Archive for July, 2008

Meeting With Residents Statewide

July 30th, 2008 | Posted by admin

Dear Friends,

 

Meeting With Residents Statewide

I was very excited to kick off our statewide town hall tour last week with visits to Vivian, Springhill, Homer, Thibodaux, Many, and Winnfield.

I believe that it is very important that we hear from as many communities across the state as possible. As the Shreveport Times noted, “no one in Vivian [has met the Governor] in the city limits since Dave Treen visited in the early 1980s.” I appreciate you taking time off from work, as well as bringing your family, to share with me your ideas on moving our state forward. As Karen Walker said in the Shreveport Times about her daughter, “I’d like better opportunities to be here in Louisiana for her.” Working together, we can be successful in creating a New Louisiana, so that our sons and daughters can realize their dreams here instead of moving to another state.

 

As noted in the Ruston Daily Leader, “the point [of visiting various areas] is to listen to people all over the state.” At every town hall, I hear from you. As I was quoted in the Houma Courier saying, “In every one of these [town hall meetings] we learn something and we will hear something unique.” Whether it is concerns in Thibodaux about protecting our coastline, saving the Sparta Aquifer across North Louisiana or helping poultry farmers in Dubach, your input is vital. As I said in the Minden Press Herald, it is the people of our great state that gives me “hope for the future of improving and maintaining the good work that has already been done.”

If we have not been in your area, we will soon. This week we have already traveled to Mer Rouge, Farmerville and Dubach, and are heading to Mamou and Church Point later in the week. I encourage you to come out and see us over the next month, and I look forward to hearing from you.

 

Thursday, July 31

10:30 a.m. – Evangeline Parish - Farmer’s Gas, 96 Poinciana Street, Mamou

2:45 p.m. – Acadia Parish - City Hall Annex Building, 102 Church Blvd, Church Point

 

Working with General Motors

As you may have heard earlier this week, General Motors (GM) announced that they are reducing production at their Shreveport facility due to rising gas prices and an unstable economy. We have been working with GM over the past few months to see how the state could help ensure the plant’s future in Louisiana, and I traveled to Shreveport on Monday to meet with local GM officials to reiterate that state support.

 

As reported by the Baton Rouge Advocate, I am fully prepared to offer GM incentives, such as converting equipment at the plant allowing it to make more fuel efficient vehicles, in order to return the plant to full capacity. GM is a critical piece of Northwest Louisiana’s economy, and I am going to Detroit soon to meet with the president of GM North America to help make sure that it continues manufacturing vehicles in Shreveport for generations to come.

 

Speaking to Legislators From Across the Nation

Last week I thanked more than 6,000 state legislators and staff from across the nation for coming to New Orleans for their annual convention. I shared with them the substantive reforms that we are making in our state when it comes to ethics, workforce development and reducing the tax burden on working families and business.   

 

The convention not only served as a great way for these decision makers to see firsthand that Louisiana and New Orleans are open for business following the 2005 storms, but also gave Louisiana the chance to showcase the importance of Louisiana’s coastal erosion problems, and the impact that it has on the rest of the nation. The Shreveport Times quoted a legislator from Kansas who said “he was amazed to learn of the economic impact Louisiana’s coastal region — with its energy and seafood production — has on the rest of the nation.”

 

It is conventions like these - with a $10 million to $12 million impact - that play a vital role in our recovery. In addition to the economic impact, these elected officials were able to witness the progress we have made so far following the 2005 storms, but also the work that remains and the full commitment needed for us to fully recover. That is why I was pleased that Speaker Nancy Pelosi took the opportunity after touring our state last week to agree with our position that Louisiana should not be forced to repay its cost-share of levee funds almost immediately, instead of the thirty years that is allowed under current law. As I have said before, we are willing to pay our fair share and I look forward to working with Congress in the coming months to ensure that Louisiana is not faced with an immediate financial burden when it comes to our levees.

