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Hopkins authored a bill to provide health benefits to lawmakers who had served prior to the installation of term limits. The bill passed, but Democratic Governor [[Kathleen Blanco]] vetoed the bill at the "urging of Republican lawmakers, many of whom had voted for the legislation ... People never understood that Hoppy wasn't doing that for himself. He was just thinking about other members. He already had [his own] insurance ... and retirement," Montgomery explained.
Hopkins authored a bill to provide health benefits to lawmakers who had served prior to the installation of term limits. The bill passed, but Democratic Governor [[Kathleen Blanco]] vetoed the bill at the "urging of Republican lawmakers, many of whom had voted for the legislation ... People never understood that Hoppy wasn't doing that for himself. He was just thinking about other members. He already had [his own] insurance ... and retirement," Montgomery explained.
Representative Leo Wayne Waddell, a Shreveport Republican first elected in a 1997 special election, said that he voted for the health-benefits bill because it "means too much to Hoppy." Then House Speaker [[Joe Salter]], a Democrat from Florien in Sabine Parish, said that Hopkins could not be pressured to support or oppose legislation. Salter noted that the commissioner of administration once threatened Hopkins about projects in north Caddo Parish. "Hoppy told him to go ahead and pull the damn things, but he wasn't voting" as the commissioner of administration requested, Salter said.
Representative [[Wayne Waddell]], a Shreveport Republican first elected in a 1997 special election, said that he voted for the health-benefits bill because it "means too much to Hoppy." Then House Speaker [[Joe Salter]], a Democrat from Florien in Sabine Parish, said that Hopkins could not be pressured to support or oppose legislation. Salter noted that the commissioner of administration once threatened Hopkins about projects in north Caddo Parish. "Hoppy told him to go ahead and pull the damn things, but he wasn't voting" as the commissioner of administration requested, Salter said.
Billy Montgomery told ''The Shreveport Times'' that ethics laws were unneeded for legislators like Hopkins: "He just had common sense, and he was a good person. If you want to pattern yourself, as an alderman, a small town mayor or a member of a legislature, he's the pattern to follow."
Billy Montgomery told ''The Shreveport Times'' that ethics laws were unneeded for legislators like Hopkins: "He just had common sense, and he was a good person. If you want to pattern yourself, as an alderman, a small town mayor or a member of a legislature, he's the pattern to follow."