Today Sexual Trauma Awareness and Response (STAR) released its 4th 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.
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 2022 legislative session, STAR scored twelve bills affecting survivors of sexual violence and systemic oppression. This included legislation to provide human trafficking survivors expungements for crimes they commit due to their victimization (SB 148), to permit access to police reports (HB 615) and forensic medical records (SB 147), and to mandate hospitals provide survivors with the option of emergency contraception after receiving forensic medical exams (HB 1061), among many others.
STAR recognizes seven legislators as our “Rock STARs” for their perfect scores on STAR’s key bills as well as authoring STAR sponsored legislation. They include: Senator Regina Barrow (D-Baton Rouge), Senator Beth Mizell (R-Franklinton), Representative Aimee Adatto Freeman (D-New Orleans), Representative Jason Hughes (D-New Orleans), Representative Edmond Jordan (D-Baton Rouge), Representative Mandie Landry (D-New Orleans), and Representative Thomas Pressly (R-Shreveport).
STAR also recognizes 29 members of the Louisiana State Senate and 54 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. They include: Senators Mark Abraham (R-Lake Charles), R.L. Bret Allain (R-Franklin), Regina Barrow (D-Baton Rouge), Gerald Boudreaux (D-Lafayette), Joseph Bouie (D-New Orleans), Gary Carter (D-New Orleans), Stewart Cathey, Jr. (R-Monroe), Heather Cloud (R-Turkey Creek), Patrick Connick (R-Marrero), Patrick Page Cortez (R-Lafayette), Franklin Foil (R-Baton Rouge), Cameron Henry (R-Metairie), Bob Hensgens (R-Abbeville), Katrina Jackson (D-Monroe), Eddie Lambert (R-Gonzales), Jay Luneau (D-Alexandria), Patrick McMath (R-Covington), Barry Milligan (R-Shreveport), Fred H. Mills, Jr. (R-New Iberia), Beth Mizell (R-Franklinton), Barrow Peacock (R-Bossier City), Edward Price (D-Gonzales), Mike Reese (R-Leesville), Gary Smith (D-Norco), Jeremy Stine (R-Lake Charles), Kirk Talbot (R-River Ridge), Gregory Tarver (D-Shreveport), Rick Ward, III (R-Port Allen), and Mack “Bodi” White (R-Baton Rouge). Representatives Roy Adams (NP-Jackson), Stuart Bishop (R-Lafayette), Delisha Boyd (D-New Orleans), Ken Brass (D-Vacherie), Chad Brown (D-Plaquemine), Marcus Anthony Bryant (D-New Iberia), Barbara Carpenter (D-Baton Rouge), Robby Carter (D-Amite), Wilford Carter (D-Lake Charles), Mack Cormier (D-Belle Chase), Paula Davis (R-Baton Rouge), Daryl Deshotel (R-Marksville), Royce Duplessis (D-New Orleans), Adrian Fisher (D-Monroe), Aimee Adatto Freeman (D-New Orleans), Barbara Freiberg (R-Baton Rouge), Foy Gadberry (R-West Monroe), Randal Gaines (D-LaPlace), Cedric Glover (D-Shreveport), Jonathan Goudeau (R-Lafayette), Kyle Green (D-New Orleans), Stephanie Hilferty (R-New Orleans), Jason Hughes (D-New Orleans), Mike Huval (R-Breaux Bridge), Barry Ivey (R-Baton Rouge), Patrick Jefferson (D-Homer), Sam Jenkins (D-Shreveport), C. Travis Johnson (D-Vidalia), Edmond Jordan (D-Baton Rouge), Timothy Kerner (R-Lafitte), Jeremy LaCombe (D-New Roads), Vanessa LaFleur (D-Baton Rouge), Mandie Landry (D-New Orleans), Ed Larvadain (D-Alexandria), Rodney Lyons (D-Harvey), Denise Marcelle (D-Baton Rouge), Joseph Marino, III (NP-Gretna), Scott McKnight (R-Baton Rouge), Dustin Miller (D-Opelousas), Gregory Miller (R-Norco), Candace Newell (D-New Orleans), Joseph Orgeron (R-LaRose), Charles Owen (R-Rosepine), Tammy Phelps (D-Shreveport), Vincent Pierre (D-Lafayette), Thomas Pressly (R-Shreveport), Clay Schexnayder (R-Gonzales), Larry Selders (D-Baton Rouge), Vincent St. Blanc (R-Franklin), Joseph Stagni (R-Kenner), John Stefanski (R-Crowley), Malinda White (D-Bogalusa), Matthew Willard (D-New Orleans), and Jerome Zeringue (R-Houma).
STAR also recognizes four members of the Louisiana State Senate and fifteen members of the Louisiana House of Representatives as our “Rising STARs,” who scored 90-99% on our key bills. These include: Senators Louie Bernard (R- Natchitoches), Robert Mills (R-Minden), John C. “Jay” Morris (R-West Monroe), and J. Rogers Pope (R-Denham Springs). Representatives Larry Bagley (R-Stonewall), Ryan Bourriaque (R-Abbeville), Rhonda Butler (R-Ville Platte), Jean-Paul Coussan (R-Lafayette), Phillip DeVillier (R-Eunice), Mary DuBuisson (R-Slidell), John R. Illg, Jr. (R-River Ridge), Tanner Magee (R-Houma), Jack McFarland (R- Jonesboro), Wayne McMahen (R- Minden), Richard Nelson (R- Mandeville), Robert “Bob” Owen (R- Slidell), Troy Romero (R- Jennings), Rodney Schamerhorn (R- Hornbeck), and Laurie Schlegel (R-Metairie).
Click here to download the scorecard.