency within the judicial branch just as we do from the executive and legislative arms of state government. LABI supports transparency to increase public accountability for ethics and efficiency in the budgeting and operations of Louisiana’s courts.

HB 696 by Rep. Neil Abramson require the judiciary to prepare an annual report on the budgets of the Supreme Court, appeals courts, district courts, and family and juvenile courts.
Pending House and Civil Law.

HB 293 by Rep. Taylor Barras require the judiciary to post contracts online.
Pending House Judiciary.

HB 294 by Rep. Stuart Bishop codifies the personal financial disclosure mandates for judges and post them online.
Pending House Judiciary.