Louisiana lawmakers rejected a proposed constitutional amendment that would have weakened state worker protections, in spite of a final push from Gov. Jeff Landry to pass it at the end of the state’s legislative session. The Louisiana House of Representatives took two votes on Senate Bill 181 during the last four days of session, but the proposal never got support from two-thirds of the chamber as needed. It received 62 votes Thursday and 68 votes Monday, not the 70 required.
Landry put pressure on lawmakers to pass the measure, including threatening to pull state resources from the districts of legislators who didn’t support it, according to lawmakers who did not want to be named for fear of retaliation from the governor.
Supporters also watered down the proposal in an attempt to attract more support from House members. The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Jay Morris, R-West Monroe, agreed to exclude firefighters and police from the legislation. They also removed the city of New Orleans civil service, which would have come more under state government control in earlier versions of the bill.
The legislation was one of the only proposals to expand the governor’s power that lawmakers did not approve this session. A couple of Republicans who may have voted for the bill were absent when the final vote took place, leaving the proposal dead until at least next year. “This civil service takes the politics out of our government workforce,” said Rep. Joe Stagni, R-Kenner, who voted against the legislation.
Advertisement
If it had been approved, the amendment would have given state lawmakers more power to transform classified state government positions, which enjoy more protections, into unclassified jobs, from which state employees can be fired more easily.
Landry also would have gained far more control over the state Civil Service Commission, which oversees the hiring and firing of 28,000 classified state employees.
Morris said he believes the current civil service system is too cumbersome and makes it too hard to fire government workers. Stagni and others have said civil service is better than the alternative — a “political spoils” system in which those who have the favor of elected officials receive state jobs.
Under current law, the governor appoints six out of the seven members of the state Civil Service Commission. Those picks must come from a list of three people each president of six private colleges in Louisiana recommends. Classified state workers elect the seventh commissioner to represent them on the board.
Had Morris’ bill been approved, the proposed system would have allowed governors to pick three of the seven commissioners directly. Private university leaders would still be involved in recommendations for the governor’s three remaining appointees, but the list of potential commissioners would include many more people for each slot.
Advertisement
The governor also wouldn’t be required to appoint someone recommended by each of the six university presidents. He could instead pick all three nominees off a list provided by just one school leader.
At the beginning of 2025, Landry also would have been able to assign people already on the commission to terms of one to four years, and he could replace any commissioner who has already served eight years on the board. Governors who come after him wouldn’t have had this power.
The terms of the commissioners would also have been reduced from six years to four. Though the legislation didn’t pass, it might have signaled Landry’s intent to overhaul civil service protections during a state constitutional convention. The governor wants legislators to convene a convention to rewrite the state’s 50-year-old constitution, which includes civil service protections. So far, lawmakers haven’t agreed to do so, in part because Landry has been unwilling to share what specific law changes he is seeking. One of the provisions of included in Morris’ failed bill said the changes wouldn’t go into effect if “a new Constitution of Louisiana is enacted and becomes effective.” This has led Democratic lawmakers to speculate that civil service would be targeted if Landry held a convention. “We don’t have a constitutional convention scheduled at this time. Do you know something I don’t know?” asked Rep. Amy Freeman, R-New Orleans, last week of Rep. Nicholas Muscarello, R-Hammond, who was advocating for Morris’ bill.
Louisiana burst out to a 20-point halftime lead and then tacked on two late scores to beat Troy 51-30 on Saturday at Cajun Field in Lafayette, La.
The Trojans (3-8, 2-5 Sun Belt Conference) led 14-7 after one quarter but allowed 27 straight points in the second to fall behind 34-14 at halftime. After Troy cut the lead to 37-30 in the fourth quarter, Louisiana (9-2, 6-1) scored the final 14 points of the game to pull away.
“As crazy as this game was and the ride this season has been, I could not be more proud of the way that the team came out in the third quarter to get us back into this football game,” Troy coach Gerad Parker said. “There are so many good things, but there weren’t enough good things early. They got up on us, and then, some self-inflicted things made it so we could not get up on them in the second half.”
Troy’s four possessions in the second quarter ended in two interceptions, a three-and-out/punt and a turnover on downs. Louisiana, meanwhile, scored five straight times — three touchdowns and two field goals — in the quarter.
Advertisement
Matthew Caldwell threw for 230 yards, four touchdowns and a pair of 2-point conversions for Troy, but was intercepted twice. His 1-yard TD pass to Trae Swartz and 2-point pass to Devonte Ross with 11:31 to play made it a 7-point game, but Robert Williams returned the ensuing kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown to put the Ragin’ Cajuns back up by 14.
Louisiana’s Bill Davis added a 1-yard touchdown run — his third of the game — with 1:09 left to set the final score. Chandler Fields passed for 323 yards and two TDs for the Ragin’ Cajuns, who can clinch the Sun Belt West championship by winning at Louisiana-Monroe next Saturday.
Kenneth Almandares also kicked three field goals for Louisiana, while Fields threw scoring passes of 20 yards to Tavion Smith and 44 yards to Lance LeGendre. Keyon Martin had a pair of interceptions to lead the Ragin’ Cajuns’ defense, which broke up nine Troy passes.
