Posted May 20, 2011 at 6:06 pm
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BATON ROUGE ? It was one up and one down this week for Rep. James Armes, D-Leesville.
Armes got the House to go along 56-35 with a bill that gives local school boards in some parishes authority to hire immediate family members to provide special education services.
The legislation moves to the Senate.
Rural areas are having a difficult time finding teachers in those fields, Armes said. His legislation was amended to apply only to those parishes with a population of less than 60,000.
The exception being granted to the state code of ethics applies to the nepotism provision. It would also allow boards to hire immediate family members of school superintendents in those parishes.
Rep. Chuck Kleckley, R-Lake Charles, was the only member of the Southwest Louisiana House delegation to vote against the legislation.
Armes couldn?t convince the House to go along with a second bill that would make it possible for young offenders (18 years old and under) sentenced to life to become eligible for parole after serving 35 years.
The legislation had the support of district attorneys, he said.
Aggravated rape and aggravated kidnapping were two crimes Armes mentioned during debate. It wouldn?t apply to people sentenced to life for firstor second-degree murder.
Parole wouldn?t have been automatic; offenders would have needed good records and no write-ups and governors would have to sign off on the parole, Armes said.
The House rejected the bill 57-39.
Southwest Louisiana representatives voting against the bill were Mike Danahay, D-Sulphur; Brett Geymann, R-Moss Bluff; Rep. Bob Hensgens, R-Abbeville and Chuck Kleckley, R-Lake Charles. Voting for the bill were Armes; A.B. Franklin, D-Lake Charles; Johnny Guinn, R-Jennings; Dorothy Sue Hill, D-Dry Creek and Frank Howard, R-Many.
Hensgens is a new House member from District 47. He represents Vermilion and Cameron parishes and replaced Jonathan Perry, R-Kaplan, who was elected to the state Senate in a special election.
The House voted 90-0 for a bill by Hill that makes it possible for a state income taxpayer to donate a portion of his or her tax refund or other money to the Louisiana Food Bank Association.
The bill moves to the Senate.
The legislation also establishes a special escrow fund in the state treasury for the association to be administered by the state treasurer. The funds would be transferred to the association every 60 days.
The House Ways and Means Committee could request a report from the association regarding its operations and finances.
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Source: http://www.americanpress.com/lc/blogs/wpnewssum/?p=20332
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