Today, Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response (STAR) released its 2nd annual Legislative Scorecard highlighting the leaders who have demonstrated a commitment to improving laws and policies to better support and protect survivors of sexual trauma and end sexual violence in Louisiana.
According to Morgan Lamandre, STAR’s Legal Director, “The purpose of the scorecard is to educate Louisiana residents on the policies that impact the prevention and response to sexual violence and the legislators that advocated for them. The scorecard should not be used punitively, but more as a guide on where advocates can focus their educational efforts.”
During the 2019 legislative session, STAR tracked nine (9) bills with amendments affecting services to crime victims and survivors of sexual violence. These included legislation to end child marriage (SB 172), a bill to prohibit the jailing of survivors who refuse to testify against their abusers (SB 146), a bill to mandate campus climate surveys regarding sexual assault (HB 294), legislation to improve transfer of firearms in domestic violence cases (HB 279), among many others.
In honor of their dedication to improving laws regarding sexual violence in the State of Louisiana, Senator Yvonne Dorsey Colomb and Representative Joseph Marino, III are presented as STAR’s Legislative Champions for 2019. These two legislators sponsored three of the key bills identified in the Scorecard.
STAR also recognizes 20 members of the Louisiana State Senate and 43 members of the Louisiana House of Representatives as our “Shining STARs” across Louisiana who are highlighted for their perfect scores on STAR’s key bills. These include: Senators Bret Allain (R-Franklin), Regina Barrow (D-Baton Rouge), Wesley T. Bishop (D-New Orleans), Gerald Boudreaux (D-Lafayette), Troy Carter (D-New Orleans), Norby Chabert (R-Houma), Dan Claitor (R-Baton Rouge), Yvonne Colomb (D-Baton Rouge), Jack Donahue (R-Mandeville), Jay Luneau (D-Alexandria), Danny Martiny (R-Metairie), Fred H. Mills, Jr. (R-New Iberia), Beth Mizell (R-Franklinton), Jean-Paul Morrell (D-New Orleans), Dan Morrish (R-Jennings), Karen Carter Peterson (D-New Orleans), Edward Price (D-Gonzales), Gary L. Smith, Jr. (D-Norco), Greg Tarver (D-Shreveport), and Rick Ward, III (R-Port Allen). Representatives James Armes (D-Leesville), John Bagneris (D-New Orleans), Joseph Bouie (D-New Orleans), Ryan Bourriaque (R-Abbeville), Ken Brass (D-Vacherie), Chad Brown (D-Plaquemine), Barbara Carpenter (D-Baton Rouge), Kenny Cox (D-Natchitoches), Paula Davis (R-Baton Rouge), Phillip DeVillier (R-Eunice), Royce Duplessis (D-New Orleans), Stephen Dwight (R-Lake Charles), Franklin Foil (R-Baton Rouge), A.B. Franklin (D-Lake Charles), Randal Gaines (D-LaPlace), Cedric Glover (D-Shreveport), Jimmy Harris (D-New Orleans), Stephanie Hilferty (R-New Orleans), Paul Hollis (R-Covington), Katrina Jackson (D-Monroe), Patrick Jefferson (D-Homer), Sam Jenkins (D-Shreveport), Robert A. Johnson (D-Marksville), Jeremy LaCombe (D-New Roads), Terry Landry (D-New Iberia), Ed Larvadain, III (D-Alexandria), Bernard LeBas (D-Ville Platte), Walt Leger, III (D-New Orleans), Rodney Lyons (D-Harvey), Tanner Magee (R-Houma), Denise Marcelle (D-Baton Rouge), Joseph Marino (NP-Gretna), Dustin Miller (D-Opelousas), Gregory Miller (R-Norco), Stuart Moss (R-Sulphur), Barbara Norton (D-Shreveport), Vincent Pierre (D-Lafayette), Patricia Haynes Smith (D-Baton Rouge), John Stefanski (R-Crowley), Julie Stokes (R-Kenner), Malinda White (D-Bogalusa), Mark Wright (R-Covington), and Jerome Zeringue (R-Houma).
Click here to access the STAR Legislative Scorecard 2019.
STAR will recognize their Legislative Champions, as well as our “Shining STARs” and “Rising STARs” indicated in the Scorecard, at our Champions of Change Gala on Wednesday, November 13th from 6:00—9:00 p.m. at the Pavilion of the Two Sisters at City Park in New Orleans. Click here to learn more about this event, or to purchase tickets.
Interested parties and members of the press should direct inquiries to Racheal Hebert at (225) 615-7093 ext 102 or racheal.hebert@star.ngo.
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