In addition to the 1-yarder to Swartz, Caldwell’s touchdown passes covered 30 yards to Ross, six yards to Brody Dalton and four yards to Jackson Worley. Caldwell also threw two-point passes to Ross and Landon Parker.
Troy finishes the season at home next week vs. Southern Miss, with kickoff set for 1 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Stadium. The game will stream live via ESPN+.
It’s the final home game of the season for the Arkansas Razorbacks as they host the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs in a pivotal matchup at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
Advertisement
With kickoff set for 4 p.m. ET on ESPN+, the stakes couldn’t be higher for the Razorbacks, who are eyeing bowl eligibility in their final push of the 2024 season.
Jonas Nantze #60 of the Arkansas Razorbacks runs onto the field before a game against the Texas Longhorns at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on November 16, 2024 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Jonas Nantze #60 of the Arkansas Razorbacks runs onto the field before a game against the Texas Longhorns at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on November 16, 2024 in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images
How to Watch Arkansas vs Louisiana Tech:
Date: Saturday, November 23, 2024
Time: 4:00 PM ET
Channel/Stream: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+ (watch now)
For Arkansas, this game is about seizing an opportunity to secure bowl eligibility after falling short in two previous attempts. The Razorbacks enter the matchup at 5-5, fresh off a 20-10 loss to Texas where offensive struggles and costly turnovers proved to be their undoing. With only two games left in the regular season, this matchup is a must-win for Arkansas to punch their ticket to the postseason.
On the other side, Louisiana Tech is playing spoiler while clinging to its slim bowl hopes. The Bulldogs are 4-6 but riding high after a gritty 12-7 victory over Western Kentucky last week, where their defense served the Hilltoppers their first conference loss of the year. This will be a battle on Saturday, make sure to tune in.
WATCH: Arkansas vs. Louisiana Tech on ESPN+
If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
Louisiana voters will decide whether to make it easier to send younger teenagers to adult prisons in a constitutional proposal next spring.
The Louisiana Legislature approved Senate Bill 2 Friday with a 70-25 vote in the House of Representatives and 28-10 vote in the Senate. The measure will be on the March 29 ballot that will also feature a major rewrite of state financial policy.
It would remove constitutional limits on crimes that can get people under age 17 sentenced as adults. Legislators would then have to enact new laws outlining how courts could send those minors to adult facilities.
Republican Gov. Jeff Landry backed the proposal and sat in the Louisiana House of Representatives as legislators debated and voted for the bill Friday. Still, it barely made it through the legislative process. The proposal only received 70 votes in the House, the exact number it needed to advance to voters.
Advertisement
Ahead of the narrow victory, Republican leaders appeared anxious to get through the House vote quickly and moved to cut off debate and questioning early. House Speaker Phillip DeVillier, R-Eunice, also told Rep. Denise Marcelle, D-Baton Rouge, she had missed a deadline to amend the legislation and refused to let her bring up her proposed change for debate or a vote.
One of the sponsors of the legislation, Rep. Debbie Villio, R-Kenner, also made a last-minute change to the bill to limit the offenses for which youth could be moved to adult prisons to just felonies, in part to address reservations lawmakers had about moving more young people into adult facilities. Prior to that change, the amendment would have allowed the Legislature to draft new laws to move minors to adult prisons for “any crime.”
Fifteen- and 16-year-olds, and in more restricted circumstances 14-year-olds, already face adult prison sentences for limited crimes without the constitutional amendment. Those offenses include murder, attempted murder, manslaughter, rape, armed robbery, kidnapping, aggravated battery, a second or subsequent burglary of an inhabited dwelling and a second or subsequent violation of some drug crimes.
Youth advocates have said the broadening of that list to new offenses would do lasting harm to young teens caught up in the criminal justice system.
YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.
Advertisement
Teenagers transferred into adult prisons are at much higher risk for sexual abuse from other inmates and don’t receive the same counseling and educational services available in the juvenile system. Adult sentences are also often years or even decades longer than what youth in juvenile facilities serve, advocates said.
Supporters of the constitutional amendment, which include the Louisiana District Attorneys Association and Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association, have said prosecutors need a larger list of crimes in order to hold younger teens accountable.
Advertisement
Villio and Sen. Heather Cloud, R-Turkey Creek, the sponsors of the legislation, mentioned a few crimes they think should be added to the list. Cloud said she would like to make the law applicable to carjacking, drive-by shootings and human trafficking. Villio said she was interested in adding fentanyl offenses.
Attorneys who represent youth in criminal matters said many of those offenses can be used to transfer teenagers to adult prison under current law.
They also questioned why human trafficking was being brought up as a concern because prosecutors rarely charge adults with that crime. Any teens accused of the offense are also likely being trafficked themselves, advocates said.
In an interview Friday, Villio said her intention is to get more crimes that “involve serious bodily injury” added to the list. Youth in the juvenile justice system who attack security guards and other workers at those facilities should receive harsher punishment, she added. Villio’s proposal comes on the heels of another law that greatly expands the transfer of teens to adult facilities. Earlier this year, Landry and lawmakers passed legislation that treats all 17-year-olds as adults in the criminal justice system. The measure took away discretion from district attorneys to put accused 17-year-olds through the juvenile justice system instead of adult courts.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25739950/247386_Elon_Musk_Open_AI_CVirginia.jpg "Inside Elon Musk’s messy breakup with OpenAI")
