BATON ROUGE — House Speaker Chuck Kleckley had easy sailing for two of his bills heard by the full House on Tuesday, passing one 101-0 and the second 99-6. Both move to the Senate.

Southwest Louisiana legislators this week have also cast votes on a number of bills of statewide interest.

House Bill 532, by Kleckley, would provide a funding mechanism for hospitals in the state. Each would pay an assessment, and those funds would be used to attract federal Medicaid dollars.

Kleckley, R-Lake Charles, said the measure would set up the Hospital Stabilization Fund that will handle the assessments.

Once the federal funds are added, the total would be redistributed to hospitals based on the number of uninsured patients they treat under the federal-state program for the poor.

Conservative groups have criticized the procedure. Americans for Tax Reform wrote legislators, saying it is a game played by lawmakers “a couple hundred million times over.” It says the process consumes federal tax dollars that are contributing to the nation’s $16 trillion national debt.

But Kleckley met little resistance when he brought the bill up for a final vote. Rep. Brett Geymann, R-Moss Bluff, was one of the six opponents. Other members of the Southwest Louisiana delegation voted for the bill.

H.B. 369, by Kleckley, would require tax assessors to give clearer notice to taxpayers when their property is reassessed. The legislation, which got a unanimous vote, would require the notice to list both the current and previous year’s assessment, and to clearly indicate the change in value.

Three senators from Southwest Louisiana supported Senate Bill 204, by Sen. Robert Adley, R-Benton. It would provide funding for construction projects at the state’s community and technical colleges. It was approved 30-6 and moves to the House.

The bill would provide $251 million for the projects, two of them involving Sowela Technical Community College. There is $9 million for the Morgan Smith Campus in Jennings and $7.2 million for the main campus in Lake Charles.

Voting for the bill were Sens. Ronnie Johns, R-Sulphur; Eric LaFleur, D-Ville Platte; and Dan “Blade” Morrish, R-Jennings.

Johns and Morrish voted for a measure by Johns that would have allowed everyone 65 and over to freeze tier assessments, regardless of income, but it was defeated 27-8. There is now an income limit of $69,463. 

LaFleur voted against and said Johns was expanding the original intent of the bill and that there should be a better mechanism for enforcing the income limitation.

Johns, LaFleur and Morrish voted for a bill that would remove the requirement that state judges retire at 70. It moves to the House.

Seven members of the House delegation voted for a bill that would delay the formula for calculating school performance grades and the new statewide teacher evaluation program until changes are approved by the House and Senate education committees.

H.B. 466, by Rep. Kenny Havard, R-Jackson, would require the state to use the same formula and accountability policies applied in the 2011-2012 school year.

Voting for the bill were Reps. James Armes, D-Leesville; Mike Danahay, D-Sulphur; A.B. Franklin, D-Lake Charles; Geymann; Johnny Guinn, R-Jennings; Dorothy Sue Hill, D-Dry Creek; and Frank Howard, R-Many.

Kleckley and Rep. Bob Hensgens, R-Abbeville, voted against.

The House voted 58-33 for a bill that would allow parish clerks of court to receive an annual 4 percent raise for the next four years. They would have to complete an annual certification and maintain the certification. H.B. 174 moves to the Senate.

Danahay, Franklin, Hill and Howard voted for the raise. Armes, Geymann, Guinn and Hensgens were against. Kleckley was recorded as absent.

House Speaker Chuck Kleckley. (Associated Press)

Bill Feig