TOPS funding bill deferred
By Katie Gagliano
Manship School News Service
BATON ROUGE — A measure to ensure consistent funding for the TOPS scholarship program was voluntarily deferred in a House Appropriations Committee Tuesday over concerns about diverting monies from the state’s general fund, thus hurting other unnamed entities.
Rep. Franklin Foil, R-Baton Rouge, pulled House Bill 91 after committee members questioned the bill’s priorities. Legislative Fiscal Office Analyst Willis Brewer said the measure would dedicate $262.2 million annually from riverboat gaming revenue to a statutorily dedicated fund, resulting in an $82 million yearly loss for the general fund.
Rep. Pat Smith, D-Baton Rouge, said too much focus is given to TOPS funding while the core issues of early childhood care and higher education are neglected, leaving scholarship recipients with a poor investment. The monies could be better used to help with the state’s repeated budget shortfall, she said.
“We continually talk about TOPS, we continually look at how we defund higher ed, we continually look at not putting more money into the foundation years. So we continue to fund TOPS in the middle and the bottom line...we’re funding kids that may not have a place to go...There’s no balance.”
Rep. Walt Leger, D-New Orleans, proposed an amendment to the bill shifting the focus from TOPS funding to higher education funding in an effort to realign the bill’s priorities. Leger said fully funding TOPS isn’t meaningful when divestment in higher ed lessens the program’s benefit, but Foil chose to forego the amendment to research TOPS funding alternatives.
Foil said he understood the concerns and would look for a better way to fund TOPS. Given there are a little more than three weeks remaining in the regular session, it is doubtful Foil’s proposal will be back this session
Sex offender activity curtailed
By Sarah Gamard
Manship School
News Service
BATON ROUGE— Registered sex offenders would be prohibited from involvements on any level of early childcare centers in Louisiana under a bill endorse by the House Monday.
Rep. Alan Seabaugh, R-Shreveport, saw his House Bill 557, which would prohibit registered sex offenders from being involved in early learning centers, providing in-home childcare or family childcare providers, was endorsed by the House 91-2 Monday.
The prohibition covers owning, directing, being employed in, volunteering, living in and inspecting such entities and applies to anyone whose name is registered in any state or on a national sex offender registry -- not just Louisiana.
Seabaugh said HB557 would align Louisiana with a federal law that goes into effect this September. Compliance ensures the state is eligible for federal block grants, he said.
Rep. Joseph Marino, I-Gretna, and Rep. Patrick Connick, R-Marrero, voted against HB557.
Farmer tax exemption OK’d
By Caitie Burkes
Manship School
News Service
BATON ROUGE – With nary an ounce of opposition, a bill giving “commercial farmers” tax exemptions for feed, seed, fertilizer, pesticides, fuel and irrigation equipment whistled by the Louisiana Senate Monday on its way to the House where it is expected to have an easy passage.
So who gets to be a commercial farmer?
Senate Bill 97 says that will be up to the Department of Revenue and Department of Agriculture to decide before Jan. 1, 2019. The bill also requires the Department of Revenue to honor farmer exemption certificates issued until Dec. 31, 2018.
Authored by Rep. James Fannin, R-Jonesboro, the legislation easily garnered 37 yeas and zero nays in the marbled senate chamber.
Online driver’s Ed wins votes
By Sarah Gamard
Manship School
News Service
BATON ROUGE — Driver’s education students in Louisiana would be able to get their training online if a bill that received favor Monday in the House Transportation Committee ends up being enacted.
House Bill 437 by Rep. Malinda White, D-Bogalusa, would let a driver’s education provider to give all or part of its approved classroom training online. That way, students would not have to be physically present in a traditional classroom to go through the required training to obtain a license.
The provision only applies to driver’s education students 18 or older. Students also have to be located in Louisiana.
The online curriculum, according to its proponents, would be exactly the same as what driving schools currently have. The final test would be taken in-person to ensure students do not cheat.
Critics argued the bill would make it harder to know whether students in fact were learning and understanding the material, and those who do not have access to or literacy in computers are disadvantaged.
The nontraditional education would require approval by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections which would also establish requirements for alternative methods of instruction.