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Senate declines to concur on constitutional jurisdiction measure after roll call
Summary
Senate Bill 68, a joint resolution changing Supreme Court disciplinary jurisdiction for out-of-state attorneys, failed on a concurrence motion after a 24–10 roll call; the chair announced the bill did not pass and the transcript shows a confusing subsequent reference to 'In 26 votes.'
Senate Bill 68, a joint resolution intended to amend Article V of the state constitution to address the disciplinary jurisdiction of the Louisiana Supreme Court over attorneys providing legal services from other jurisdictions, failed on a motion to concur in the House amendments during the April 4 Senate session.
Senator Jay Morris moved to concur after the bill returned from the House with committee amendments, saying, “the house just put some, technical amendments on it and improved the ballot language.” The roll was opened and closed; the clerk recorded 24 yays and 10 nays, and the presiding officer announced the bill failed to pass. The transcript contains a subsequent line referencing “In 26 votes,” which does not match the 24–10 tally recorded on the roll.
Why it matters: SB 68 would have altered how the state’s highest court handles disciplinary proceedings for attorneys practicing across state lines — a change with implications for lawyer regulation and the administration of justice. Supporters framed recent changes as technical clarifications for ballot language; opponents cast the changes as substantive jurisdictional shifts.
Details and procedure: Senator Morris described the House changes as technical; no floor amendment to the bill was offered during the debate recorded in the transcript. After the vote failed, there was no recorded successful motion to reconsider or to send the measure to conference in the transcript segments covering the roll call sequence.
What happened next: Following the failed concurrence motion, the Senate proceeded with other business. The transcript does not show any further action on SB 68 during this session’s recorded segments.
Vote tally (as recorded in the transcript): The clerk recorded 24 yays and 10 nays; the presiding officer announced the bill failed to pass. The transcript also contains a contradictory line mentioning “In 26 votes,” an inconsistency noted in the official transcript segments.
Next steps: The bill’s sponsor may choose to reintroduce, seek conference, or address concerns raised by members in subsequent sessions. The transcript does not record an immediate motion to reconsider or a referral following the failed concurrence.