 

Visiting the Tarpon Rodeo

I was reminded once again last weekend why Louisiana is called the Sportsman’s Paradise when I visited with people from across the nation who had traveled to Grand Isle from thousands of miles away for the annual Tarpon Rodeo. When it comes to having the best fishing waters around, Louisiana cannot be beat. I had a great time at the Rodeo, and I encourage everyone to take advantage of our state’s unique array of outdoor activities.

 

Sincerely,

 Bobby Jindal

Governor Bobby Jindal

Posted in website |

Holding Town Hall Meetings

July 21st, 2008 | Posted by admin

Dear Friends,

Holding Town Hall Meetings

Beginning this week, I look forward to sitting down with you around the state to share about the progress we have made, but more importantly, to hear the concerns facing your community firsthand. We have accomplished a lot in a short time, but still have much work to do when it comes to making sure that our students have access to a quality education, our roads are safe to travel, citizens have access to quality and affordable health care and the state is investing your money wisely.

 

A recent letter to the Baton Rouge Advocate is reminiscent of what I have heard from a number of you over the past week encouraging us to continue moving forward with Louisiana’s new era of fiscal common sense.  The letter states, “Thank you, Gov. Bobby Jindal for taking the first steps in creating a budget for the entire state, for removing the projects that should be under community, philanthropy, church, local government, self-help and/or any concerned citizen.”

 

As I said last week, there will always be more worthy causes than there will be state funding. But it is our job to ensure tax dollars are wisely spent and invested in state priorities that will further the creation of a New Louisiana that encourages business growth and job creation so our kids do not have to leave home to pursue their dreams.

 

The Monroe News-Star pointed out that the $16.14 million I vetoed last week in the state budget is “no chump change, especially if it represents money that was taken from the pockets of Louisiana taxpayers.” They continued by saying our “intention was to protect the taxpayer,” and that “the governor’s actions were… consistent with the governor’s promises to the people of Louisiana. He promised to be a good steward of public funds.”

I look forward to visiting with you in the coming weeks.  On Tuesday we begin our town hall meetings in Northwest Louisiana.  I hope to see you there.

Tuesday, July 21

12:15pm – Homer (Claiborne Parish), City Hall

2:00pm – Springhill (Webster Parish), Community Activity Center

3:30pm – Vivian (Caddo Parish), Vivian Elementary and Middle School

 

Preparing for Hurricane Season

As evidenced by the appearance of a strong storm in the Gulf of Mexico this week, this year’s hurricane season is upon us, and it is critical that every Louisiana family have a gameplan if faced with an approaching storm.

 

A few weeks ago I told you about our “Get a Gameplan” hurricane preparedness campaign, featuring LSU football coach Les Miles and New Orleans-based rock band Better Than Ezra. Last week we unveiled the public service announcements that you will soon see on television.  You can get a sneak peek at the spots here.

 

I encourage you all once again to visit the state’s new preparedness website, www.GetaGameplan.org, and utilize the tips and information found there to ensure that your family is prepared this hurricane season. 

Improving Social Services

Too often, when a family requires human or social services, they are required to go to several locations to fill out multiple forms, creating layers of unnecessary red tape that hinder their ability to receive the help they need. Last week I traveled to New Orleans to sign legislation that created Neighborhood Place, taking a great step forward to cutting that red tape. 

Senate Bill 701 creates Neighborhood Place, which will bring the Departments of Social Services, Education, Health and Hospitals, the Louisiana Workforce Commission and Office of Juvenile Justice together at a single location, creating a much more efficient delivery of services. As reported in the Times-Picayune, the first facility will open at the Mahalia Jackson School in Central City New Orleans and will offer prenatal care, nutrition programs and job training. Community leaders in Baton Rouge, Lafayette, West Feliciana and Sabine Parishes have also expressed interest in opening a facility. 

