SB 153 Raise the Minimum Wage bill FAILS to pass AGAIN!

After SB 153 bill sponsor Sen. Troy Carter and three Senators on the Finance Committee - Senators Regina Barrow, Wesley Bishop and Gregory Tarver ALL spoke eloquently on the need and many supporters gave heartfelt and well substantiated testimony, the committee voted down 7 - 3 the bill to raise the minimum wage in LA to $8.00 next year and $8.50 the year after - not nearly what is even needed to keep up with inflation but better than nothing. Only because of myths and misdirection, the business lobby got a party line vote of NO again..

THANK Sen Troy Carter cartert@legis.la.gov for being such an eloquent spokesperson for this cause.

Thanks Senators Barrow, Bishop and Tarver for their support.
barrowr@legis.la.gov, bishopw@legis.la.gov; tarverg@legis.la.gov

Please let other members of the committee, especially if they are YOUR senator, know that you are sorely disappointed in their votes against the bill. Please pour YOUR thoughts into what you say at this predictable but always devastating outcome.

allainb@legis.la.gov; appelc@legis.la.gov; donahuej@legis.la.gov;fanninj@legis.la.gov; hewitts@legis.la.gov; johnsr@legis.la.gov;whitem@legis.la.gov

Legislative Action Alert! Domestic Violence bill HB 27!

HB 27 (Pat Connick) (equal protection for “household members”) did not pass the Senate a few days ago. We need to get support from those Senators who voted against it or who were absent. There may have been some confusion on the Senate floor about the effect of the bill, and the La. Family Forum removing their objection.

here is the link to how the respective Senators voted: https://www.legis.la.gov/Legis/ViewDocument.aspx?d=1044348

HB 27 TALKING POINTS:

• Current Louisiana law on domestic violence defines “household member” as any person of the opposite sex presently or formerly living in the same residence with the offender as a spouse, whether married or not. This would therefore include cohabitating opposite-sex couples but would exclude cohabitating same-sex couples.

•Because of this longstanding distinction, current Louisiana law does not adequately protect victims of domestic violence who are in same-sex cohabitating relationships. Under current law, the State is unable to provide such victims the same protections and justice that would be provided to victims of domestic violence in opposite-sex relationships.

•Domestic violence sadly occurs at a high rate in Louisiana and occurs across all segments of society. Domestic violence transcends lines of race, sex, socioeconomic status, and sexual orientation.

•Additionally the United States Supreme Court’s ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, while not holding that classifications based upon sexual orientation are subject to any level of scrutiny above rational basis and rather ruling based upon marriage being a “fundamental right,” is indicative of a shifting trend in jurisprudence. Moreover, the Supreme Court merely “skirted” that issue and left it for another day, a day which will come eventually. It is probable that the United States Supreme Court will eventually find classifications based upon sexual orientation to be subject to heightened/intermediate scrutiny, and in that event Louisiana domestic violence law will likely fail constitutional muster.

• While adding “dating partner” to Louisiana law on domestic violence is certainly a welcome addition and would give prosecutors a new tool to bring perpetrators to justice and protect victims, this does not change the problematic language in the definition of “household member,” and leaving two separate standards for opposite-sex verses same-sex relationships in domestic violence law in any manner leaves the Fourteenth Amendment equal protection issue unrectified. To avoid a potential constitutional issue, the problematic “of the opposite sex” language must be removed.

•The State has a responsibility to protect all Louisiana residents from abuse regardless of sexual orientation. Everyone has the right to be protected and to receive justice.

•Objections initially raised by the Louisiana Family Forum have been removed with the addition of amendment language added on the House floor 5/2/2017. The reengrossed version of the bill includes the new, Family-Forum-friendly language:
"Household member" means any person of the opposite sex presently or formerly living in the same residence with the offender as a spouse, whether married or not, and who is involved or has been involved in a sexual or intimate relationship with the offender, or any child presently or formerly living in the same residence with the offender, or any child of the offender regardless of where the child resides.

Check the vote for a special message to YOUR senator if he or she voted for or against HB 27 already.

Also ask ALL senators to support this important bill and if you can - come to BR for the vote on Tuesday, May 30.

