Legislation to require parade organizations to pay for clean-up has been filed for the upcoming legislative session. West Monroe Representative Foy Gadberry said the litter control group, Ouachita Green, asked him to allow parishes and municipalities the ability to charge parade groups for clean-up.
“Most municipalities are paying their city workers either overtime or straight time to do so,” said Gadberry.
Gadberry said litter across the state is an ongoing problem and parades are only making it worse. He said businesses along parade routes are also negatively impacted.
“The next day these businesses are going in and they’re having to clean up the sidewalks and the streets and everything else just to keep their customers from stepping on beads, and candy and that sort of thing,” said Gadberry.
Gadberry said he’s received positive feedback from fellow lawmakers on the legislation and that House Bill 23 would allow each municipality to create its own ordinances to establish fees for permits.
“And the cost of the cleanup if you don’t clean up, so it’s kind of an open-ended bill, a general bill, that’s out there for the municipalities to formula to fit their needs,” said Gadberry.
The regular session begins on April 10th.
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