Cigar Weekly

Elected officials and public employees who don't want to reveal more information about their income, assets and liabilities have until July 1 to resign under a proposal headed to Gov. Bobby Jindal's desk.

The Senate gave unanimous final passage to the measure, House Bill 842, by Rep. Rick Gallot, D-Ruston. The bill also would change when candidates become subject to the new disclosure rules, giving them until 10 days after qualifying rather than 10 days after "becoming a candidate."

The state Board of Ethics had expressed reservations about how to determine when a political hopeful meets the legal definition of a candidate.

Most of the new disclosure requirements, one of the anchors of Jindal's February special session on ethics, go into effect next year, when affected elected and appointed officials around the state file annual reports about their 2008 finances.

The House narrowly approved a proposed ban on smoking inside cars or trucks while a child younger than 16 is present.

Rep. Walker Hines, D-New Orleans, had failed in two previous attempts to get enough support for the measure, but got the bill through with a 54-33 vote, on his last chance at House passage.

State law now prohibits smoking while the passengers include a child young enough that a safety seat is required. Hines' bill would make it illegal to smoke cigarettes, a pipe or cigar when a child younger than 16 is present.

The measure (House Bill 1021) moves to the Senate.