Legislature: Wide variety of issues on tap
by JIM BEAM - The American Press (excerpt)

The Legislature opens another regular session Monday, and you would think a $1 billion hole in the state budget would be enough to keep lawmakers occupied. However, looking at some of the 1,907 bills that have been filed, there are a lot of other controversies on the agenda.

(Speaker Jim) Tucker wants to create a new state retirement system for workers who are employed after Jan. 1, 2011. It is called a defined contribution system that is patterned after the familiar 401(k) retirement plans. A strong effort is already under way to defeat the proposal. It upsets those who are already retired and others still working. Although they are told they won’t be affected, some aren’t so sure that is the case.

Jindal wants to toughen the state’s DWI laws, and some legislators want to do the same thing for cell phone prohibitions already on the books. Other bills deal with carrying guns in churches and parks, smoking in bars and casinos, charter schools, open records laws, cockfighting and insurance rate increases. Legislators will also decide the fate of 87 proposed constitutional amendments.

We have only scratched the surface here for what promises to be one of the livelier legislative sessions in years. And hanging like a cloud over all the other debate will be that $1 billion budget shortfall. Each of us has a stake in the outcome, so stay in touch with the men and women you sent to Baton Rouge. We will be there to help spread the news.