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American Press
21-06-2025
- Politics
- American Press
Jim Beam column:Voters will see six amendments
Much of the job protection that Louisiana civil service workers enjoy will disappear if voters approve an amendment next April that changes that protecction. Louisiana legislators approved only six of the 21 proposed state constitutional amendments that were filed for their fiscal session that ended June 12. Unfortunately, they approved Senate Bill 8, one that would make it easier to move classified state workers whose jobs are protected by the state's civil service system into unclassified positions that aren't protected. The amendment sponsored by Sen. Jay Morris, R-West Monroe, passed the Senate 28-8 and the House 70-28, the exact two-thirds vote needed. Morris sponsored a similar bill in 2024 that came up two votes short of 70. The civil service system was passed during the term of Gov. Sam Jones of Lake Charles (1940-44) in order to avoid the scandals that occurred after U.S. Sen. Huey Long was assassinated. State employees, those appointed by Long when he was governor, were required to give 5% to 10% of their salaries to Long. They put that money into what was called the 'Deduct Box' that was never found. An AI overview said, 'On the day of his assassination, when asked about the box's whereabouts, Long replied, 'I'll tell you later, Seymour,' but he never revealed its location. Jimmie Davis was governor from 1944-48, and Earl Long, Huey's brother, was governor from 1948-52. Earl Long had a law passed allowing him to appoint members of the Civil Service Commission. That law didn't go far enough to suit him, so Long called a special legislative session in September of 1948 to abolish civil service. Robert F. Kennon was governor from 1952-56. He campaigned on taking 'a civics book' approach to government by eliminating corruption and he re-established the state's civil service system during his first year in office. SB 8 puts the system in danger again. And here is the rest of the amendment story: Five of the amendments that were approved are scheduled to be on the April 18, 2026, ballot seeking statewide voter approval. The sixth one is scheduled for the Nov. 3, 2026, ballot. One proposal that definitely deserved to die would have added two members to the five elected members of the state Public Service Commission that regulates public utilities. Those two would have been appointed by Gov. Jeff Landry. The Senate wisely decided not to eliminate the Revenue Stabilization Trust Fund amendment that would have moved trust funds to the Budget Stabilization Fund (the rainy day fund). It used $1.2 billion of the $3.9 billion in the revenue fund for infrastructure improvements (roads, bridges, ports, airports), and local water systems and college maintenance that has been delayed much too long. In addition to SB 8, here are the other four April 18, 2026, amendments: Senate Bill 25 (Act 218) allows the new city of St. George in East Baton Rouge Parish to create a school system. It cleared the Senate 26-5 and the House 70-24. House Bill 63 (Act 219) would change the mandatory retirement age of judges from 70 to 75. It passed the House 81-16 and the Senate 26-13, the exact two-thirds needed in the Senate. Similar amendments have been defeated by voters. The last vote came in 2014 when 58% of the voters who cast ballots rejected the amendment. HB 366 (Act 221) would authorize parishes to exempt business inventory taxes from property taxes and they would receive state funding if they exempt those taxes. It passed the House and Senate unanimously. HB 473 (Act 222) would eliminate three education trust funds in order to fund $2,250 permanent annual raises for certified teachers and $1,125 for school support workers. The amendment passed the House 95-1 and the Senate unanimously. Here is the Nov. 3, 2026, amendment: HB 300 increases the income limit for qualifying for the special property tax assessment level from $100,000 to $150,000 beginning in 2026. It would be adjusted for inflation annually beginning in 2028. The special assessment protects those who qualify from higher taxes. People who are 65 or older qualify for the special exemption along with spouses of armed forces and National Guard members who are killed in action and people with disabilities. We can expect to see much more news about the amendments before the first five show up next April 18 on state ballots. Jim Beam, the retired editor of the American Press, has covered people and politics for more than six decades. Contact him at 337-515-8871 or Reply Forward Add reaction
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
House vote advances ‘Make Texas Healthy Again' bill
AUSTIN (Nexstar) – Legislation dubbed the 'Make Texas Healthy Again' bill advanced in the Texas House Sunday night. The 105-28 vote showed bipartisan support for Senate Bill 25. The bill would require daily physical activity in public schools, a nutrition curriculum and food labels to warn Texas consumers which ingredients are banned in other countries. 'This is about the average Texan in the grocery store wanting to make healthy choices against a multi trillion dollar industry,' bill sponsor State Rep. Lacey Hull, R-Houston said as she presented the legislation on the House floor. 'Members we need to break the system and address chronic disease,' Hull added. SB 25 would establish the Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee to create nutritional guidelines for Texans and examine links between food additives and chronic health. The seven-member committee would be appointed by the governor. The legislation would create additional physical education requirements for public school and charter school students. The bill also adds a requirement for the State Board of Education to adopt standards for students to learn about nutritional guidelines. Those guidelines would be recommended by the Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee. The bill mirrors some of the elements of the 'Make America Healthy Again' commission established by President Donald Trump and led by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., also known as MAHA. The MAHA commission has raised concern over life expectancy in the United States falling below that of other comparable countries. The commission has called for an emphasis on nutrition, lifestyle, and physical activity and for addressing an 'over-reliance on medication and treatments.' 'This is about the MAHA parents coming together with the crunchy granola parents coming together to say we are sick and tired of being sick and tired,' Hull said during her layout. She confirmed that the legislation shares the goals of the Trump administration. 