Conservative Caucus Rates Legislature

The National Conservative Caucus (Louisiana Chapter) has issued its rating of the Louisiana House and Senate, just two weeks after completion of the 2023 Regular Session.

State chairman Woody Jenkins said it was a productive session which saw the passage of a wide range of landmark conservative legislation — the most in recent years.  The low point, he said, was the decision by the House and Senate to bust the budget cap and appropriate more than $50 billion.

Jenkins said this was in contrast to the state budget when he entered the legislature in 1972.  “The budget then was $1.6 billion and while inflation has certainly soared, it is nothing compared to rise in the cost of government. Based on 1972 dollars, the state budget would be about $10 billion today — far below the $50 billion the legislature appropriated!”

The rating of legislators’ voting records was done by three of the organization’s board members — former Rep. Woody Jenkins, Jeff Crouere, and Claston Bernard.

Four legislators serve on the board but have no role in preparing the ratings — Reps. Chuck Owens, Phillip Tarver, Beryl Amedee, and Gabe Firment.

A total of 26 record votes were used in the House and 20 in the Senate.  The position of the National Conservative Caucus is listed as “Yes” or “No” next to each bill.  For links to the votes themselves and videos of debates on each bill, go to https://centralcitynews.us/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2023-Session-Woody-Jenkins-Grading-of-2023-Session.pdf

The bills used were as follow:

HEALTH FREEDOM 

HB182 by Rep. Edmonston – YES –  Provides that no person shall be required to receive a COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of enrollment or attendance at any public or nonpublic school. Passed House 64-28. Passed Senate, 25-13. Sent to Governor.

HB648 by Rep. Firment – YES – Prohibits procedures to alter the sex of a minor child – Save Adolescents From Experimentation Act – Passed House 71-24. Passed Senate 29-10. Sent to Governor.

HB291 by Rep. Owen – YES – Protects right of family to visit patient in health care facilities. No One Should Die Alone Act. Passed House 100-0.  Passed Senate 39-0. Signed by Governor as Act 367. 

HB471 by Rep. Freiberg – NO – Authorizes pharmacy interns to administer certain vaccines; decreases the age threshold above which a person may receive a vaccine. Passed House 58-43. Passed Senate 23-14. Conference Committee Report Passed Senate 22-17 Rejected by House 50-45. Dead for session.

EDUCATION  

HB192 by Rep. Hodges – YES – Requests that the State Dept. of Education revise proposed early learning and development standards and submit its version to BESE for consideration. Passed House Education Committee, 5-3-1 and House 63-34-8. Sent to Secretary of State.

HB8 by Rep. Horton – YES – Requires public schools to display the national motto, “In God We Trust,” in every classroom. Passed House 98-4 and Senate 37-0. Signed by Governor as Act 264.

HB68 by Rep. Hodges – YES – Authorizes public high schools to offer a course of instruction in the history and literature of the Bible. Passed House 87-10 and Senate 36-0. Signed in by Governor. Act 215.

HB121 by Rep. Amedee – YES – Requires public schools to provide at least one recess period per school day in K-5.  Passed House 66-28 and Senate 39-0. Act 219. 

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY 

SB63 by Sen. Mizell – YES – Constitutional Amendment to provide that the right of freedom of worship in churches or other places of worship is a fundamental right that is worthy of the highest order of protection. Any regulation would be subject to strict scrutiny or any higher standard. This does not change the language of the Freedom of Religion in the Declaration of Rights but rather provides an enforcement mechanism to prevent the closure of churches as in 2020.  Passed Senate 39-0 and House 86-13. Goes to voters Oct. 14.

RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS 

HB131 by Rep. McCormick – YES – Provides for constitutional carry of firearms without permit. Passed House 71-29. Failed in Senate committee. 

LIBRARIES 

SB7 Sen. Cloud – YES – Provides access to certain materials in public libraries. Passed Senate 27-11 and House 74-27. Sent to Governor. 

CRIME 

HB321 by Rep. Villio – YES – Truth and Transparency in the Louisiana Criminal Justice System Pilot Program. Passed House 63-36. Failed in Senate committee.

HB16 by Rep. Schlegel – YES – Provides minimum sentence of one year for multiple convictions of simple burglary. There is no current minimum.  Passed House 71-25. Failed in Senate Committee. 

CARBON CAPTURE 

HB120 by Rep. Muscarello – YES – Prohibits the permitting of above-surface structures for carbon capture on Lake Maurepas and Lake Pontchartrain. Passed House Natural Resources Committee 13-0. Failed in House 27-72.  

HB267 by Rep. Wheat – YES – Places a moratorium on carbon dioxide sequestration projects on Lake Maurepas and the Maurepas Swamp Wildlife Area. Passed Natural Resources Committee 9-5. Failed in House 24-75. 

GENERAL GOVERNMENT 

SCR21 by Sen. Cathey – YES – Sovereign right of Louisiana to nullify unconstitutional acts of the federal government. Passed Senate 27-10 and House 67-29. Sent to Secretary of State.

HB537 by Rep. Hodges – YES – Prohibits foreign adversaries such as China, North Korea, Iran, and Venezuela and entities controlled by them from acquiring immovable property in Louisiana. Passed House 76-24. Passed Senate 26-12. Sent to Governor.

HCR110 by Rep. Miguez – YES – Requests State Retirement Systems to avoid ESG (Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance) investing. Blueprint for socialism. Passed House 88-6 and Senate 25-13.  Sent to Secretary of State.

PARENTAL RIGHTS 

HB152 by Rep. Amedee – YES –  To amend the Declaration of Rights of the Louisiana Constitution to add a section on fundamental parental rights. Passed Civil Law & Procedures Committee 11-0. Failed House 64-27 (6 votes short). 

HB311 by Rep. Miguez – YES – Constitutional Amendment. Prohibits use of monies from foreign governments or nongovernmental sources to fund governmental expenses in elections. Passed House 70-30. Passed Senate 27-12. Will appear on the ballot statewide Oct. 14.

HB646 by Rep. Farnum – YES – Provides for supplemental annual canvass of registered voters. Passed House 70-33. Passed Senate 25-11. Sent to Governor.

HB212 by Rep. Hollis – YES – Provides that number of electors to sign a recall petition shall be a percentage of number of electors who voted in contest electing the public official to office, or if the public official was elected without opposition, the number of electors in the voting area who voted in the most recent election for an office that encompassed the voting area. Passed House 71-29. Died in Senate Committee. 

HB415 by Rep. Amedee – YES – Prohibit Louisiana participation in Central Bank Digital currency. Passed House 97-0. Passed Senate 33-6. Sent to Governor.

HB1 by Rep. Zeringue – NO – Budget. Passed House 72-33. Passed Senate 39-0 as amended. House Vote on Conference Committee Report 95-9 and Senate 35-3. Sent to Governor

SCR3 by Sen. Cortez — NO — Breaks the spending cap.  House Passed 85-19 and Senate 39-0. Sent to Secretary of State.