Senators:
alarioj@legis.la.gov; allainb@legis.la.gov; appelc@legis.la.gov; barrowr@legis.la.gov; bishopw@legis.la.gov; boudreauxg@legis.la.gov; cartert@legis.la.gov; chabertn@legis.la.gov; claitord@legis.la.gov; colomby@legis.la.gov; cortezp@legis.la.gov; donahuej@legis.la.gov; erdeyd@legis.la.gov; fanninj@legis.la.gov; gattir@legis.la.gov; hewitts@legis.la.gov; johnsr@legis.la.gov; lafleure@legis.la.gov; lamberte@legis.la.gov, longg@legis.la.gov; luneauj@legis.la.gov; martinyd@legis.la.gov; milkovichj@legis.la.gov; millsf@legis.la.gov; mizellb@legis.la.gov; morrelljp@legis.la.gov; morrishd@legis.la.gov; peacockb@legis.la.gov; perryj@legis.la.gov; petersonk@legis.la.gov; risern@legis.la.gov; smithj@legis.la.gov; smithgl@legis.la.gov; tarverg@legis.la.gov; thompsof@legis.la.gov; walsworthm@legis.la.gov; wardr@legis.la.gov; whitem@legis.la.gov

SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE-BUDGET-PUBLIC TESTIMONY

BUDGET PUBLIC TESTIMONY (and/or emails if you can't come) - SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE, 9 am, Saturday, at the Capitol (and send email!)

Saturday the SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE that has the power to fix SOME of the problems with this year's budget is taking PUBLIC TESTIMONY. Yes, it is a holiday weekend but if you can get to BR on Saturday for 9 am and witness and be heard - it is important.

AN EXAMPLE - Currently the House passed budget cut abut $237 million from the Health Department - cuts that would cost $500 million more in lost federal match so the total effect would be three quarters of a billion dollars - devastating cuts to health. There is about $200 million in money the House has refused to budget at all that could go a long way toward relieving these cuts and others.

Message to email, call and include in your testimony to your Senators and the members of the Senate Finance Committee:

Please pass a budget that invests all available funding on the critical needs we have - Please don't leave $200 million in available funds on the table that should be invested in healthcare, higher education, and safety net programs that are being short changed in the House Budget.

Email addresses for whole Senate Finance Committee (and send your senator a message separately:

lafleure@legis.la.gov; allainb@legis.la.gov; appelc@legis.la.gov;barrowr@legis.la.gov; bishopw@legis.la.gov; donahuej@legis.la.gov;fanninj@legis.la.gov; hewitts@legis.la.gov; johnsr@legis.la.gov;tarverg@legis.la.gov; whitem@legis.la.gov; chabertn@legis.la.gov;morrishd@legis.la.gov; thompsof@legis.la.gov;walsworthm@legis.la.gov

Legislative Action Alert! Budget

Mostly Republican obstructionists in the HOUSE have tried to shut off all means of fixing the budget to benefit people who need state government to work - programs for veterans, protection for abused children, health care for low income, mental health care, better run prisons and parole programs - EVERYTHING we count on the state to do - is at risk because of what this group has done or refused to do.

Yesterday Democrats and a few others took a brave stand - to stop spending on Capital Projects (HB 3) funding until they can get some hope of a compromise to save something out of the budget mess the obstructionists have created...

Please thank those legislators who did stand up for YOU and PEOPLE in General on Wednesday - read more about it here:

http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/05/democrats_house_budget.html

Legislators to thank for standing up against devastating cuts to critical needs and for trying to get a better budget out of the House!

larep021@legis.la.gov,armesj@legis.la.gov,bagnerisj@legis.la.gov,billiotr@legis.la.gov,bouiej@legis.la.gov,browntr@legis.la.gov,carterr@legis.la.gov,coxk@legis.la.gov,danahaym@legis.la.gov,franklina@legis.la.gov,gainesr@legis.la.gov,gisclairj@legis.la.gov,gloverc@legis.la.gov,hallj@legis.la.gov,harrisj@legis.la.gov,hilld@legis.la.gov,hunterm@legis.la.gov,iveyb@legis.la.gov,jacksonk@legis.la.gov,james.ted@legis.la.gov,jeffersonpo@legis.la.gov,jenkinss@legis.la.gov,johnsoro@legis.la.gov,joness@legis.la.gov,jordane@legis.la.gov,lebasb@legis.la.gov,legerw@legis.la.gov,lyonsr@legis.la.gov,marcelled@legis.la.gov,marinoj@legis.la.gov,millerd@legis.la.gov,morenoh@legis.la.gov,nortonb@legis.la.gov,pierrev@legis.la.gov,pricee@legis.la.gov,reynoldsg@legis.la.gov,schrodej@legis.la.gov,smithp@legis.la.gov,thibautm@legis.la.gov,whitema@legis.la.gov

LEGISLATIVE ACTION ALERT!

SB 153 (T Carter) to raise the minimum wage did not get heard today but WILL be on the FINANCE Committee agenda tomorrow (Wednesday) at 12 noon in room A-B.

