In my first term as your state representative, I pursued and passed legislation which included:
(1) Protecting the future operation of the John Hainkel Home and Rehabilitation Center by defeating legislation in 2009, and then passing legislation in 2010 which secured the future of the Hainkel Home.
(2) Ensuring that the New Orleans Adolescent Hospital was funded in 2009 when the legislature passed its budget (funding vetoed by governor after session).
(3) Passing legislation which created in Louisiana the crime of sexual trafficking of children with harsh penalties attached.
(4) Passing legislation which gives neighbors the power to shut down properties which are repeated havens for drugs, prostitution, and gun crimes.
(5) Passing legislation which eliminates the number of times violent offenders can jump bail and still be let out on the street to commit more crimes.
(6) Passing legislation which requires that all elected officials disclose when they give political appointments and jobs to campaign contributors (bill vetoed by governor after session).
(7) Passing legislation later which required the Ethics Administration to create computer links between elected officials’ campaign finance reports and political appointees’ disclosure forms which would provide transparency and public disclosure between campaign contributions and potential appointments.
(8) Passing legislation which requires that public bodies debate and award construction, professional services and consultant contracts, including the qualifications of the applicants, in public sessions. These contracts involve taxpayers’ money and should be transparent.
(9) Passing legislation to reduce the severance tax on oil and gas companies which produce oil through a new non-traditional recovery process: pumping carbon dioxide into abandoned wells. This tax reduction encourages additional oil production in Louisiana. Supporters were GNO, Inc, many chambers of commerce around the state, LABI (Louisiana Association of Business and Industry), LOGA (Louisiana Oil and Gas Association), and many other business groups.
(10) Passing legislation which eliminates sales and use tax on green railroad ties which are manufactured in Louisiana and exported out of state. Louisiana timber companies were at a competitive disadvantage because Louisiana taxed our in-state manufacturers but didn’t tax out-of-state ones. This bill was supported by Commissioner Strain, Louisiana Farm Bureau, Louisiana Paper and Pulp Industry, and Railroads.
(11) Passing legislation which requires Citizens Insurance Company to provide every homeowner with a list of private insurance companies who might provide insurance to that homeowner before signing up with Citizens. With that vital information, homeowners have the opportunity to obtain insurance from someone other than Citizens, which generally means better and less costly insurance.
(12) Conceived and passed the “Grants for Grads” bill to keep college graduates and post-graduate students in the state. This program allows them up to a $10,000 rebate on their state income taxes toward the purchase of a first home if they stay and work in Louisiana for five years after graduation. Other states have since copied this program.