Locals get high LABI rating

The Louisiana Association of Business and Industry has released its 2012 Legislative Voting Record. The document tabulated how elected state officials voted during their most recent session, and how those votes impact business.

The annual scores include votes on important business topics such as education reform, workforce development, civil justice and employee relations. This year the LABI voting record tracked votes on 16 such bills.

“Our voting record illustrates how legislators voted on business and industry priorities developed by LABI’s membership, issue councils, and executive leadership,” said LABI President Dan Juneau. “These issues are vital to Louisiana’s business interests.”

State Rep. Lenar Whitney (R-Houma) scored the highest of the Tri-parish delegation at 97 percent. State Reps. Gordon E. Dove, (R-Houma) scored 77 percent while both Joe Harrison and Jerome “Dee” Richard (NP-Thibodaux) scored 58 percent. State Rep. Sam Jones (D-Franklin) scored 47 percent and state Rep. Jerry Gisclair was listed with a score of 37 percent. The average score in the state House of Representatives was 66 percent.

State Sens. Robert “Bret” Allain II (R-Jeanerette) and Troy E. Brown (D-Paincourtville) scored 91 percent. State Sen. Norbert “Norby” Chabert (R-Houma) scored 89 percent. The average Senate score was 69 percent.

Each lawmaker received a score indicative of their support for LABI initiatives. While the report demonstrates that many lawmakers cast votes supporting business, not every legislator did.

The 2012 Legislative Voting Record reveals which legislators did not support their district’s small businesses and industry initiatives this year. “We will always hold lawmakers accountable for their positions on key issues that affect Louisiana’s business climate,” Juneau said.

Voters are encouraged to log-on to the new LABI.org to view how their district’s senator and representative voted. LABI members and the site’s subscribers will be able to see more than the legislator’s scores; they will see the bills chosen by LABI that represent business interests, legislator’s individual votes on the bills, campaign finance reports for each legislator, as well as demographic data from each legislator’s district.

LABI, the statewide chamber of commerce and manufacturing association, is the champion of economic growth and free enterprise for better business in Louisiana. For nearly 40 years, LABI has been politically influential in Louisiana’s business climate. Beginning with passage of Louisiana’s right-to-work law in 1976 to spearheading education reforms of 2012.