'I have personally spoken to the White House, who said they are looking to us, to Texas, to get this done, to stand for our children and our future,' Hull said during her bill layout. The bill passed the Senate in March with unanimous support. That was not the case Sunday in the House. The vote on Senate Bill 25 came after Democrats attempted to block the legislation six different times by raising a point of order. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle proposed amendments to the bill, 19 in all. Most of the proposed amendments were rejected. The moves slowed down the process of passing SB 25, pushing back consideration of other legislation on the House calendar. The House faces a Tuesday deadline to advance Senate bills on second reading. State Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, voted against the bill, despite being in favor of many of the items in the legislation. 'I actually had high hopes for this bill when it was announced because some of the issues, especially dealing with chemicals, dealing with additives, are things that are important to me,' Wu said. 'What I did not expect was that this bill would turn into such a beast that there will be so many musts and shalls just jam down everyone's throats,' Wu continued, referencing concerns he had with the additional requirements on students that he believe could take time away from academics. State Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, acknowledged that she saw flaws with the legislation, but she believes the bill will help Texans. 'A lot of the Democratic amendments you heard today were very sincerely put before you because we thought that there were things we could do that could make the bill better,' Howard said. 'But the fact is, I am going to be supporting this bill. I think it takes us in a good direction.' Before the final vote, Hull told her colleagues that Kennedy had called her and praised the bill. 'This is the best bill in the entire nation. They are watching, and they want us to pass this bill,' Hull said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
FTC Commissioner testifies before Colorado committee after Trump firing
DENVER (KDVR) — A day after he said he received a notice of his firing by President Donald Trump, FTC Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya testified before a joint committee at the Colorado state capitol. Bedoya did not testify in person, he said he needed to be in Washington after yesterday's news but he still made time to weigh in on two bills being considered in Colorado and to talk about what he is going through. 2 escape ICE detention facility in Aurora; ICE claims local authorities refuse to help 'I would like to talk about what the Federal Trade Commission is and what just happened at the commission with the president's attempt to illegally fire me and one of my colleagues. I want to talk about the effect that will have on affordability, in my views, to people in Colorado and everywhere else across the country but most importantly, I want to talk the opportunity that this presents for you in Colorado,' Bedoya said near the top of his comments to the Joint Judiciary Committee Wednesday. The Federal Trade Commission was established in 1914, designed to promote competition while protecting consumers. Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya said he and Commissioner Rebecca Kelly Slaughter were fired by the president Tuesday. While they plan to fight the action, he wonders if the firings have anything to do with ongoing court orders and litigation from the FTC against companies whose leaders were at the president's inauguration. 'I don't know why the president is trying to fire me. I do think it was very interesting that I was not fired in week one or week two of the administration when it seemed like there was a bunch of names on the list that were intended to be fired to achieve some kind of unitary executive. I think it's interesting that the last public statement I made was critical of one of the men standing behind the president's shoulder at his inauguration. I issued a statement criticizing Mr. Bezos,' Bedoya told the committee. Sign up for the FOX31 Denver Guide weekly newsletter for events and activities Before the firings, Bedoya was originally supposed to talk about the role states play in keeping things affordable for consumers. He was set to rally with workers in favor of a labor union bill that's making its way through the capitol. He said Colorado is leading the way with bills at the capitol and lawsuits like the one the state brought against the King Soopers Albertsons merger. 'I am thrilled that the Colorado legislature has before it such a bill: House Bill 25 1090 that would prohibit these kind of hidden junk fees including in residential housing. And I will respectfully say that if you succeed in passing this bill. You will go even further than the Federal Trade Commission did in prohibiting junk fees for live events and travel. I urge you to take up that bill and pass it,' Bodeya told committee members. FTC Chairmen Andrew Ferguson said he believes the president was lawful in the said he will be in Denver this Friday to rally with Bernie Sanders. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Today at the Roundhouse, March 5
Mar. 5—We're halfway through another busy workweek at the Roundhouse. Here are a few big-topic bills to watch out for on Wednesday, March 5. Semi-automatic gun ban: Senate Judiciary is expected to continue its debate on Senate Bill 279, which would ban gas-operated semiautomatic firearms, large-capacity ammunition feeding devices and rapid-fire devices, according to an analysis of the bill. Housing: Legislation to enact tax breaks on housing construction costs goes before the House Taxation and Revenue Committee on Wednesday. House Bill 25 would allow gross receipts tax deductions for residential housing construction and sale labor costs. RECA support: House Memorial 15 aims to raise awareness for people exposed to radiation due to nuclear weapons testing in New Mexico, often known as downwinders, and urge Congress to expand compensation under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, or RECA. House Health and Human Services, the memorial's only committee assignment, is set to hear the legislation in the morning. On the floors: The order in which floor leadership hears bills varies, but on the Senate calendar is site readiness efforts and state Medicaid funding appropriations, in the event that the federal government cuts funding. Some major bills awaiting House approval include the Strategic Water Supply and the Immigrant Safety Act to deter immigrant detainment in New Mexico. LGBTQ+ Day: The social calendar is pretty light for Wednesday, but a bill to make the fourth Tuesday of every January in odd-numbered years Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Expansive Day goes before its second committee in the morning.