Welcoming Our Troops Home

I would also like to extend a special thank you to the 175 members of the Louisiana National Guard’s 769th Engineer Battalion that returned home to Louisiana last week after serving oversees protecting our freedom. I was pleased to meet the Battalion at the Baton Rouge Airport upon their arrival, and seeing the faces of the troops as they were reunited with their families and friends is certainly an experience I will never forget.

 

As this article in the Baton Rouge Advocate illustrates, these men and women are true heroes, regardless of your stance on the war, and deserve our highest honor and respect. 

 

Unfortunately we were reminded once again today of the dangers that our military faces every day in doing their job when a B-52, based at Barksdale Air Force Base in Bossier City, crashed off the coast of Guam this morning.  Our hearts and prayers go out to those families who lost a loved one in the accident, as well as the hope that those that continue to remain missing are found safe soon.]

 

Sincerely,

 Bobby Jindal

Governor Bobby Jindal

Posted in website |

Moving Forward with Fiscal Reforms

July 15th, 2008 | Posted by admin

Dear Friends,

Moving Forward with Fiscal Reforms

On Inauguration Day, I told Louisianians that together we would create a New Louisiana – a Louisiana that gives our citizens the opportunities they deserve by taking on bold reforms and not mere cosmetic changes. For too long, state government has recklessly spent taxpayers’ money – your money – with little regard for accountability.  As I told Parade Magazine, we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to improve Louisiana, with one of those being how we invest our money on state priorities.

 

We took another step toward that New Louisiana yesterday by vetoing 258 line item vetoes in House Bill 1, saving more than $16 million. These vetoes help bring forward a new era of fiscal common sense, and are more than double the number of vetoes in the last 12 state budgets combined. By vetoing unnecessary non-governmental and governmental spending to reduce our state budget, we are ensuring that taxpayer dollars are used in a way that promotes a new Louisiana encouraging business growth and job creation so our kids do not have to leave home to pursue their dreams.

 

As noted in the Baton Rouge Advocate, I laid out specific criteria for legislators to let them know that we would support those projects which were state priorities, but would veto state funding for projects that were not. While there will always be more worthy causes than there will be state funding, it is our job to ensure tax dollars are wisely spent and invested in state priorities.

 

These vetoes come on the heels of the 25 line items I vetoed in the state’s supplemental bill, saving taxpayers more than $9.29 million. Combined with another item I vetoed in HB 1 which DHH estimated would have cost around $27 million, our strong fiscal reforms have saved taxpayers more than $52.2 million.

 

As noted in Human Events, we are “leading a revolution of conservative reform in Louisiana.” A large part of that reform is bringing a strong sense of fiscal discipline back to Louisiana. As we move forward, I will continue advocating policies that not only save taxpayer dollars, but use them efficiently and in a way that will bring a better future to our state.

 

Increasing Our Domestic Oil Supply

I was very pleased to see that the President lifted the White House moratorium on offshore drilling in the United States earlier this week. This is a good step towards lowering the high gas prices that have hampered Americans in recent months, and I hope that Congress will follow the President’s lead and not renew the moratorium which is slated to end September 30.

 

Our country has become far too dependent on foreign sources of oil in recent years, and by releasing the ban on offshore drilling we can move back towards energy independence. We need a comprehensive, balanced energy policy from the federal government that pursues everything simultaneously, from more offshore drilling to exploring nuclear, solar and wind alternative energy sources, and increasing conservation efforts.

 

This news is especially encouraging to Louisiana as we continue to work toward being the energy technology capital of the world. We will pursue incentives and tax policies to position our state as a national leader in reducing our country’s dependence on foreign sources of oil.

Governor Jindal signs the Louisiana Consumers’ Right to Know Act

Strengthening Our Health Care System

One of the best ways to improve our health care infrastructure is to increase the use of electronic medical records, and to ensure that new technology is implemented efficiently and quickly. Last week I traveled to the LSU Health Sciences Center in Shreveport to highlight the Louisiana Consumers’ Right to Know Act, which for the first time will create a one-stop website for patients to view information on the cost, quality and performance of their health care providers and health plans.

