Louisiana’s Government

I. Executive BranchII. Judicial Branch III. legislative Branch IV. How a Louisiana Bill Becomes a Law

Louisiana’s Executive Branch

Governor- State’s highest ranking official- Elected every 4 years - Responsible for managing the

state government and enforcing laws passed by legislature

- Submits a state budget, signs bills into laws, vetoes bills,

- calls out the Louisiana national guard,

- appoints several state positions, makes reports and recommendations to legislature, and can pardon or commute the sentences of convicts.

Executive branchLieutenant Governor

- Elected every 4 years Duties:- Supervising the Dept. of

culture, recreation, and tourism

- Replacing governor if he is unable to finish a term

- Acting in place of the governor if he or she is out of state

Branch PositionsElected Officials

- Attorney General (gives legal advice to state government)

- Commissioner of Agriculture and forestry (administers programs and enforces regulations)

- Secretary of State (supervises state election; registers corporations, maintains archives and records)

- Treasurer (supervise the state’s finances)

- Public Service Commissioners (make sure public utilities are safe, reliable, and reasonably priced)

Appointed Officials

- Sec. of Veteran Affairs- Commissioner of Insurance- Sec. of Public Safety and

Corrections- Sec. of Culture, Recreation, and

Tourism- Sec. of Dept. of Social Services- Secretary of Economic

Development- Superintendent of education- Sec. of environmental quality- Secretary of the dept. of wildlife

and fisheries- Secretary of health and hospitals- Sec. of labor- Sec. of natural resources- Sec. of revenue and taxation- Sec. of transportation and

development- Civil service commissioners

Judicial branch These courts oversee all legal matters, and the supreme court judges the legality of laws passed by the legislature

Justices of the Peace (about 400) – local judicial officials elected by voters in their jurisdictions. Power to perform marriages and try minor cases.

Parish (3) and City Courts (50)- serve parish

and city needs. Judges are elected and handle less serious criminal and civil cases, especially traffic violations.

Juvenile Courts (5) – Judges are elected to handle criminal cases involving juveniles, adoption proceedings and child custody cases.

District Courts (42) - elected by voters to

handle most serious legal matters such as murder, rape, and robbery

Courts of Appeal (5) – Anyone convicted of a crime in a district court has the right to appeal the conviction to a higher court. The judges elected study the case and decide whether mistakes were made in the proceedings. The judges can order new trials, overturn convictions, or uphold the original decisions.

Supreme Court- Louisiana’s Highest Court, located in New Orleans and includes seven justices elected by 7 districts. Each justice serves a 10 year term. This is the last appeal at the state level and supervise the entire judicial system. It disciplines the state’s lawyers and judges, hears appeals from lower courts, and passes final judgment on whether a law passed by the legislature is constitutional legal.

http://www.lasc.org/about_the_court/justices_bio.asp

Louisiana Supreme Court Justices

http://www.lasc.org/about_the_court/justices_bio.asp

Legislative BranchDuties - Passes laws and

taxes - Approves funding for

the state budget- Regulates state

agencies - Has the power to

impeach state officials, including Supreme Court Justices and the governor

Representation- 105 House of

Representatives and 39 Senatorial Districts

- Based on population- Districts redrawn after

each census - At least 18, 2 year citizen

(living at least 1 year in their district)

- No more than 3 consecutive four-year terms

State Legislature’s Role Speaker of the House

presides over the House Senate president resides

over the senate

Legislature meets in sessions once a year for a specific period of time. Only sessions held in odd numbered years consider monetary matters (budgets and taxes)

Special Sessions- called if governor needs to address matters that require immediate attention, especially budgets and taxes, or if both houses agree.

Committees- members appointed by the

Speaker or president, but political party affiliation plays a role too.

- Investigate important issues, review proposed laws, and hold public hearings to give voters an opportunity to speak out on issues

Your ebr legislature Senators Bill CassidyYvonne dorseySharon broomeDale erdayRob marionneaux

http://senate.legis.state.la.us/Senators/ParishList.asp?ParishID=17

http://house.louisiana.gov/H_Reps/By_Parish/H_Reps_ByParish_eastbatonrouge.asp

RepresentativesRegina barrow Stephen carterFranklin foilHunter greenAvon haneyMichael JacksonThomas mcveaErich pontiClifton RichardsonPatrisha smith Mack white, jr.

How a bill becomes a law

Louisiana has an intricate law-making process that involves both the legislature and the governor.

Citizens and lobbyists also play a role in the law-making process. They can attend hearings or contact their legislators or the governor’s office to express their opinions on bills. Strong public opinion frequently affects the outcome of a bill.

Lobbyists (special interest groups)- meet with legislators to provide information about proposed bills and to persuade them to support their interest. Lobbyists’ activities are somewhat restricted by law, and their role in the political process is often controversial. Some people accuse lobbyists of “buying” support by providing legislators with dinners, entertainment, and trips. Others argue lobbyists serve a valuable purpose by providing legislators with information on important matters they might not otherwise receive.