Matt Houston/Manship School News Service
The House passed a bill, 82-8, Monday that works to prevent the state of Louisiana from funding terrorism, but not before two legislators got into an oral dustup which prompted a reprimand by the speaker of the House.
There are certain funds in the state of Louisiana that are invested solely in international securities. The Senate Bill 223, by Sen. Neil Riser, R-Columbia, places restrictions on investments in companies connected to countries which indirectly or directly support terrorism.
SB233 would currently affect business with Iran, Sudan, and Syria. The state treasurer would review any business deal in question before taking action.
Rep. Valarie Hodges, R-Denham Springs, brought an amendment on the House floor that would also prevent the state from investing in companies that boycott or sanction Israel over its relations with Palestinians, which brewed a floor disturbance.
Rep. Sam Jones, D-Franklin, asked Hodges, who called Israel our strongest and longest ally, why the bill focused on Israel and no other American allies, like France, the first formal ally of the United States in the Revolutionary War.
Hodges said she did would not oppose an amendment that included France, or other allies, but that the Jews had been American allies for millennia because the United States was built on Judeo-Christian values.
That prompted the outspoken Shreveport Democrat, Barbara Norton, expressed frustration with Hodges for continually bringing measures before the Louisiana Legislature that deal with another nation and never seems to be sensitive to state’s needs.
“I am tired of you talking about other countries,” Norton said. “Will you stop bringing Israel and those other countries here so we can do our jobs?”
Norton was likely referring to Hodges’ sanctuary cities bill, which carried some of the session’s most contentious debate before dying in a Senate committee, and a more Israel-oriented version of Riser’s bill which was gutted by fellow House Republican late last month.
Hodges retorted that the bill was a matter of national security, and repeatedly defended the importance of an alliance with Israel.
The war of words escalated, eventually earning a “ladies, ladies” rebuke from Speaker of the House Taylor Barras, R-New Iberia.
Hodges’ amendment passed without objection, despite a sigh from Norton, who ironically ended up voting for SB233.