 

Electronic medical records have the ability to completely revolutionize our health care industry. As noted in the Shreveport Times, they will help by “increasing the convenience of a patient’s experience…and also save valuable time, effort and, ultimately, cost for medical professionals.” That is part of why we have committed more than $18 million towards the use of electronic medical records in our state. Additionally, Louisiana was recently chosen by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as one of the first four states to take part in a national Medicare demonstration project that will help pay physicians to move to using certified electronic health records to improve the quality of patient care.

 

The Consumers’ Right to Know Act will enable patients and their families to more carefully scrutinize where they are receiving their health care services and how much those services will cost, leading to an increased quality of care for many. I am very pleased that we will implement this one-stop shop for health care services, and I look forward to continuing to improve the quality and affordability of health care in Louisiana.

Governor Jindal highlights important education reforms

Improving our Educational System

I was also pleased to join local elected officials in Lafayette last week to talk about the important reforms we have implemented in our education systems. As observed by the Lafayette Daily Advertiser, “education is the best place to start to make a better state,” and we have taken some great steps forward to ensure that every child in Louisiana receives a quality education.

 

Chief among the new laws is the Teacher’s Bill of Rights, which reaffirms the rights of teachers to instill discipline in their classrooms, and shows our teachers that they have our support when it comes to keeping control in the classroom. Our state has lost too many teachers for too many years due to the lack of discipline in our classrooms, and this will go a long way towards fixing this problem. We have also signed the Teachers’ Paperwork Reduction Act, which will keep teachers from filling out duplicative and unnecessary paperwork and give them more time to spend with their students. Finally we signed legislation that will give our teachers a $1,000 raise to keep them at the Southern Regional Average.

 

We have also increased dual enrollment opportunities for students across the state. In providing a strong backbone for our educational system in this past session, we have set ourselves up to take great leaps forward in the years to come.

 

Aiding Those in California

As reported by WDSU in New Orleans, I announced this past weekend that the Louisiana National Guard will be dispatched to California to help control the wildfires that have ravaged the state in recent weeks. We here in Louisiana certainly know the importance of receiving help from our neighbors, and I am glad that we can offer California this support. Supriya and I are praying for the families affected by the wildfires, as well as the firefighters bravely holding the line against them.

 

Sincerely,

 Bobby Jindal

Governor Bobby Jindal

Posted in website |

Spreading the word about our reforms

July 9th, 2008 | Posted by admin

Dear Friends,
Governor Jindal addresses the Baton Rouge Press Club on Monday.

Spreading the Word About Our Reforms

I spoke to the Baton Rouge Press Club yesterday about the future of our state and the successes of our first regular legislative session. We have completely revamped our state’s workforce development program and Department of Labor, now known as the Louisiana Workforce Commission, which will bring increased economic opportunity for both employers and employees alike. The restructuring of our state’s labor department will, as reported by the Houma Courier, “[prepare] it to confront the state’s staggering need for skilled workers,” and better link potential workers with programs and technical colleges prepared to teach them the skills they need.

 

I love when our children go to college, but we must realize that not all of our students will attend a university. Instead we need to encourage these students to continue their education by allowing them early participation in community and technical college programs. By revamping our workforce training programs, we can provide a path to opportunity for these students through dual enrollment programs beginning when they are still in high school. This will not only allow students to receive valuable training at a younger age, it will also showcase the many options available to them with the proper training.  

 

This revamping of our workforce development system was the single most important package our administration pushed for in this past session, and I was pleased to sign this important legislation into law last week. Our state will now move at the speed of business, and not the speed of government, while providing employers a “Day One Guarantee” that workers will be trained and ready to work, or our community and technical colleges will retrain them for free.

