United Way fights for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in every community.
Louisiana Legislative Session Resumes Today - Take Action on Priority Bills
Dear Advocates:

The Louisiana State Legislature resumes session today, May 4. The Legislature has implemented certain safety protocols to minimize the transmission of COVID-19. We're asking stakeholders and advocates to contact legislators in advance regarding legislation scheduled in committee to reduce the number of people at the Capitol .

To facilitate these goals, we will share periodic Action Alert emails highlighting priority bills identified by our staff, the Ready Louisiana Coalition ( of which United Way of Southeast Louisiana is a leading member), and other partners. Under these unique circumstances, your participation in contacting legislators is more critical than ever .

Your action is requested on the following items, which cover early care and education, feminine products and diaper sales tax exemption, paid sick leave, and maternal deaths.
Early Care & Education

Action Alert: Please contact the members of the House Education Committee (listed below) as soon as possible but no later than 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 5, regarding the following bills, which are scheduled to be heard on Wednesday, May 6:

  • HB 251, Rep. Stephanie Hilferty: SUPPORT. This bill recreates the Early Childhood Care and Education Commission. An amendment also creates a work group within the Commission to look at long-term fiscal solutions for early care and education. Please find suggested language for an email and talking points for a phone call below.

  • HB 823, Rep. Stephanie Hilferty: OPPOSE. This bill creates an “early learning home” license for family child care providers. However, the bill does not follow best practices in regard to group sizes or teacher-child ratios and would result in unsafe, unhealthy conditions for children.

Continue to share our Ready LA Ask —as lawmakers work on putting together a new budget, we need to continue to raise the importance of early care and education for children, working parents, the business community, and the economy.
 
Talking points for HB 251, recreating the Early Childhood Care and Education Commission:

  • I am calling/emailing today to ask Representative _______ to support HB 251, recreating the Early Childhood Care and Education Commission. (If you are a constituent, please note that as well!)

  • The ECCE Commission has done important work so far, but more must be done. Currently the state only serves about 15% of its at-risk children. The ECCE Commission has identified key strategies to raise that number

  • I support the creation of a fiscal working group within the Commission to identify solutions for early care and education before the 2021 fiscal session

  • Thank you for your service, and I hope you will support HB 251.

Talking points for HB 823, creating an “early learning home” license:

  • I am calling/emailing to ask Representative _________ to oppose HB 823, creating an “early learning home” license. (If you are a constituent, please note that as well!)

  • Louisiana is currently one of only a few states that allow family child care providers to operate without a license. Most states require a license in order to serve 4 or fewer children in a person’s home.

  • This bill would allow a provider to care for up to 12 children in their home, plus an unlimited number of children and grandchildren. Most states include related children in the total count of children in a family care setting.

  • These group sizes are far too large to ensure the health and safety of children. How is one adult supposed to evacuate a dozen or more children from a residence during an emergency like a house fire? How does one adult keep a child who has hit his or her head immobilized until an ambulance can arrive while caring for 11 or more other children?

  • A 2018 legislative audit report found that “Louisiana child care licensing standards do not meet national best practices” and identified a number of concerns. Rather than address the issues auditors found two years ago, this bill would make Louisiana’s problems worse.

  • Legislators should oppose HB 823, which as currently written does not have the support of the early care and education community. I appreciate your time and attention to this matter.

House Education Committee Members
Chair Ray Garofalo (R)
(504) 277-4729
garofalor@legis.la.gov

Vice Chair Mark Wright (R)
(985) 893-6262
wrightm@legis.la.gov

Rep. Beryl Amedee (R)
(985) 858-2967
amedeeb@legis.la.gov

Rep. Ken Brass (D)
(225) 265-9005
brassk@legis.la.gov

Rep. Gary Carter, Jr. (D)
(504) 361-6600
carterg@legis.la.gov

Rep. Rick Edmonds (R)
(225) 295-9240
edmondsr@legis.la.gov

Rep. Aimee Adatto Freeman (D)
(504) 861-1614
hse098@legis.la.gov

Rep. Barbara Reich Freiberg (R)
(225) 763-3500
hse070@legis.la.gov

Rep. Stephanie Hilferty (R)
(504) 885-4154
hilfertys@legis.la.gov

Rep. Patrick Jefferson (D)
(318) 927-2519
jeffersonpo@legis.la.gov

Rep. Blake Miguez (R)
(337) 937-8827
miguezb@legis.la.gov

Rep. Charles Owen (R)
(337) 460-8726
hse030@legis.la.gov

Rep. Tammy Phelps (D)
(318) 862-3080
hse003@legis.la.gov

Rep. Vincent “Vinney” J. St. Blanc III (R)
(337) 828-7778
hse050@legis.la.gov

Rep. Phillip Tarver (R)
(337) 475-8186
hse036@legis.la.gov

Rep. Polly Thomas (R)
(504) 837-6559
thomaspj@legis.la.gov
Feminine Hygiene Product & Diaper Local Sales & Use Tax Exemption

