Naomi B. Jones
March 11, 2008Exhibits
March 13, 2008
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal came to Copeland’s restaurant in Houma last Wednesday to promote the special fiscal-only session of the state Legislature, which convened Sunday.
Legislators will allocate more than a billion dollars in excess revenue derived from post-Katrina and Rita economic development.
One of Jindal’s main thrusts in the fiscal-only session is for legislators to reduce or eliminate several taxes levied by Louisiana on businesses in the state, asserting that disincentives in the tax code aid businesses in Mississippi and Arkansas.
But state and local public officials are waiting to see how much of the surplus money will be heading their way.
The governor wants more than half the money to be spent on road and bridge improvements in Louisiana.
He also wants $300 million spent on coastal restoration.
“Why invest in economic development if we don’t protect the coast?” he said.
Jindal is pushing for $25 million to be spent on ports in Lafourche and Terrebonne from the surplus. More specifically, $10 million is slated for improvements at the Port of Terrebonne to accommodate Edison Chouest’s new LaShip shipyard.
“LaShip is a great win for Louisiana,” he said. “I’m so proud of LaShip.”
The governor also discussed laws passed in the February special session, which addressed government reform.
“Your (state legislative) delegation did a great job,” Jindal told the audience.
The reform session passed a slate of laws broadening public officials’ personal financial disclosure requirements and capping some spending by lobbyists.