 

While we have much work to do, we have accomplished a lot in a short period of time, such as cutting taxes, increasing our teachers’ ability to maintain discipline in the classroom, and strengthening Louisiana’s laws to protect our children from sex offenders. We have also made sure that the strong ethics changes we made earlier this year have not been weakened. As the Houma Courier stated, “Gov. Bobby Jindal struck a blow for good, responsible government” when “Jindal killed a bill…[that] would have put Ethics Board investigators at a disadvantage.” The bill, which would have prevented anonymous complaints, “would have taken away a great resource from the Ethics Board,” the paper concluded.

 

We have also instilled a number of fiscal reforms that make sure we are investing taxpayer money wisely. An editorial in the Shreveport Times said one such reform - strengthening requirements for non-governmental organizations to receive state funds, “set a good precedent” because “taxpayers should [not] be counted on for recurring, operational expenses of local nonprofits unless nonprofits are contracted to provide services the state cannot.”

 

I look forward to continuing to improve our state, and building a better Louisiana. Day by day we are cutting the chains that have held our state down for so long, and we will continue working hard every single day to make sure that our state realizes its potential. Louisiana is the greatest place in the world to raise a family, and we must continue with our reforms to give the rest of the nation and the world a reason to believe that.

 

Moving Forward with Levee Funding

I recently met with Louisiana’s Congressional delegation, as well as other Congressional leaders, in Washington to discuss the future of rebuilding funds for Louisiana following hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The federal government has attempted to force our state to repay its cost-share of levee funds almost immediately, instead of the thirty years that has been provided in the past. This would cause the state to pay more than $1 billion – more than a third of our yearly discretionary budget – by 2010. We are not asking that our state’s cost share be waived. We are just asking to operate under fair guidelines and for the federal government to give Louisiana the same amount of time to pay the cost share as has been provided in the past. As stated in the Baton Rouge Advocate, “it does not make sense to hit Louisiana with a three-year bill for cost-share money that usually is spread out for far longer periods.”

 

These current funds are simply to bring our levees to their supposed pre-Katrina levels, and are not even to provide protection against a Category 5 storm. I certainly appreciate all of the help and funding that has come to our state since Katrina and Rita, but it is unreasonable to expect our state to pay such a steep price. I will continue to work with members of Congress – we are willing to pay our fair share.

 

Improving Our Mental Health System

 

I was joined in New Orleans yesterday by Department of Health and Hospitals Secretary Alan Levine and local officials to discuss the significant improvements to both the delivery of mental health services and providing safety for communities from those that may be a danger to others or themselves. Hurricanes Katrina and Rita served to exacerbate the problems of a system that was already broken, and we will continue working hard to improve mental health services in Louisiana.

 

Our package of bills in the recently completed regular session consisted of five pieces of legislation, and more than $89 million in funds committed to support mental health care services. One example of legislation that was passed was Nicola’s law, named after slain New Orleans Police Officer Nicola Cotton, which gives judges the ability to order mandatory outpatient treatment for mentally ill patients who may be a danger to society when not provided with supervision. We have also signed into law legislation that will create mental health crisis centers, which will swiftly and accurately detail a patient’s specific mental health needs.

 

We also passed a law that will allow us to use technology to provide better services for mental health patients. Our new legislation will allow doctors to carry out exams on patients who may be deemed dangerous to themselves or society via telemedicine, drastically decreasing wait times and getting health services to those in need much quicker.

 

We will continue working to improve our entire mental health system and infrastructure in order to best provide for the needs of all Louisianians. Our mental health system has been ignored and allowed to decay for too long, and it is past time that we ensure that mental health patients have access to the help they need.

 

Holding Town Hall Meetings

I will be holding a series of Town Hall meetings across the state this August. More details will be given as dates and places are determined, and I look forward to meeting with residents across the state to hear your thoughts and concerns. It is a great honor to serve as Governor, and one that I do not take lightly.

