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Senate convenes organizational session, swears in two members and introduces bills through No. 50
Summary
At an organizational session, the Senate accepted qualifications and administered oaths to Larry Selders and Brock Myers, adopted procedural resolutions and a concurrent resolution inviting the governor (adopted 33 yeas), and introduced Senate bills 1–50, which were read and referred to committees.
The Senate convened for an organizational session, accepted the qualifications of two newly elected members and administered the oaths of office to Larry Selders and Brock Myers, adopted procedural resolutions to organize committees, and introduced Senate bills 1 through 50, which the chamber read and referred to standing committees.
The action accepting the qualifications and election of Larry Selders and Brock Myers was moved by Senator Price and carried without objection; the Senate then administered the oaths of office. The Senate also adopted resolutions appointing committees to notify the House of Representatives and the governor that the legislature had convened and organized. A concurrent resolution to invite the governor to address a joint session was adopted on a roll-call vote, 33 yeas to 0 nays, the secretary reported.
Why it matters: These organizational steps establish membership and committee lines and move a large slate of bills into committee review, shaping the chamber’s agenda for the legislative session. The adopted concurrent resolution sets the time for the governor to address a joint session of the legislature.
Most consequential items and procedural outcomes
- Qualifications and oaths: Senator Price moved that the qualifications and elections of Larry Selders and Brock Myers be accepted; the motion carried without recorded objection. The secretary administered the oath to both members on the floor.
- Committee appointments and procedural resolutions: Senator Barrow introduced resolutions to appoint committees to notify the House and to notify the governor that the Senate had convened and organized; both resolutions were adopted without objection. The president then named senators to those committees as recorded on the floor.
- Concurrent resolution to invite the governor: Senator Barrow introduced a concurrent resolution inviting the governor to address a joint session in the House chamber at 1:00 p.m. The chamber voted by machine; the secretary reported 33 yeas and the resolution was adopted.
- Suspension to introduce and refer bills and bill introductions: The Senate suspended the rules to allow bills to be introduced, read a first and second time, and referred to committee. Senators moved that Senate bills 1 through 50 be introduced and referred; the clerk read summaries on the floor and the measures were referred to the committees listed during the reading. Sample measures read and referred include: • Senate Bill 1 (Price) — amends Title 11 (state police retirement) to provide for purchase of credit for out-of-state full-time law enforcement service; referred to Retirement. • Senate Bill 2 (Faizy) — amends Title 40 to repeal the Louisiana Department of Health water fluoridation program; referred to Health and Welfare. • Senate Bill 3 (Boudreau) — enacts Title 33 relative to St. Martin Parish Hospital District No. 2 and authorizes the governing authority to name a medical office building; referred to Local and Municipal Affairs. • Other topics among the introduced measures included campaign advertising restrictions on public property (SB 4), city court jurisdictional limits (SB 5), reemployment of court reporters in retirement systems (SB 6), changes related to retirement plan investment factors (SB 7), and a range of public-health, tax, education and criminal-law measures through SB 50. Several measures were withdrawn prior to introduction as announced on the floor (for example, SB 12 and SB 47 were withdrawn prior to introduction as recorded).
Most of the bill introductions were procedural: measures were read and assigned to committee with no floor debate recorded on the transcript. The president and clerks announced committee referrals and other administrative details as the measures were read.
Other floor business and next steps
Senators recessed to hold a joint session and to conduct a Purple Heart ceremony; members were instructed to return to the Senate chamber afterward. The president appointed members to the committees authorized by resolution, and the chamber indicated it would await the governor’s appearance at the scheduled joint session.
Ending: The session completed initial organizational business and referred a broad package of measures to committee; committee action and future floor action will determine whether any of the introduced bills advance further in the legislative process.
