Foot health awareness was given a full month. Safe boating got a week, but “sex has consequences” received only a single day at the Louisiana Legislature this year.
That’s the way much of the recently concluded legislative session went this year. Out of 2300 bills filed by lawmakers, 541, or nearly a quarter of those dealt with resolutions of condolences, congratulations, observance, and requests of state agencies, Congress, and President Obama. Another 159 were actual bills addressing such critical state issues as the approval of vanity license plates, guns in church, barring senior citizens from running for public office, and, among other things, reprisals against a state district attorney’s office.
In all, no less than 30 percent of the bills filed dealt with what some might call frivolous legislation, including 45 resolutions of congratulations for athletes and athletic teams, 86 official offers of condolences, 60 specially-designated days, 13 weeks, and six designation of full months of recognition.
Bills were introduced this year to:
- Waive enforcement of building codes for church camps;
- Name bridges;
- Designate the tea cake as the official state cookie;
- Exclude medical malpractice coverage to doctors who perform elective abortions;
- Prohibit the legalization of an illegal activity, i.e. prostitution;
- Change the name of the Louisiana State Garden Society to the Louisiana Garden Club Federation, Inc.
- Split the 16th Judicial District into three districts, prohibit the 16th JDC district attorney and assistant district attorneys from performing private practice work for local governments that are represented by the DA’s office;
- Prohibits an assistant DA in the 16th JDC from succeeding the district attorney should the latter resign;
- Prohibit health insurance providers from including abortion in any health care coverage;
- Creates voluntary drug testing and psychiatric evaluation for legislators and statewide elected officials;
- Prohibit firearms from being brought onto property of the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board but to allow guns in church;
- Make it illegal to sell urine or adulterants to circumvent drug screening tests.
- Freeze legislators’ per diem for two years (failed by two votes);
- Freeze pay raises for state civil service employees (passed);
- Abolish civil service (failed);
- Force state civil service employees to take leave without pay on state holidays (failed).
But the 2010 session did not consist of all work and no play; lawmakers were quick to address the really critical business, including the 541 resolutions that:
- Congratulated a minister for serving seven years at his church;
- Congratulated a couple for 37 years of marriage;
- Commended an individual for his selection as an inductee into the Louisiana Political Hall of Fame and another for his selection to the Louisiana Sports Hall of fame;
- Commended lobbyists upon their retirements;
- Recognized athletic teams for their accomplishments;
- Expressed condolences for the deaths of individuals;
- Requested a study decorum in the House chambers;
- Commemorated special days, weeks, and months for various organizations, including the annual “Former State Legislator Recognition Day.”
All in a day’s work or in the case of the Louisiana Legislature, all in 85 per diem days’ work.
Oh, in case you’re wondering about Foot Health Awareness Month? That’s in April.
Louisiana Voice 
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