Pension Hike Bill Spurs Talk Of Process Change

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A Thibodaux lawmaker says he'll push for legislative process changes after a retirement boost for the state police superintendent was slipped through the Legislature with no debate.

Rep. Jerome "Dee" Richard says he wants to reform the conference committee process, a six-member committee used to work out disagreements between the House and Senate on individual bills. They rarely meet in public.

Richard, an independent, said Thursday the process needs more transparency and he'll seek to change it in the 2015 regular session.

The pension hike for Col. Mike Edmonson was tacked onto an unrelated bill through a conference committee in the final hours of the last legislative session. Lawmakers say they didn't realize the implications when they approved the add-on.

After public criticism, Edmonson said he wouldn't accept the increase.

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