The regular session begins today less than a week after the special session crashed and burned. Fiscal cliff negotiations will be put on hold while a slew of other issues take center stage. There are several gun control bills filed. But Council for a Better Louisiana President Barry Erwin doesn’t see any of the measures to restrict who can purchase an assault rifle passing.
Erwin says that despite the school shooting in Florida, it's "really hard to see legislation to limit guns" in Louisiana. He says that Louisiana is a "huge Second Amendment state."
18 states raised their minimum wage this year, and a few major companies are following suite. Erwin says while the national landscape is tilting in favor of higher wages, he doesn’t see it happening in Louisiana.
According to Erwin, "There is a strong argument to be made" to raise the minimum wage in Louisiana, but Erwin doesn't see any legislation being passed to do this.
Substantial changes to the state retirement system have been considered, but ultimately scrapped in past session, but Erwin says he sees support building for a fundamental overhaul of how new hired state employees receive their benefits.
Erwin says that these bills "might make it over the finish line."
Substantial changes to the state retirement system have been considered, but ultimately scrapped in past session, but Erwin says he sees support building for a fundamental overhaul of how new hired state employees receive their benefits.