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LA Senate Bill Seeks To Create Voting Machine Commission

Courtesy: NPR

LA VOTING MACHINES  — A proposal that started moving forward in the Louisiana state Senate would rework the way Louisiana shops for voting machines.  The legislation comes after two failed efforts to replace the state’s voting system ended in controversy.   The proposal is from Senate Republican leader Sharon Hewitt  from  Slidell.

"The Senate Bill 221 is the Voting Systems Bill that I believe will provide a much more open, transparent, fair and accountable process for procuring voting systems," Hewitt explained.

"The Senate Bill 221 is the Voting Systems Bill that I believe will provide a much more open, transparent, fair and accountable process for procuring voting systems," La. State Senator Sharon Hewitt of Slidell, LA

Hewitt’s bill would  create a commission to analyze and select the type of voting system that could be bought,  add new layers of legislative oversight,  and broaden the types of voting systems allowed which would  remove  some voting machine decision-making from Louisiana’s Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin who oversees voting in Louisiana.

Credit Courtesy: La. House of Representatives Video
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Courtesy: La. House of Representatives Video
La. Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin (L)  speaks before a Senate committee while Sen. Sharon Hewitt of Slidell, La. listens. (04.20.21)

"While the Chairwoman and I have a difference of opinion on this, we have agreed to work together toward a solution and I think we're on the path of that solution," Ardoin said.

The Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee sent the bill to the full Senate for debate without objection.

Chuck Smith brings more than 30 years' broadcast and media experience to Red River Radio. He began his career as a radio news reporter and transitioned to television journalism and newsmagazine production. Chuck studied mass communications at Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia and motion picture / television production at the University of California at Los Angeles. He has also taught writing for television at York Technical College in Rock Hill, South Carolina and video / film production at Centenary College of Louisiana, Shreveport.