NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – State lawmakers return to the capitol building on Monday to kick off the regular legislative session and there is plenty on the agenda including insurance affordability and Louisiana’s laws on recall efforts.

Rep. Mike Huval, R-Breaux Bridge, chairs the House Insurance Committee.

“There’s one thing that we cannot pass a law against in our state: to keep hurricanes from coming to our state,” said Huval.

Lawmakers will be asked to allocate $20 million to fund Louisiana’s new Fortified Homes Program. The thinking by some is if roofs are stronger, they will stand up better to intense storms and insurance rates will fall as a result.

“While the homeowners will need to meet some eligibility requirements and pay for permits, inspections and similar fees, the grants will cover the additional cost to retrofit homes to the fortified roof standards in most cases. I believe this program will help a lot of folks resist damage in the near future while potentially reducing residential property insurance costs in the entire state in the longer term,” said Huval.

Governor John Bel Edwards, who is term-limited and in his final months in office, has proposed a budget for the new fiscal year. His spending plan calls for a $3,000 pay raise for public school teachers and $1,500 more for school support workers.

Edwards also continues to push for a higher statewide minimum wage but has been rebuffed throughout his time as governor by Republicans in the legislature. Edwards is prepared to use his executive power to increase pay for the state government workers to $10 an hour.

Dillard University political analyst Robert Collins, Ph.D., expects legislative pushback again.

“It’s always a challenge to get any sort of wage concessions from this particular legislature because it is Republican-controlled and the Republicans now, of course, have two-thirds veto proof majorities in both houses, so I think that’s going to be an issue, however, there is currently a budget surplus, so the money is available,” said Collins.

After New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell fended off a recall drive recently, some lawmakers have filed bills to change the recall laws.

“I do expect several changes to be made, I do expect legislation to be passed,” said Collins.

Sen. Cameron Henry, R-Metairie, has a bill that would change state law to say recall petitions only become public record once a parish registrar has certified the signatures on the petition. Currently, such petitions are public record the instant the first signature is placed on them.

And Rep. Paul Hollis, R-Covington has a bill to lower the threshold for forcing recall elections in the state. He would like the required number of signatures to be based on the number of people who voted during the election the targeted elected official won, instead of on the total number of eligible voters in a parish.

“It would still be 20%, we just want to base it not on such a massive number like qualified voters, those who are eligible to vote. I want it to be like most states do it and make that number be applied to the people that actually voted,” said Hollis.

Collins expects legislators to go only so far in changing existing recall laws.

“I do believe that the percentage of voters needed to achieve a recall petition election will be lowered. I think we can expect that but I don’t expect radical changes because again, you know, elected officials don’t want to leave themselves too exposed to their political enemies,” said Collins.

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