BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - An effort to insert Louisiana lawmakers directly into the state athletic association’s decisions on high school sports failed to win final passage before the House and Senate wrapped up their special session Friday.
Sen. Stewart Cathey’s proposal would have added two lawmakers to the governing board of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association, a private institution that regulates two dozen sports including football, volleyball, track, swimming, wrestling, golf, tennis and basketball.
Lawmakers said they were inundated with criticism about how long it took the organization to restart high school football practice and games during the coronavirus outbreak. Amid pressure, football season began earlier this month.
The Senate voted 30-4 for Cathey’s bill, but it fell seven votes short of passage with a 46-44 House vote. It needed 53 lawmakers’ support in the House.
Cathey failed to persuade House lawmakers to reconsider the decision in the final days of the session. Critics said the proposal was unnecessary government meddling.
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The bill is filed as Senate Bill 11.
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