As Louisiana’s first legislative session of 2021 comes to a close, here are a few of the biggest bills that did and did not pass through the house and senate.
The session closed Thursday night.
Here’s what passed:
- Senate Bill 247, which details the framework of how Louisiana adults will be able to wager on sporting events – perhaps as early as football season.
- House Bill 652, which eliminates the possibility of jail time for possession of small amounts of marijuana.
- House Bill 702, which will give St. Tammany Parish voters in October the choice to approve of a casino in Slidell.
- Senate Bill 10, which would made kindergarten mandatory in Louisiana.
- A package of bills that would allow voters decide on whether or not to give up a popular deduction on state taxes in exchange for being assessed at lower income tax rates.
- Legislation to stop accepting the federal $300-a-week boost to jobless benefits a month early.
- A bill that would gradually boost state aid for roads and bridges by about $300 million per year.
- Legislation to centralize sales tax collections
- A bill to boost the state’s unemployment benefits by $28 a week starting next year.
- Restore parole eligibility after 20 years and reaching 45 years old
- A bill to allow survivors of sexual assault to terminate housing leases early
Here’s what didn’t pass:
- House Bill 699, which would have legalized marijuana for recreational use.
- Legislation to ban noncompete contracts for doctors
- An effort to expand the Louisiana Supreme Court
- A change in pay for river pilots
- Revamping how American history and civics are taught
- An effort to toughen rules to qualify for full retirement
- Bid to toughen teacher and state employee retirement rules
- Extending moviemaking tax breaks from 2025 to 2028
- Effort to change state elections to closed party primaries
To see the full list of the 128 acts that were presented in the session, click here.