Please come if you can to support raising the minimum wage - and email all committee members:

lafleure@legis.la.gov; allainb@legis.la.gov; appelc@legis.la.gov; barrowr@legis.la.gov; bishopw@legis.la.gov; donahuej@legis.la.gov; fanninj@legis.la.gov; hewitts@legis.la.gov; johnsr@legis.la.gov; tarverg@legis.la.gov; whitem@legis.la.gov; chabertn@legis.la.gov; morrishd@legis.la.gov; thompsof@legis.la.gov; walsworthm@legis.la.gov

Take ACTION NOW to protect your rights! View this email in your browser As you will see below, we have three very important bills coming up. We would love to see you at the committee meetings! If you are unable to attend the committee meetings, please email the committee members. With one click of the blue buttons below, you can email all the committee members at once. We even filled in the subject line and the message body for you! You do not have to be a constituent to email the committee members, so send away! YOUTH RISK BEHAVIOR SURVEY TODAY OR TOMORROW! Senate Final Passage   SB 85 (Yvonne Dorsey Colomb) to allow the Youth Risk Behavior Survey to anonymously ask all questions including those regarding sexual risk behavior passed the Senate Committee last week.  Please email all in one email and call as many Senate members as you can to support SB 85 in the next few days.   Email and/or Phone Script: (Please feel free to use all or  portions of the script below) I want to talk to you today about the very important issue of anonymous, voluntary public health surveys of students about risk behaviors, including behaviors related to unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, like HIV. Our state is high on the list of negative outcomes in health and education outcomes—particularly sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies—partially because we do not know in which risk behaviors young people are engaging and cannot effectively develop programs and interventions to prevent them.   We know that surveying will not only get us better information on which to base prevention programs, but will make the state eligible for more funding than is currently available for school-based and adolescent health programming. There are many existing laws that protect the privacy and rights of students, parents, and schools from being forced to participate in these public health surveys—and they require that at every level the participating district, school, parent, and student agree to participate.  The data is fully anonymous and it is only reported at the state level. District and school level data is not reported.     Put in TO: line of email:     alarioj@legis.la.gov; allainb@legis.la.gov; appelc@legis.la.gov; barrowr@legis.la.gov; bishopw@legis.la.gov; boudreauxg@legis.la.gov; cartert@legis.la.gov; chabertn@legis.la.gov; claitord@legis.la.gov; colomby@legis.la.gov; cortezp@legis.la.gov; donahuej@legis.la.gov; erdeyd@legis.la.gov; fanninj@legis.la.gov; gattir@legis.la.gov; hewitts@legis.la.gov; johnsr@legis.la.gov; lafleure@legis.la.gov; lamberte@legis.la.gov, longg@legis.la.gov; luneauj@legis.la.gov; martinyd@legis.la.gov; milkovichj@legis.la.gov; millsf@legis.la.gov; mizellb@legis.la.gov; morrelljp@legis.la.gov; morrishd@legis.la.gov; peacockb@legis.la.gov; perryj@legis.la.gov; petersonk@legis.la.gov; risern@legis.la.gov; smithj@legis.la.gov; smithgl@legis.la.gov; tarverg@legis.la.gov; thompsof@legis.la.gov; walsworthm@legis.la.gov; wardr@legis.la.gov; whitem@legis.la.gov   TO Call: look on legislative website http://senate.la.gov/Senators/default.asp Please join us for this hearing to express your support for SB 153 & SB 155! Wednesday, May 17, 2017, 8:00 AM Senate Committee on Labor and Industrial Relations   SB 153 by Senator Troy Carter would raise the minimum wage from $7.25 to $8.00 per hour beginning Jan. 1, 2018. SB155 by Senator Troy Carter is The Louisiana Employment Nondiscrination Act. The Louisiana Employment Nondiscrimination Act, or Senate Bill 155 adds language prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity or expression to existing Louisiana law. Further, SB155 would define the terms "sexual orientation" and "gender identity or expression" for the first time in Louisiana law. TIME:  The hearing is expected to begin at 8:00 AM. It is recommended that you arrive 10-15 minutes before the expected start time to fill out a card and find a seat in the room. WHERE TO GO:  Senate Committee Room C All legislative committee rooms are located on the floor below the main lobby of the capitol. Senate committee rooms are located in the Senate wing of this floor. Please message us prior to the day of the hearing if you plan to attend and are unsure about where to go. WHAT TO DO: When you arrive, you may fill out a card to indicate your support or opposition for any bill on the schedule for that committee hearing, and your support will be read aloud for the record. GREEN indicates support, and RED indicates your opposition. These cards are available in the hearing room, and you will hand the card to the Sergeant at Arms when you finish filling out your information. You do not have to speak in favor of the bill at the microphone, but you are welcome and encouraged to do so if you have a personal story or information to explain to the committee that is relevant to the bill. You may indicate whether or not you wish to speak on the card that you submit to the Sergeant at Arms.  Please contact all the committee members! You can click on the blue button below to auto load an email to them. (This works best with gmail and outlook.)  Click here to email the committee! Neil Riser (Chairman) risern@legis.la.gov (318) 649-0977 (318) 649-0979 (866) 513-8699 https://www.facebook.com/NeilRiserLA/ @NeilRiser Troy Carter (Vice-Chairman) cartert@legis.la.gov (504)302-3682 (504)324-0708 Regina Barrow barrowr@legis.la.gov (225) 359-9400 (225) 359-9402 https://www.facebook.com/Senator-Regina-Ashford-Barrow-610…/ @RepReginaBarrow Wesley Bishop (504) 242-4198 bishopw@legis.la.gov  @RepWesleyBishop Barrow Peacock peacockb@legis.la.gov (318) 741-7180 (318) 741-7182 https://www.facebook.com/SenatorBarrowPeacock/ @SenatorPeacock J.P. Morrell morrelljp@legis.la.gov (504) 284-4794 (504) 284-4796 @JPMorrell Ronnie Johns johnsr@legis.la.gov (337) 491-2016 Copyright © 2017 Louisiana NOW All rights reserved. Louisiana NOW Advocacy Alerts and Updates Our mailing address is: P.O.Box 66706 Baton Rouge, La. 70896 Want to change how you receive these emails? 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Reminder-NOW BR Meeting, Delta Open House and Clinic Escort Training!

