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Panel defers bill banning expropriation by Amite River Basin Commission after parish objections
Summary
Lawmakers debated HB 4 93, which would bar the Amite River Basin Commission from using expropriation authority in two parishes; members voiced deep concern about reservoir language in master plans and accepted a motion to defer the bill for further work.
Mr. Odom introduced House Bill 4 93, described in the packet as prohibiting expropriation by the board of commissioners of the Amite River Basin Drainage and Water Conservation District in East Feliciana and St. Helena parishes.
Chairman Carter explained the bill’s local history and stressed his long service in the region; several members raised alarm that earlier master‑plan drafts had included reservoir options even though formal annual plans submitted to the legislature did not. Representative Sawyer said many parish police juries and the Amite River Basin Commission had passed resolutions opposing reservoirs and raised constitutional limits on invoking public purpose to take property.
Sawyer pressed whether there was an active document pursuing a reservoir and noted the statute includes a requirement for economic impact analysis in East Feliciana and St. Helena if reservoir development were proposed. Sawyer urged members to oppose what he called a misapplication of authority and then moved to defer the bill. The committee accepted the motion and voluntarily deferred HB 4 93.
What happens next: The bill was deferred so members can continue examining the master plan language and parish resolutions and to reconcile questions about the commission’s statutory authorities.
