Lawmakers will kick off the second special session of the year Monday at 6 PM.
The depleted unemployment trust fund, the Governor’s public health restrictions, and Hurricane Laura recovery are the three major stated reasons for the session but LaPolitics.com Publisher Jeremy Alford said a range of issues will be discussed over the 30 day session.
“There are 70 different items on the agenda for the special session. Those are the topics that lawmakers can choose from to file their own bills so we are going to see a sprinkling of topics,” said Alford.
Alford said traditionally hurricane response has been considered a federal-only issue but this Legislature has shown an interest in expanding their reach so we could see some state-level interventions in Laura recovery efforts.
“Lawmakers do that have the ability to suspend payment and taxes for folks in an affected area,” said Alford.
Frustration amongst some Republicans over COVID restrictions on businesses is reportedly a driving factor in the session being called. Parks Senator Fred Mills said the current restrictions will be discussed and input from all sides will be sought.
“It is going to try to be a true balance of public health and public safety but also being smart enough to know that we can do two things at one time and that other things is to make sure that business and people’s lives can run as normal as possible,” said Mills.
Mills said lawmakers will hear from a range of experts and involved parties over how the state’s public health response could be improved.
“I am hoping that we have some compromise and if there is something that we can tweak and something that we can make better than that is what the legislative process is, we learn from each other and hopefully compromise,” said Mills.
Senate President Page Cortez said current laws dictating gubernatorial authority during public health crises didn’t imagine a situation as long-lasting as COVID. Cortez says lawmakers will consider whether some of that authority should be shared.
“In the future at what point does an emergency need to draw in the other branches of government to discuss how the state moves forward? We are a democracy with three branches of government that all need to be involved,” said Cortez.
The unemployment trust fund is expected to run out of money next week, triggering higher payroll taxes on businesses and reduced benefits for recipients starting next year. In response, some state leaders have suggested using money allocated to a small business grant program to sure up the fund, but Cortez said the State Treasurer John Schroder has put that idea to rest.
“He has gotten more applications in than there will be money so he does not believe that after the evidence was presented, and I don’t believe that there will be any money left in that trust fund,” said Cortez.
Comments