Changes

In 2011, Downs sponsored House Bill 448 which would have charged college students for fifteen credit hours, rather than the current twelve semester hours. According to the Legislative Fiscal Office, the change would raise about $74 million a year. Downs said that previous policy in which students pay only for twelve hours encourages them to enroll in additional courses that they frequently drop by the time of withdrawal day. Therefore, colleges must hire more faculty and staff than they would otherwise need. Downs said that the 15-hour requirement would encourage students to take more classes and to graduate earlier. The additional funds raised would compensate too, he said, for other budget cuts in higher education.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/06/tuition-raising_measures_clear.html|author=Jan Moller|title=Tuition-raising measures clear first committee hurdle|publisher=''New Orleans Times-Picayune''|date=June 1, 2011|accessdate=July 7, 2011}}</ref> However, the full House overwhelmingly rejected Downs' bill and a similar measure by Republican Representative Frank Albert Hoffmann (born 1944) of West Monroe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/06/2_bills_designed_to_raise_coll.html|title=Two bills designed to raise Louisiana college costs derailed|publisher=''The New Orleans Times-Picayune''|date=June 7, 2011|accessdate=July 7, 2011}}</ref> ​

In 2011, Downs sponsored House Bill 448 which would have charged college students for fifteen credit hours, rather than the current twelve semester hours. According to the Legislative Fiscal Office, the change would raise about $74 million a year. Downs said that previous policy in which students pay only for twelve hours encourages them to enroll in additional courses that they frequently drop by the time of withdrawal day. Therefore, colleges must hire more faculty and staff than they would otherwise need. Downs said that the 15-hour requirement would encourage students to take more classes and to graduate earlier. The additional funds raised would compensate too, he said, for other budget cuts in higher education.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/06/tuition-raising_measures_clear.html|author=Jan Moller|title=Tuition-raising measures clear first committee hurdle|publisher=''New Orleans Times-Picayune''|date=June 1, 2011|accessdate=July 7, 2011}}</ref> However, the full House overwhelmingly rejected Downs' bill and a similar measure by Republican Representative Frank Albert Hoffmann (born 1944) of West Monroe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/06/2_bills_designed_to_raise_coll.html|title=Two bills designed to raise Louisiana college costs derailed|publisher=''The New Orleans Times-Picayune''|date=June 7, 2011|accessdate=July 7, 2011}}</ref> ​

​

​

In his last legislative session, Downs broke with his party and joined a House minority in supporting an [[Bullying|"anti-bullying" bill]] that would seek to halt physical abuses in public schools. Critics, including the Louisiana Family Forum, said that the legislation would be misconstrued and used to promote [[homosexual]] life-styles.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.schoolbullyingcouncil.com/anti-bullying-bill-killed-by-la-house-2/|title=Anti-bullying killed by La. House|publisher=schoolbullyingcouncil.com|accessdate=July 16, 2011}}</ref>​

In his last legislative session, Downs broke with his party and joined a House minority in supporting an [[Bullying|"anti-bullying" bill]] that would seek to halt physical abuses in public schools. Critics, including the Louisiana Family Forum, said that the legislation would be misconstrued and used to promote [[homosexual]] life-styles.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.schoolbullyingcouncil.com/anti-bullying-bill-killed-by-la-house-2/|title=Anti-bullying killed by La. House|publisher=schoolbullyingcouncil.com|accessdate=July 16, 2011; no longer on-line.}}</ref>​

Downs was succeeded in the House by a [[Moderate Republican]], [[Rob Shadoin]], a Ruston attorney. In the general election held on November 19, 2011, Shadoin defeated another Republican, the more [[conservative]] Jason Paul Bullock (born 1977), also of Ruston, 4,186 (54.4 percent) to 3,513 votes (45.6 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, General Election Returns, November 19, 2011.</ref>​

Downs was succeeded in the House by a [[Moderate Republican]], [[Rob Shadoin]], a Ruston attorney. In the general election held on November 19, 2011, Shadoin defeated another Republican, the more [[conservative]] Jason Paul Bullock (born 1977), also of Ruston, 4,186 (54.4 percent) to 3,513 votes (45.6 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, General Election Returns, November 19, 2011.</ref>​