Troy Brown News

With Senate Bill 700, Sen. Troy Brown, D-Napoleonville, wanted to create a mandate for parish governments to compile and maintain rosters of names of residents who might need special assistance during an emergency, such as a hurricane.

It targeted "persons with special needs who will require assistance during times of evacuation, including voluntary, advisory, mandatory or forced evacuations."

But that bill was heavily amended recently to require parish councils on aging and regional offices related to citizens with developmental disabilities to compile the same kind of lists.

Those lists, under the amended bill, would be submitted to parish homeland security offices for emergency purposes.

"You have some of these people who receive special services who live alone and have no family. You have some of these people who receive these services who have no arms and no legs," Brown said.

Bus driver tenure bill changed

The Senate approved legislation Wednesday that would remove tenure protections for all future bus drivers hired by local school boards.

However, it also advanced House Bill 293 by Rep. Joe Harrison, R-Napoleonville, with a substantive amendment.

Sen. J.P. Morrell, D-New Orleans, inserted an amendment that would allow any bus driver who has owned his own vehicle for the past seven years to obtain tenure after the July 1 effective date.

"These are people who go out and purchase a bus for the purpose of driving our children to school," Morrell said, referring to such individuals as "entrepreneurs" who shoulder risk on behalf of their school systems.

Senate Education Chairman Conrad Appel, R-Metairie, opposed the amendment before the upper chamber approved it.

"This amendment would violate the spirit of the bill," he said.

As the bill stands now, any bus driver who has tenure as of that date would be allowed to keep it.

While tenure allows for a special form of due process, opponents argue it can become drawn-out and burdensome for administrators.

Sen. Gary Smith, D-Norco, said he has been working with the Department of Public Safety and Corrections to craft his bills and pass them in time for the regular session's June 4 closing.

His Senate Bill 168 increases the penalties for most of the right-of-way violations on the books, bringing them to the same level as failure to yield and failure to stop.

Smith said many violations involving distracted driving are being included.

The increases would be in addition to what's already in the law but would only apply to cases where a party is injured or killed.

In addition, district attorneys would have the authority and discretion to decide when and if the increased penalties should be applied.

“We've been studying this and realized that right-of-way violations are the biggest reason for accidental deaths in the U.S. and make up 42 percent of the cause of accidents in Louisiana,” Smith said.

The following penalty increases are outlined in the bill:

-- If the violation results in the injury of another person, the fine ranges from $200 to $500 and a license suspension of up to 90 days.

-- If the violation results in the serious bodily injury of another person, the fine would range from $500 to $1,000, a possible driver's license suspension for 180 days and up to six months in prison.

-- If the violation results in the death of another person, the fine would range from $1,000 to $5,000, a possible driver's license suspension for 360 days and up to 12 months in prison.

Current law calls for various right-of-way penalties with fines ranging from $200 to $1,000, possible license suspensions and the requirement of certain classes.

If approved by lawmakers this session, the new penalties would take