Governor Edwards vetoed legislation pushed by Attorney General Jeff Landry that would have expanded state drug courts using funds obtained from opioid settlements.
Port Allen Senator Rick Ward said the veto of his bill came as a real surprise given there wasn’t a single vote against it as it sailed through the Legislature.
“There was really never any opposition, even the committee meetings were very brief,” said Ward. “It went through the process very seamlessly, it was one of the easier things from a support standpoint that I have handled in quite some time.”
The bill mandated drug tests within 24 hours of a person being booked, and then called for screening those who test positive to determine if they suffer from a substance use disorder and thus qualify for entry into the drug court program. This along with using settlement funds to increase access to drug courts.
In his veto statement, Edwards raised concerns the bill was too vague about how the Attorney General was allowed to spend the money, saying instead the management of the funds and expansion of the program should be handled instead by the Louisiana Supreme Court Drug and Specialty Court Office. Edwards also said there were other technical problems with the bill.
Ward anticipated there will be a veto override session later this month and there’s a possibility that the Governor’s veto will be overridden if he can’t better justify his decision.
“If it is a legitimate concern then we need to come back and address that but if it is just a difference of opinion then we can look at that as well,” said Ward.
Edwards vetoed 28 bills this session but the most controversial, those involving transgender athletes and concealed carry, will likely headline any potential veto override session.
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