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House transportation panel reports a slate of memorial and highway‑naming bills favorably
Summary
The committee moved a series of highway and facility naming bills — honoring local public servants and victims — to the House floor on March 10, adopting modest amendments on some measures and receiving emotional family testimony on at least one designation.
BATON ROUGE — The House Committee on Transportation on March 10 reported a package of highway and facility naming bills favorably, advancing several tributes and memorials to the House floor with little substantive opposition.
Among the measures the committee advanced:
- House Bill 346 (Rep. Schammerhorn) redesignates a portion of U.S. 171 as the Speaker Joe Salter Memorial Highway. The committee heard tributes from the sponsor and from Secretary of State Nancy Landry and his colleagues. The committee reported the bill favorably.
- House Bill 356 (Rep. Zarrang) dedicates a bascule bridge on LA 315 as the Albert T. Brady Jr. Memorial Bridge (Terrebonne Parish); reported favorably.
- House Bill 149 (Rep. Glorioso) renames a segment of U.S. 190 Business East in Slidell as the Senior Police Officer Trevor Abney Memorial Highway; sponsor recounted Abney’s service and the committee reported the bill favorably.
- House Bill 148 (Rep. Bagley) designates part of LA 5 at Logansport as the Eugene Washington Memorial Highway; reported favorably.
- House Bill 716 (Rep. Baham) would dedicate the Chalmette Ferry Terminal to the late Michael C. Gennard Jr.; sponsor described Gennard’s leadership during Hurricane Katrina; reported favorably.
- House Bill 355 (Rep. Weibel) names LA 10 in Washington Parish as Veterans Park Memorial Highway after adoption of a short amendment; reported with amendments.
- House Bill 675 (Rep. Reiser) designates US 425 in Franklin Parish for Bill Drill Putt; the committee adopted an amendment adding the title "Assistant Chief" to the designation and reported the bill with amendments.
- House Bill 657 (handled by Rep. Chasson for Rep. Bryant) and House Bill 384 (Rep. Barrault) each carried amendment sets adjusting whether 'Memorial' appears in the formal names; both were reported with amendments.
- House Bill 354 (Rep. Ventrella) redesignates the Magnolia Bridge as the Caleb Easterling Memorial Bridge. That item included emotional testimony from Becky Easterling, who described Caleb, a 2022 Central High School graduate, and his death in a daytime drunk‑driving crash. Sponsor Rep. Ventrella and several members expressed condolences; the committee reported the bill favorably.
Committee staff (Mr. Odom and Miss Champagne) handled amendment sets and procedural matters during the hearing. Several measures were taken without recorded objection; a small number of amendment sets were adopted before bills were reported.
Several bills were voluntarily deferred to a subsequent agenda, and the committee adjourned after completing the day's listed business.
