2018 Full Legislative Update

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‣ HB 837 – provides regarding crime prevention districts ‣ SB 360 – reduces the frequency of enhanced audits when a local auditee has 3 years of no findings Constitutional Amendments for Fall (1) ACT 717 (SB 263) – Donation of Public Equipment Do you support an amendment to permit, pursuant to written agreement, the donation of the use of public equipment and personnel by a political subdivision upon request to another political subdivision for an activity or function which the requesting political subdivision is authorized to exercise? (Amends Const. Art. VII, §14(B)) (2) ACT 718 (SB 164) – Phase-In of Property Tax Increases of 50% or More Do you support an amendment that will require that any reappraisal of the value of residential property by more than 50%, resulting in a corresponding increase in property taxes, be phased-in over the course of four years during which time no additional reappraisal can occur and that the decrease in the total ad valorem tax collected as a result of the phase-in of assessed valuation be absorbed by the taxing authority and not allocated to the other taxpayers? (Amends Article VII, Section 18(A) and (F)) (3) ACT 719 (SB 31) – Felons Holding Public Office Do you support an amendment to prohibit a convicted felon from seeking or holding public office or appointment within five years of completion of his sentence unless he is pardoned? (Adds Article I, Section 10.1) (4) ACT 720 (SB 59) – Transportation Trust Fund Do you support an amendment to remove authority to appropriate or dedicate monies in the Transportation Trust Fund to state police for traffic control purposes? (Amends Article VII, Section 27(B)(1)) (5) ACT 721 (SB 163) – Special Tax Treatment Extended to Property In Trust Do you support an amendment to extend eligibility for the following special property tax treatments to property in trust: the special assessment level for property tax valuation, the property tax exemption for property of a disabled veteran, and the property tax exemption for the surviving spouse of a person who died while performing their duties as a first responder, active duty member of the military, or law enforcement or fire protection officer? 2 (Adds Article VII, Sections 18(G)(6), 21(K)(4) and (M)(4)) 6
(6) ACT 722 (SB 243) – Unanimous Jury Verdicts Do you support an amendment to require a unanimous jury verdict in all noncapital felony cases for offenses that are committed on or after January 1, 2019? (Amends Article I, Section 17(A)) Second Special Session (5/22 – 6/4) • This was crunch time for addressing the FY19 fiscal cliff, and the debate remained substantially unchanged. ‣ The House plan was to renew 1/3 of the 5th penny, eliminate some sales tax breaks and continue sales taxes on business utilities, raising $400M; the Senate plan would have renewed ½ of that penny while keeping business utility taxes, extending suspension on tax exemptions, and imposing a temporary sales tax on immovable property, which would have raised $540M ‣ Though both chambers passed HB 1, supplemental appropriations bills, and HB 3, the budget fell short of the funding needed to maintain a standstill budget and fund services/state agencies. Without revenue, it was estimated that public universities would be cut by $96M, TOPS by 30% percent, and there would be big cuts to Corrections, DA’s and Sheriffs. • In the last moments of this session, which adjourned at midnight, a stalling technique prevented the House from voting on any revenue-raising measure. Third Special Session (6/18 – 6/24) • HB 10: this instrument became “the deal,” setting forth a renewal of .45 of the 5 th penny and maintaining suspension of exemptions through 2025 ($463M per year) • HB 1: after passage of HB 10, this new appropriations bill that fully funds TOPS, higher education, hospitals, nursing homes, food stamps, and other services/state agencies was passed • The session adjourned 3 days early after four months of contentious fighting. Read and research legislative instruments online at www.lma.org and www.legis.la.gov 7
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Page 3 and 4: funds, and Article XIV. local gover
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2018 Full Legislative Update

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