 

Sincerely,

 Bobby Jindal

Governor Bobby Jindal

Posted in Uncategorized, website |

Ensuring Fiscal Discipline

July 3rd, 2008 | Posted by admin

Dear Friends,

Bobby JindalEnsuring Fiscal Discipline

 

Earlier this week I vetoed 25 items – totaling more than $9 million — targeted for non-state projects and initiatives. As I said in a letter to the Legislature as they began the process of debating this year’s budget bills, these types of projects and groups would need to meet four specific criteria, such as having a statewide or substantial regional impact, or otherwise be vetoed.

 

I will once again make myself clear – pork-barrel spending, slush funds, and pet projects no longer have a place in Louisiana’s budget. We have seen at the federal level how this type of spending leads to ridiculous projects receiving funding, such as the bridge to nowhere, and I will not allow us to go down the same path here in Louisiana.

 

Some of the programs that I vetoed pursue good and worthy goals, but did not meet these important criteria to make state spending more responsible, transparent and accountable. The state will never have a shortage of good ideas looking for state funding. But it is our duty to serve as watchdogs for taxpayers, ensuring that their money is invested wisely.

 

Since taking office, we have made other fiscal reforms that has reduced state spending, making better use of taxpayer money. Some of those reforms include:

  • Eliminating the use of “one-time” money to cover recurring expenses.
  • Cutting 984 state government positions, saving an estimated $58 million;
  • Eliminating two government offices and consolidating six others; and
  • Saving $39 million as a result of a statewide government hiring freeze, saving $14 million more than originally expected.

The Baton Rouge Advocate applauds this fiscal discipline saying, “[Jindal] has demonstrated a concern for the public’s view on pay raises and its interest in responsibly spending tax money.”

 

As we continue to review projects in House Bill 1, I will continue to use the same criteria for projects, helping to identify greater savings for our state.

 

Strengthening our State’s Economy

For the third time this week, Louisiana’s bond rating has been raised by a major credit rating agency. Today, Fitch Ratings upgraded Louisiana’s general obligation bond rating from an A to an A+. Earlier this week, Moody’s Investors Services boosted the grade from A2 to A1, and Standard and Poor’s Rating Services increased our state’s credit rating on general obligation bonds from an A to an A+ and on state-backed debt from an A- to an A. This will allow our state to borrow money more cheaply, saving taxpayers money in the future. As noted by the Associated Press, this increase came from, among other factors, “budget discipline that will help the state withstand any income slowdowns.”

 

We got three chances to show the financial world that Louisiana is making wise fiscal decisions and we came away with three solid hits. By showing a strong sense of fiscal discipline in this year’s budget by eliminating the use of one-time funds to pay for recurring expenses, our state has gained national attention. This is another sign that Louisiana is open for business, and that businesses around the nation and around the world should look at Louisiana as a potential location for expansion or relocation. However, there is still much more work left to do in order to improve our state’s finances, and we will continue to enact measures that bring this kind of positive attention to our state, proving once again that Louisiana is the best place in the world to raise a family.

 

Bobby JindalRelocating Another Company to Louisiana

Last week another multimillion dollar business announced it will be relocating its headquarters and research and development laboratories to Louisiana. Bercin, Inc. will move from Rhode Island, bringing an investment of more than $5 million to Livingston Parish, with salaries averaging $90,000 plus benefits. As reported by the Baton Rouge Advocate, “the company’s sales have tripled in recent years to more than $60 million and 40 percent of its business comes from exports, a phenomenon that brings more money into the state.”

 

It is especially telling that Bercen’s President and CEO stated that he felt like Louisiana provides a more competitive business tax climate than their current home in the Northeast, as well as a better ability to recruit employees from area universities. By cutting the burdensome taxes as we have done that have harmed Louisiana’s economy and our families for too long, we will be able to attract additional businesses like Bercen to Louisiana, as well as help businesses already here grow and expand.

 

This is the fifth large economic development announcement this year, and I will continue working hard to ensure that these opportunities continue to come throughout our state.

