Legislature briefs for June 22, 2008

• By THE CAPITOL NEWS BUREAU AND THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
• Published: Jun 22, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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Bill names TOPS for its founder

TOPS scholarships should be renamed for the late businessman Pat Taylor, the House decided Saturday.

The House voted 94-3 in favor of changing the name of the Tuition Opportunity Program for Students to the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students.

In the Senate, there was disagreement on whether Taylor should receive sole credit for the merit-based scholarship program.
None of those objections were raised in the House.

House Bill 1075 now goes to the governor’s desk.

Legislature OKs ‘earmarks’ bill

Legislators should be required by law to provide more details on the pet projects they add into budget bills each year, the full Legislature has decided, approving a bill that has been the subject of debate for three years.

A House committee killed the proposal by Sen. Dan Morrish, R-Jennings, earlier this session, but Morrish added it back into another measure — House Bill 1182 — that was sent back to the House for approval of the change.

Despite opposition in the House, lawmakers there voted 60-28 Saturday to approve the Morrish amendment.

Under a rule enacted by the House and Senate earlier this year, lawmakers seeking dollars for festivals, local museums and other “earmarks”  must include information about the organization to get the money, their board members and the planned use of the money.
The bill goes next to Gov. Bobby Jindal.

Immigration bills dead for session

The sponsor of legislation designed to crack down on illegal immigrants and those who help them said his package of bills is dead for this session but he may bring them back next year.

Rep. Brett Geymann, R-Lake Charles, said he will meet with proponents and opponents before the next regular session to improve the proposals.