The House Transportation Committee reported several naming bills that would dedicate bridges and highway segments for veterans, law enforcement officials and other community leaders.
House Bill 82: Representative Baham asked the committee to designate the Gulf Outlet Bridge on Louisiana Highway 47 in Orleans Parish as the Vietnam War Veterans Green Bridge, a name that "formalizes what we call the structure, the Green Bridge," he said. The committee adopted amendments and reported HB 82 with amendments.
House Bill 83: Representative Cox presented a naming measure for a portion of Louisiana Highway 466 and the city of Gretna as the Chief B.H. Miller Jr. Memorial Parkway. The committee approved a set of four amendments that added additional dedications (including a Raymond LaVerne Sr. memorial bridge); Representative Boyer moved to report HB 83 with amendments and the motion carried.
House Bill 180: Representative Thompson moved to rename a portion of U.S. Highway 425 in Richland Parish as Sheriff Gary Lynn Gilley Memorial Highway. Thompson said the family offered to accept contributions to cover signage costs, and the committee reported HB 180 favorably.
House Bill 174: Representative McFarland presented HB 174 to designate a bridge on U.S. 167 in Winn Parish as the Clayton Horn Memorial Bridge to honor Specialist Clayton James Horn, an Army reservist who died in 2019 while on duty overseas. The committee adopted a technical amendment and moved the bill forward.
Why it matters: The measures are ceremonial dedications that create official names on the state highway system. Several presenters noted family requests, community support and local law enforcement associations in favor of the bills.
Quotations
- "This bill ... designates ... what we colloquially call in Saint Bernard The Green Bridge," Representative Baham said of HB 82.
- "He was a cop's cop and he loved the cops that worked for him," Representative Cox said describing Chief B.H. Miller Jr. during remarks on HB 83.
- Representative Thompson said of the Gilley designation: "The family wanted to let people contribute and pay for what the changes would be to the highway signage."
Formal actions
- HB 82 by Representative Baham: reported with amendments (mover/committee action recorded in transcript).
- HB 83 by Representative Cox: amendment set adopted; reported with amendments.
- HB 180 by Representative Thompson: reported favorably (moved by Representative Wiley, no objections recorded).
- HB 174 by Representative McFarland: technical amendment adopted and bill reported.
Ending
Each naming measure was briefed with local testimony or sponsor remarks, amendments were adopted where needed and the committee sent the bills to the House calendar with the committee’s recommended language.