BATON ROUGE – Louisiana lawmakers continued to advance conservative priorities Wednesday, limiting discussion of gender and sexuality in schools and allowing teachers to do so without parental consent in cases where teachers differ from a child's biological sex. He pushed for a bill that would ban children from using their preferred names and pronouns.
Lawmakers this week advanced measures that would restrict bathroom use by biological sex and provide state funding for private school education. Other bills would give police the power to arrest immigrants who are not in the country legally and ban protests outside people's homes.
The House Education Committee on Wednesday voted 9-3 to advance House Bill 122, which would prohibit teachers from discussing sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools. This includes teachers discussing their own sexual orientation and facilitating discussions about sexual orientation and gender identity during instructional time in the classroom.
“This is not about criticizing anyone's lifestyle choices; this is about protecting our children,” said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Dodi Horton (R-Houghton). “It keeps the conversation going between parents, home and children.”
Critics expressed concerns about how the bill would be enforced, as there are no penalties or procedures for reporting teachers. Horton said those details will be determined by individual school boards.
The committee also voted 9-3 Wednesday to pass a bill that would require teachers to use names and pronouns on children's birth certificates.
Also this week, the House Civil Law and Procedures Committee proposed House Bill 608, which would require schools, domestic violence shelters, and other facilities to designate restroom and sleeping areas based on gender, rather than gender identity. . Transgender people would then be banned from these spaces.
Critics expressed concern that the bill would undermine federal funding for domestic violence shelters because federal regulations require them to screen clients based on gender identity.
Louisiana, Atty. Gen. Liz Murrill said she plans to take the federal government to court if passage of the bill affects funding for shelters.
All of these bills will be considered in the House of Representatives.
The House on Monday approved Bill 745 by a vote of 71-32, allowing parents to use tax dollars to send their children to the private schools of their choice. The bill now goes to the Senate.
The program, known as LA Gator, gives families between $5,000 and $15,000 to spend on tuition, books, uniforms and other school expenses. The most money would go to children with learning disabilities, with other families receiving between $5,200 and $7,500 per child, depending on household income.
Any family can apply for the program by the third year. The measure would increase state costs by at least $258 million a year by 2027, and some lawmakers fear it could ultimately lead to cuts in state support for public schools. .
The bill's sponsor, Rep. Julie Emerson (R-Carencro), said, “This program is a program that we sincerely believe will only lead to better educational outcomes for students by empowering parents to choose the education that is best for their students.'' I believe that.''
Senate Bill 388 would build on Texas law and task Louisiana law enforcement authorities with enforcing immigration laws. It passed the Senate and advanced to the House of Representatives.
If the bill passes and a federal court upholds the Texas law, people living in Louisiana without legal immigration status will be fined up to one year in prison and $4,000 for a second offense. A second offense could result in a fine of up to two years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
House Bill 737 passed the House by a vote of 85-18. This prohibits protests that disrupt or harass individuals near their residences.
Rep. Edmund Jordan (D-Baton Rouge) expressed concern that the proposal's language could be unconstitutional and would take away the First Amendment right to assemble on public lands. expressed.
“The way it's written, I don't think it's constitutional,” Jordan said. “People have a right to gather.”
In other action, the Senate passed Senate Bill 379, which doubles fines and repeals a 2022 law that would have installed speed cameras on the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge.
House Bill 5, which would require Louisiana universities to accept cash at all events, including sporting events, has passed the House Education Committee.
House Bill 429, which prohibits schools receiving state aid from serving imported seafood in cafeterias, has passed the House.
