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6.5.22 – Baton Rouge, La. (WAFB)

The 2022 Regular Legislative Session is coming to an end, so state lawmakers are now in a race against time to get through all that’s left.

Most of the more controversial bills have either been voted down already or are sitting on the governor’s desk. However, there are still some worth keeping an eye on.

But keep in mind, as of Friday, any bills remaining now need a two-thirds vote from both chambers to stand a chance.

First is a bill by Rep. Royce Duplessis, D-New Orleans, which looks to automatically expunge criminal records for certain offenders. Several amendments were made recently in the Senate, which could help its chances.

“Because there were some people who had expressed concerns about the amendments and now that they’re on, I would hope that would remove some of those concerns,” said Duplessis.

Another proposed bill by Rep. Danny McCormick, R-Oil City, looks to arm schoolteachers who meet certain credentials. It was originally a different kind of gun bill that would have done away with concealed carry permits.

“You know, it just depends how strongly the Senate feels about arming teachers in schools to protect our children,” said McCormick. “I guess we’ll have to watch that debate and see if they’re serious about it or if it was just a ploy to kill my constitutional carry bill.”

And then, there is a bill by Rep. Stephanie Hilferty, R-Metairie, that would ban corporal punishment in schools for grades K-12. To gain more support in the House, it was amended to allow it to be a required parental opt-in.

“So, some school systems already have that,” said Hilferty. “[In] some school systems, it’s an automatic opt-in and the parent has to actually opt-out. So, this requires it to be a single form sent home at the beginning of the school year where the parent opts in. I’ve gotten the two-thirds vote on the House side to get it over to the Senate. The Senate has to vote two-thirds to pull it from the calendar and then has to vote with a majority to send it to the governor for his signature.”

Political analyst Jim Engster describes the 2022 Louisiana Regular Legislative Session on the day before it ends.

The session must end by Monday, June 6, at 6 p.m. Anything that fails to get passed before then will be considered dead. The governor, as usual, will hold a news conference Monday evening after both chambers have adjourned.

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