Senator Carter defers toll-fee bill, seeks urgent study of Belle Chasse bridge contracts

Senator Gary Carter voluntarily deferred Senate Bill 352, legislation that would have limited administrative fees tied to toll-collection for state-owned toll facilities, after committee members and witnesses described large administrative charges and potential fiscal impacts.

Carter told the committee that hearings and constituent complaints about the Belle Chasse Toll Bridge motivated the bill; he said the administrative fee — $25 — was disproportionate to a toll of roughly $2.20 and that the bill's fiscal note estimated a roughly $1.1 million reduction to the state general fund if the fee were reduced. "If this bill were to become law, it will really become a problem for the way in which they do contracts," Carter said, and that he would convert the proposal into an urgent concurrent resolution requesting an after-action report from DOTD.

Jay Durr of the Reason Foundation testified the $25 administrative fee appears out of line with peer states and recommended an approach that ties administrative charges to actual collection costs and uses a modest late fee as the punitive mechanism. "That $25 figure is out of line with what other states do," Durr said, suggesting a model that would reduce the administrative charge and rely on a stronger late fee for enforcement.

Following discussion about contract dependence on fee revenue and the risk of litigation with private operators, Senator Carter withdrew the bill from consideration and said he would pursue a study and lessons-learned report from DOTD to prevent similar outcomes in future contracts.