BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A New Orleans lawmaker persuaded his colleagues in the House to rework his bill targeting traffic cameras so that it would require local voters to approve the enforcement systems before they could be used in towns and cities.
But after his proposal was rewritten, Rep. Jeff Arnold, D-New Orleans, couldn’t get the House to pass the bill.
The House voted 43-40 for the measure (House Bill 801), 10 votes short of what was needed for passage. Arnold can try to revive the proposal at a later date.
A vocal critic of red light and speeding cameras, Arnold says the cameras are unfair to citizens and have little to do with public safety.
“Let the people have a voice,” he said.
Supporters of the cameras say they help change irresponsible driving behavior and reduce car accidents while allowing police officers to focus on crime rather than traffic tickets.
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A proposal to prohibit unmanned aircraft from flying over chemical plants, water plants and other systems deemed “critical infrastructure” moves to the full Senate for debate after receiving the backing of a judiciary committee Tuesday.
The drone regulation bill (Senate Bill 356) by Sen. Mack “Bodi” White, R-Baton Rouge, includes exemptions for government officials and the owner of the property.
“This is just a way to try to protect those sites in the future that are so critical to the state of Louisiana,” White told the Senate committee.
He said he sponsored the bill on behalf of the Louisiana Chemical Association. Violating the ban would be a misdemeanor crime on a first offense, but a felony on any second and subsequent offenses, White said.
“Does this bill give you the authority to shoot it down?” asked Sen. Fred Mills, R-Breaux Bridge.
“No, you can call law enforcement,” replied Greg Bowser, a lobbyist for the chemical association.
The judiciary committee advanced the bill without objection, sending it to the full Senate for debate.
A second, more sweeping proposal by Sen. Dan Claitor, R-Baton Rouge, would criminalize the use of drones to photograph people on private property without their permission, with certain exceptions. The bill is expected to be heard in the judiciary committee next week.
Retired Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honore, who has championed environmental causes in the Legislature, warned the committee Tuesday to be careful in placing restrictions on the use of drones in Louisiana. He said they can be a valuable asset to monitor abandoned oil wells and track environmental damage around the state.
“A drone in the right person’s hand is information for you to make better laws to protect the environment,” Honore said.
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In other legislative action:
-Hospitals would be exempt from a state law that bans employers from discriminating against smokers, under a bill that received the unanimous backing of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee. More than 20 years ago, legislators passed a law protecting smokers from workplace discrimination. The proposal (Senate Bill 492) by Sen. David Heitmeier, D-New Orleans, would strip that protection for new hiring by hospitals, starting on Aug. 1. It heads next to the full Senate for debate.
-The House voted 95-0 for a bill to let courts create specialized divisions to handle human trafficking cases. Rep. Julie Stokes, R-Kenner, said her proposal (House Bill 569) would allow judges to better steer victims to support services, rather than jail for drug crimes or prostitution that are tied to trafficking. The bill moves to the Senate for debate.
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QUOTES:
“Sen. John Wayne, here we go.”
—Sen. Jody Amedee, R-Gonzales, telling Sen. Bret Allain, R-Franklin, he could begin presenting his bill that would let lawmakers carry concealed weapons at the Louisiana Capitol.
“I’m not good enough for you?”
—Rep. Neil Abramson, D-New Orleans, joking with Rep. Jared Brossett, D-New Orleans, after Brossett asked another lawmaker to handle his bill, rather than his seat-mate Abramson.
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Online:
Louisiana Legislature: www.legis.la.gov
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