THE HEWITT BLUEPRINT

As a mother and grandmother, faith and family have always been at the center of Sharon’s life.  She is pro-life, pro-2^nd amendment, and has proudly supported legislation to improve the lives of families and children. 

As a State Senator, Sharon Hewitt has:

• Protected pregnant mothers and their babies by prohibiting companies from mailing chemical abortion pills directly to mothers living in Louisiana. (Act 548 of 2022 RS.)
• Supported a refundable individual income tax credit to support families who adopted children. (Act 452, HB 442).
• Revised Louisiana’s strong pro-life laws prior to the Dobbs decision (Act 545, SB342)
• Requested that the Department of Health add Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) to the state’s newborn screening panel, which has allowed newborns to receive early, life-changing treatment for this debilitating disease. (SCR 16 of 2019 RS.)
• Requested the Louisiana Department of Health to provide data on able-bodied Medicaid recipients and to report on the Medicaid community engagement and work requirement programs in other states. (SR 163 of 2017 RS.)
• Aligned funding for waiver programs for developmentally disabled citizens with new tiered waiver program. (Act 665 of 2018 RS, Act 242 of 2022 RS.)
• Helped address a shortage of certified medication attendants for the disabled community by eliminating the state residency requirement. (Act 45 of 2019 RS.)
• Requested the Legislative Auditor to conduct an efficiency audit of the Department of Children and Family Services’ administration of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. (SR 107 of 2021 RS.)
• Required approval by the legislature prior to the sale of a publicly owned hospital to prevent a repeat of the sale of the St. Tammany Mental Health Hospital without local or legislative agreement. (Act 537 of 2016 RS.)
• Established sexual harassment prevention policies and training for public servants and have held elected and appointed officials to a high standard. (Act 270 of 2018 RS, SB 204 2018 RS.)
• Protected taxpayer dollars by requiring the state in certain circumstances to recoup all or a portion of the judgement or settlement from the alleged sexual harasser when there has been a valid claim of sexual harassment by a state employee. (Act 413 of 2019 RS.)
• Allowed some state boards and commissions to meet remotely, increasing transparency and public input, and allowing more participation from the disabled community. (Act 393 of 2023 RS).
• Allowed public bodies to hold meetings electronically during gubernatorial declared emergencies or disasters. (Act 302 of 2020 RS).
• Amended Senate rules to permit members to vote via video or other electronic means during a declared emergency. (SR 45 of 2020 RS).
• Required boards and commissions that issue licenses and permits to provide a quarterly report about consumer complaints to the Legislative Auditor and the legislative committee responsible for oversight. (SB 171 of 2019 RS – Vetoed by Governor).
• Clarified the definition of public records relative to engineering drawings submitted by the Louisiana State Fire Marshal to the Louisiana Professional Engineering and Land Surveying Board or the State Board of Architectural Examiners for review. (Act 357 of 2018 RS).
• Provided for a review of the usefulness of each executive branch report on its 5th year anniversary to determine whether staff time can be reduced by eliminating a report that the recipients no longer read or need. (Act 572 of 2018 RS).