Today marks the beginning of the 2020 legislative session. Over a third of the lawmakers are brand new, adding mystery as to which direction the session may go. Political analyst Clancy DuBos says what we do know is that there’s potential for a contentious debate over the state budget, even though legislators are not dealing with a deficit.
“Right now, times are relatively good for Louisiana in that we don’t have a budget shortfall. There is enough revenue there. It is just a question of how much money goes where,” said Dubos.
Governor John Bel Edwards is looking to increase state funding for public schools, higher ed, and pre-k education.
The abolishment of the death penalty is back up for discussion, this time with potentially more lawmakers in favor of ending the practice. DuBos expects a wide variety of criminal justice reform bills to be looked at in-depth.
“They’re are going to look at bail reform. Reforming or changing the death penalty. Abolishing it or changing how it is applied. All of it is on the table,” said Dubos.
DuBos expects the Governor will push lawmakers in the direction of taking action on various bills associated with equal pay for women and increasing the minimum wage.
“Those are tough issues. They shouldn’t be tough in my opinion but they are because the business lobby keeps opposing them,” said DuBos.
The lion’s share of legislation is expected to focus on lowering auto insurance rates in Louisiana.