Looking forward to seeing you!

  

NOW Baton Rouge May Meeting

10:00 am-12:00 pm

Delta Women's Clinic Open House

NOW Baton Rouge Clinic Escort Training

12:00 pm-2:00 pm

May 13, 2017

756 Colonial Drive

Baton Rouge, La. 70806

Light Refreshments will be served

The agenda will include an overview of clinic operations, escort training, and legislation efforts with our partner, the New Orleans Abortion Fund.

Thursday, May 11 Action alert!

HB 223 TO BE HEARD TODAY ON HOUSE FLOOR AT 1:00PM

TELL HOUSE MEMBERS TO SUPPORT THE AMENDED BILL

Click here for House of Representatives Contact Information

Baton Rouge mother of 3 paralyzed after

boyfriend shot her in bathtub while baby in next room

Feb. 22, 2017 - 9:06 AM

Cooley found guilty for killing girlfriend shot in head
with assault rifle in Caddo Parish

Apr 21, 2017

Louisiana Man Sentenced in Slaying of Deputy Ex-girlfriend

A 49-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for killing his ex-girlfriend,
a deputy with a suburban New Orleans sheriff's department.

Feb. 21, 2017

Woman called aunt while being pistol-whipped by ex-boyfriend in St. Charles Parish -
Man accused of kidnapping and beating former girlfriend, mother of his child

Mar 14, 2017

Sheriff: Suspect admits shooting police officer,
pregnant ex-girlfriend
Jefferson Parish

Westwego - January 20, 2017

Man accused of shooting girlfriend in the head in Catahoula Parish
charged with second degree murder

Posted: Feb 22, 2017 10:50 AM CST

Ex-boyfriend arrested in connection to fatal shooting of
Baton Rouge mother of 3 after she answered the door her home

Saturday, January 21, 2017

Sheriff: Ex-boyfriend arrested after shooting woman and her family in Houma

WWLTV.com , WWL 4:19 PM. CDT October 26, 2016

Gunman arrested after boyfriend teen killed, 2 women injured in Terrebonne Parish shooting

Updated: 4:52 PM CDT Oct 26, 2016

Drunk Dry Prong woman tried to kill boyfriend in Grant Parish

Town Talk,  Oct. 21, 2016

Louisiana ranks 2nd in the nation for domestic violence homicides.  In Louisiana, over 70% of domestic homicides involve a dating partner, and over 60% of victims served by the Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence are dating partners.

HB 223, as amended:

·         Creates the Crime of Battery of a Dating Partner

·         Changes the definition of Dating Partner to exclude ordinary casual or business relationships

·         Includes a misdemeanor first offense without burning or strangulation with no post-sentence firearm prohibition

·         Requires a 26 week DAIP & 48 hour mandatory imprisonment on first offense

·         Duplicates existing firearm dispossession language from DAB statute until completion of sentence and probation

·         Makes first offense Dating Partner Battery involving child endangerment or pregnancy a felony

·         Makes second offense Dating Partner Battery a felony

·         Triggers post-sentence 10 year firearm dispossession for first offense Dating Partner Battery which includes strangulation or burning, and second offense Dating Partner Battery

·         Mandates collection of fingerprint and identification information following arrest of Dating Partner offender

·         Prohibits firearm possession by Dating Partner during protective orders

·         Allows admissibility of prior acts of Dating Partner crimes in criminal trials

Rep. Helena Moreno has worked with multiple district attorneys, the United Against Domestic Violence Coalition, House member colleagues and the gun lobby in drafting these amendments.  It is imperative that you call all House members and ask them to vote FOR this bill today on the House floor.

THANK YOU!