 

Protecting Our Children

I was outraged by the decision made by the United States Supreme Court this past week declaring that they would overturn the death penalty in a Louisiana case given for a man convicted of child rape. And just yesterday we learned that in making their decision, the Supreme Court overlooked a 2006 Act authorizing the death penalty for child rape under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. We have spoken to the Attorney General’s office, as well as others involved in the case, and encouraged them to review these new facts and consider petitioning the court for a rehearing.

As the father of three young children, I am appalled by the court’s ruling in this case. And, as shown in this article by the Associated Press, elected officials across the country are upset with this decision as well.

The court ruled that the death penalty was unconstitutional – I say this is a slap in the face to parents, families, and children across the state of Louisiana. It is incomprehensible to me, and reflects a clear abuse of judicial authority. One Justice even stated that ‘the death penalty is not a proportional punishment for the rape of a child.’ The Justices on the court obviously have a different definition of proportional punishment than the people of Louisiana, and we will continue working to amend our state’s statutes in order to maintain the death penalty as a punishment for these horrible crimes.

On the very same day as the court’s decision, I signed into law Senate Bill 144, which authorizes the chemical castration of convicted sex offenders. I am very pleased that we now have such stringent penalties against sex offenders in our state, which shows that we will do whatever it takes to protect our children.

I was also pleased to visit Monroe yesterday along with Louisiana State Police Colonel Mike Edmonson to sign multiple bills into law that will further protect our children. Among the new laws, as reported by the Monroe News Star, are lifetime registration for sex offenders and increasing minimum sentences for solicitation of a minor and for molesting a juvenile. We have also signed into law legislation that will allow internet providers to limit service to convicted offenders, and to prohibit offenders from wearing a mask on days such as Halloween. These new laws send a strong signal to sex offenders that they should stay far away from Louisiana.

Tackling the Challenges Ahead
I want to take one more opportunity to thank you for sharing your thoughts regarding my veto earlier this week of a proposed pay raise for the Legislature. As I said, I made a mistake by attempting to allow the Legislature to handle their own internal affairs, and have since realized this is an untenable position when juxtaposed with our reform agenda.

As stated by National Review, the “… move on Monday wasn’t some procedural goo-goo move, it was about honesty and leadership.”

 

It’s time to get back to doing the people’s business. As the Lafayette Daily Advertiser states, “…voters now can turn their attention to the good things accomplished in this year’s two special sessions and the regular session just ended.”

 

The Daily Advertiser continues by saying that the non-profit Council for a Better Louisiana, “lists the revamping of workforce training as the most significant piece of legislation in the administration package” and that the legislation will “help streamline the workforce-delivery system, make it more responsive to employers and ultimately get more of the types of skilled workers needed in Louisiana.”

 

 I want to thank you, and all the citizens of Louisiana, who have become so engaged during the recently completed legislative session, as well as our earlier two special sessions. As noted by the Tri-Parish Times, “People are ready for change. They’ve embraced it. And now, they’ve demanded it.”

 

As we continue to move forward toward a New Louisiana, I ask you to stay involved. There is a lot more to do, and I look forward, with your help, to tackle the many challenges that continue to face our state.

 

Kicking Off the Annual Peach Festival

I had the opportunity to help kick off the annual Peach Festival last Friday in Ruston. The festival is one of the longest continuing agriculture festivals in Louisiana, and has earned that distinction largely through involvement by community members and community volunteerism. Ruston Peaches are known throughout the world and the festival is just another example of one of our unique state treasures.

 

Happy 4th of July!

I want to wish you and your family a happy and safe July 4th weekend. While this weekend is certainly a time to get together with family, have barbeques, and relax, it is also a weekend for reflection and thanks. We so often take for granted the things that make our country great, and I hope you take a minute this weekend to remember why America is the greatest country on Earth.

 

Sincerely,

 Bobby Jindal

Governor Bobby Jindal

Posted in website |