BATON ROUGE — Sen. Ronnie Johns has filed legislation that authorizes the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury to use part of the Parish Transportation Fund to landscape and beautify rights of way along Interstates 10 and 210 in the parish.

Johns has also filed legislation dealing with trains within the Lake Charles city limits and the city Police Department.

Rep. Dorothy Sue Hill, D-Dry Creek, is sponsoring bills dealing with the Allen Parish Sheriff’s Office, driver’s licenses and turtle excluder devices.

The Police Jury legislation is Senate Bill 130. It would amend a state law that requires the parish to use money from the transportation fund exclusively on repairs and drainage improvements along state routes.

The parish gets about $1.8 million annually from the state. The Johns bill doesn’t dedicate any money from the fund to landscaping or beautification. Jurors would decide how much to use.

Police jurors expressed support for the project when it came up for discussion at a February meeting. They said it is important to make a good first impression when visitors come into the area.

The work would have to be done by standards approved by the state Department of Transportation and Development.

Johns, R-Sulphur, has filed S.B. 110, which deals with train warning signals from La. 14 to the Port of Lake Charles. Port officials said last month there will be an increase in train traffic beginning this summer when a new grain elevator is opened.

Current law requires a train to commence sounding audible warning signals when a locomotive engine is approaching and is not less than a quarter-mile from a railroad grade crossing.

The Johns bill would instead require the use of flagmen at railroad crossings who would warn of an approaching train. The proposal would exempt the railroad company and its employees from liability for civil damages for death or property damage if the oncoming train doesn’t sound an audible warning at crossings.

Lake Charles Mayor Randy Roach in a memo to the City Council said Baton Rouge and Jefferson parishes have similar exemptions.

S.B. 38, by Johns, would create an exemption from state law for the city Police Department. Current law says promotions to vacant positions have to be filled by qualified applicants in order of seniority based on total years of service.

The exemption says the vacancy shall be filled based on years of seniority in the next proceeding lower rank. It also provides that when promotions are made seniority shall be based on years of service in that rank instead of total years in the department.

Hill’s House Bill 281 deals with the premium costs of group hospital, surgical and medical expense insurance for retirees that is paid from the Allen Parish sheriff’s general fund. It covers all sheriffs and deputy sheriffs who retire with at least 15 years of service who are at least 55 or retired with at least 30 years of service at any age.

The bill would retain that coverage for those who retire prior to July 1, 2015. Those who retire on or after that date with 15 years of continuous service and who are at least age 55 will have 50 percent of the premium paid. That goes to 70 percent with 20 years and age 55, 100 percent with 25 years at age 55, and 100 percent for 30 years of service at any age.

H.B. 499, by Hill, provides for the issuance of a provisional one-year Class “E” driver’s license to people released from incarceration with suspended, revoked or canceled driving privileges. Excluded are those imprisoned for vehicular homicide, a third or subsequent violation of criminal provisions governing operating a vehicle while intoxicated, or operating a vehicle while under suspension for certain prior offenses.

Present law prohibits the enforcement in state waters of federal regulations that require use of turtle excluder devices in shrimp trawls. H.B. 668, by Hill, would repeal current law and require the Louisiana Shrimp Task Force to submit a written report on whether the devices should be enforced in state waters.

The report would have to be submitted to the House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment and the Senate Committee on Natural Resources by Feb. 1, 2018.

Louisiana Legislature

MSgt Toby M. Valadie