forgotston.com

Perhaps the staff should put more caffeine in the free coffee served in the House of Representatives in Baton Rouge.

Recently, the leges unknowingly passed 99-0 an amendment to an innocuous piece of legislation to circumvent Bobby Jindal’s pledge not to accept the Federal Stimulus money that would require changes to the state’s Unemployment Compensation laws.

Then last week, according to the story below, the leges were once again napping in the House chamber and another bill slipped passed them.

Though we were told by Bobby Jindal that he would end vote-changing by members of the House, the nap period in the House was interrupted by a flurry of vote changes and butt covering.

Here’s what Bobby promised:

MAKE THE LEGISLATURE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE CITIZENS THEY REPRESENT:
Prohibit Legislators from changing their votes after floor action is completed. Source: Jindal Campaign Brochure entitled “Government Reform: Controlling Runaway State Spending.”

Now we know that once again we were lied to by the governor and the leges. Vote changing continues unabated in the House of Representatives. The state senate on the other hand does not allow vote changes.

C.B.

Times Picayune, May 29, 2009

A little-noticed bill to sets new licensing standards for marriage and family therapists touched off a minor uproar on the House floor Thursday after a conservative interest group raised last-minute objections. It happened moments after the House voted 66-26 in favor of House Bill 834 by Rep. Charmaine Marchand Stiaes, D-New Orleans, which stipulates what kind of coursework is required for licensing. The bill says the courses may include material related to “issues of gender, sexual functioning, sexual orientation and sex therapy.” Around the same time, the conservative Louisiana Family Forum e-mailed a “high noon alert” to legislators objecting to the language on sexual orientation and raising the specter that private universities might be forced to teach material “which is contrary to their moral and religious beliefs.” Soon a parade of lawmakers, who apparently voted yes before learning of the group’s objections, were asking to have their votes changed to “no.” But House rules stipulate that members can change a vote only if it doesn’t change the outcome, meaning only 13 members were allowed to make the switch. That made the official tally 53-39, and the bill now goes to the Senate for more debate.