Statewide Uber One Step Closer To Reality

On a 97-1 vote, the House passed legislation that would permit companies like Uber to operate across the state, without needing to make local agreements. The bill, by Speaker Taylor Barras, would bring Louisiana in line with the vast majority of other state’s rideshare regulations. Barras says it’s a big benefit with a small price tag.

“This certainly sets a network for a lot of areas of our state, to offer a service. Great benefit for tourism and a lot of our municipal areas.”

Shreveport Representative Barbara Norton said her mind was changed after talking to her son about the benefits of the service for people who don’t own transportation.

“If this bill passes they will be able to go back and forth to work, go to the grocery store, to the doctor’s office.”

Shreveport Representative Cedric Glover was the one dissenting vote. He expressed concerns that the background check system used to clear Uber drivers was not reliable.

“It lends that authority to the company or a third party, neither of which have the kind of certainty from the kind of results you get from law enforcement agencies.”

The bill moves onto the Senate