Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Property Code Blight Enforcement topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Senate committee advances bill letting Baton Rouge use administrative ‘blight’ court to speed cases
Summary
SB236, sponsored by Sen. Edmonds, was amended and reported favorably to shift blight adjudication from the city council to a specialized administrative/blight court for Baton Rouge, following recommendations from a mayoral transition team and the Baton Rouge Area Chamber.
The Senate Committee on Local and Municipal Affairs on Thursday adopted an amendment and reported SB236 favorably, a bill that moves specified blight adjudication away from the Baton Rouge city council and into a specialized administrative proceeding (commonly called a “blight court”).
Sponsor Sen. Edmonds said blight was the top concern raised by a transition team assembled for the newly elected mayor and that the bill implements committee recommendations developed with the Baton Rouge Area Chamber. “Since 2016 there have been more than 64,000 calls for service in East Baton Rouge Parish with blight‑related issues,” Edmonds told the committee, citing the transition team’s work.
The committee adopted amendment set 947 to ensure cases are heard in the proposed administrative forum rather than by the mayor or council; the amendment reflects requests from several municipal council members, Edmonds said. Dario Scalco, director of public policy at the Baton Rouge Area Chamber, told the committee his group’s blight subcommittee recommended shifting responsibility to a judge in some parishes and jurisdictions, citing local precedents.
Jeff Laduff of the mayor’s office said the mayor supports the bill and views blight reduction as part of a broader public‑safety and neighborhood stabilization strategy. “We see the concern of blight as not only a problem for neighborhoods, but it’s one of the layers that we look at in our fight against crime,” Laduff said.
Sen. Kathy asked why the bill is limited to Baton Rouge. Edmonds and supporters said the bill responds to local requests and the city’s particular transition work; Edmonds said he brought the bill at the mayor’s request and that its scope was intentionally local for now.
The committee adopted the amendment and reported SB236 favorably as amended. The bill will now proceed to the full Senate for further consideration.