HB 328 , Rep. Aimee Freeman: SUPPORT. This bill authorizes local jurisdictions to exempt feminine hygiene products and diapers from local sales and use taxes. Note, this bill will not change the tax statewide (not possible in a non-fiscal session), nor locally, but it gives local governments power to forgo their local sales taxes on those particular items.

This bill will be heard in the House Ways and Means Committee TODAY. Send an email to committee members in support now!

House Ways & Means Committee Members
"Hon. Stuart Bishop" <bishops@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. John Stefanski" <stefanskij@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Beau Beaullieu IV" <hse048@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Ryan Bourriaque" <hse047@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Marcus Anthony Bryant" <hse096@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Rhonda Gaye Butler" <hse038@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Les Farnum" <hse033@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Jason Hughes" <hse100@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Barry Ivey" <iveyb@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Jeremy LaCombe" <hse018@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Wayne McMahen" <mcmahenw@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Buddy Mincey Jr." <hse071@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Tammy Phelps" <hse003@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Neil Riser" <risern@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Malinda Brumfield-White" <whitema@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Matthew Willard" <hse097@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Mark Wright" <wrightm@legis.la.gov>
Maternal Death Analyses

HB 557 , Rep. Royce Duplessis: SUPPORT . This bills requires each hospital or free-standing birthing center in the state of Louisiana perform a comprehensive systematic analysis for each maternal death that occurs.

Pregnant Black women have been dying at 4 times the rate of white women in Louisiana - regardless of income or education. This needed to be dealt with urgently - even before COVID-19.

This bill will be heard in the House Health and Welfare Committee Wednesday. Write to committee members in support.

House Health and Welfare Committee Members
"Hon. Larry Bagley" <bagleyl@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Christopher Turner" <hse012@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Roy Daryl Adams" <hse062@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Robby Carter" <carterr@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Kenny Cox" <coxk@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Raymond Crews" <crewsr@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Michael Echols" <hse014@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Julie Emerson" <emersonj@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Jason Hughes" <hse100@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. C. Travis Johnson" <hse021@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Edward Larvadain III" <hse026@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Wayne McMahen" <mcmahenw@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Dustin Miller" <millerd@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Pat Moore" <hse017@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Robert Bob Owen" <hse076@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Thomas Alexander Pressly IV" <hse006@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Larry Selders" <hse067@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Joe Stagni" <stagnij@legis.la.gov>
Paid Sick Leave

HB 832 , Rep. Matthew Willard: SUPPORT . This bill requires that businesses allow employees to accumulate paid sick leave.

This bill will be heard in the House Labor and Industrial Relations Committee Thursday. Below are key points to include when writing to committee members.

Key Points
  • Paid sick days are a public health necessity - particularly in times of pandemics
  • Many essential workers do not get paid sick days
  • No one should have to choose between earning a paycheck and endangering their health
  • About 40% of all Louisiana workers have NO PAID SICK DAYS - and most of these are in lower income jobs

House Labor and Industrial Relations Committee Members
"Hon. Barbara Carpenter" <carpenterb@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Valarie Hodges" <hodgesv@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Beryl Amedee" <amedeeb@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Mack Cormier" <hse105@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Kenny Cox" <coxk@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Raymond Crews" <crewsr@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Michael Echols" <hse014@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Larry Frieman" <hse074@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Charles Henry" <hse082@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Dodie Horton" <hortond@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Edward Larvadain III" <hse026@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Blake Miguez" <miguezb@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Charles Owen" <hse030@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Robert Bob Owen" <hse076@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Tammy Phelps" <hse003@legis.la.gov>, "Hon. Alan Seabaugh" <seabaugha@legis.la.gov>
Thank you for fighting with United Way for the health, education, and financial stability of every person in our community. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns.
Kim Sport
Public Policy Committee Chair
United Way of Southeast Louisiana
Charmaine Caccioppi
Executive Vice President & COO
United Way of Southeast Louisiana

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