Rep. Hodges Offers Landmark Legislation To Protect Integrity of Louisiana Elections

The Louisiana Legislature began meeting in regular session on April 12 and will continue until 6 p.m. on June 10.

As bards say, only half-joking, “No man’s life, liberty or property is secure while the legislature is in session.”

Despite that axiom, a handful of conservative lawmakers are working to protect liberty and make government less onerous.  They have introduced a number of key bills this session.

Here are some of the bills to watch:

ELECTION INTEGRITY

HB 599 by Rep. Valarie Hodges

HB 599 detailed in box at right contains a number of provisions designed to prevent some of the abuses which occurred during the Nov. 3 election.

Perhaps the most important would give each party the right to appoint a qualified commissioner to serve in each precinct in the state.

Rep. Valarie Hodges, the author of the bill, said there is much focus today on voting machines, which is well justified. However, even more important are the people running the election, she said.  If they are corrupt, then the election can be stolen.

The key to building confidence in the election is to have representatives of both major parties helping to run the election, she said.

The bill also prohibits unmanned ballot boxes, which were the source of many problems around the nation.  Ballot boxes must be secure 100 percent of the time, or there can be no confidence in the results, she said.

The bill would also provide that each party could have a Watcher at each early voting site in the state. Hodges said a very large percentage of voters are casting their ballots early, but there is no provision in law for the parties to have anyone present to observe what is going on during early voting.

RELIGIOUS ASSEMBLY

DURING EMERGENCY

HCR 5 by 

Rep. Danny McCormick

HCR 5 suspends the authority of the governor to impose criminal penalties on any person in the state for holding worship services during an emergency.

The House passed similar legislation last year but it never received a hearing in Senate Judiciary B Committee, a committee traditionally controlled by allies of the governor.

Because this is a resolution suspending a law, it is not subject to gubernatorial veto.

The resolution is prospective only and would not affect pending criminal charges against Rev. Tony Spell for holding church last year, but it would apply in the future.

UNIVERSAL

CONCEALED CARRY

HB 16 by 

Rep. Danny McCormick 

& SB 118 by Sen. Jay Morris

HB16 and SB 118 provide that any citizen 18 years of age or older who is not prohibited from possessing a weapon may carry concealed without a concealed carry permit.  SB 118 has passed out of the Senate committee and is pending on the Senate floor.

VACCINATION

DISCRIMINATION

HB 349 & HB 498 by 

Rep. Kathy Edmonson

These bills prohibit designating on Drivers License whether a person has taken a vaccine and prohibit discrimination against a person based on whether he has taken a vaccine.

LIMIT WOMEN’S SPORTS

TO BIOLOGICAL WOMEN

HB 542 by 

Rep. Beryl Amedee

HB 542 the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act provides that women will not have to compete against biological men in women’s sports at the high school and collegiate levels.  The bill cites language from the U.S. Supreme Court which recognizes the inherent differences between men and women.