Saving RCC, creating NTCC key legislative victories

Now that the 2011 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature has adjourned, the process of review, critique and criticize has begun, but in Washington Parish, the success of two bills far outweigh any failures.

Sen. Ben Nevers
(D, Bogalusa)

The passage of HB 1, the state’s appropriations bill, overrides everything else and while neither Sen. Ben Nevers (D, Bogalusa) nor Rep. Harold Ritchie (D, Franklinton) were on the so-called front line in regards to committee structure, they were both in the trenches.

And as a result of the efforts of the local legislators and a Senate Finance Committee not afraid to look at funding options, which included moving money round, B. B. “Sixty” Rayburn Correctional Center — along with four others — remain open.

Rep. Harold Ritchie
(D, Franklinton)

Ritchie fought the fight in the House and Nevers work relentlessly for Rayburn — admitting he really wasn’t concerned about the other prisons, as they had people fighting for them.

As a result, some 300 jobs will remain in Washington Parish.

But close on the heels of HB1 in terms of significance for Washington Parish was Nevers’ SB69, which creates Northshore Technical Community College and brings degree granting, credit transferring ability to the campuses of what is currently known as Northshore Technical College.

“It is really exciting and really significant,” William Wainwright, regional director of the Northshore system, told wpnewsblog in a Friday interview.

“It will open doors,” he added, “in that it allows us to continue the technical education we’ve become so well known for, but it adds degree granting capability.”

Wainwright pointed out that while the Northshore has been served in that area in the past, it has been severely underserved.

“It will help us increase our educational attainment levels. Northshore Technical provided an excellent technical education, but a survey as recent as this spring showed the Northshore region was severely underserved and that there was greater need for advanced educational opportunities.”

Ritchie’s cornerstone legislation was HB63, which created a four-cents per pack tax on cigarettes. The bill passed, but was vetoed by Gov. Bobby Jindal who had said before the session that he would not approve any new taxes. While this tax had previously existed, but was expiring, proponents argued it was a renewal. However, a tax “renewal” is not recognized by the state constitution, statutes or house and senate rules. There are only tax increases and new taxes.

An effort to override the veto failed.

A recap of bills and resolutions put into the hopper by Nevers and Ritchie:

NEVERS

SB26 — (signed by the governor) Allows for an out-of-state physician to order certain diagnostic tests under certain circumstances.

SB28 — (sent to the governor) Extends employer's non-refundable apprenticeship tax credit against income tax and corporation franchise tax to taxable periods ending prior to January 1, 2015.

SB68 — (died in committee) Provides relative to the positions of fire chief and police chief in the city of Bogalusa. This legislation would have changed the two positions so as to allow the mayor to hire and fire.

SB69 — (sent to governor) Creates the Northshore Technical Community College.

SB80 — (sent to governor) Provides for the reorganization of the Department of Education.

SB94 — (died in committee) Provides a preference for materials produced, manufactured, or fabricated in Louisiana used in public works.

SB111— (House adopted) Provides relative to an annual report regarding the condition of public elementary and secondary education.

SCR3 — (Filed with secretary of state) Memorializes Congress to enact laws to establish, implement, and ensure that universal communication is at all times and at all places available to warn the American people of imminent and impending dangers.

SCR4 — (Signed by the Speaker) Requests BESE to establish uniform regulations regarding the purchase of used school buses for all school bus owners/operators

RITCHIE

HB38 — (Signed by the governor) Provides for an additional court cost in the City Court of Bogalusa. This measure allows the City Court of Bogalusa to assess a court cost not to exceed $25 for each defendant that has been convicted or has pled guilty to a traffic violation or misdemeanor. The sums will be remitted monthly by the clerk of court to the City Prosecutor to be used in defraying office expenses. It is projected to generate $160,000 in five years.

HB46 — (died in committee) Appropriates funds for payment of judgment against DOTD in the matter of "Eisha Briggs Lee, et al v. State of Louisiana, et al"

HB50 — (died in committee) Appropriates funds for payment of judgment in the matter of "Rhonda Walker, et al v. DOTD"

HB63 — (died in committee) Removes the sunset on a portion of the tax levied on cigarettes and increases the tax on cigars, cigarettes, smoking tobacco, and smokeless tobacco.

HB79 — (sent to governor) Changes the name of the High School Redesign Commission and provides for commission membership and vacancies.

HB185 — (died in committee) Provides for the transfer of certain property in Washington Parish. This would have transferred property from the LSU to DOTD. While the title mentioned Washington Parish, the majority of the legislation dealt with Greensburg.

HB256 — (sent to governor) Provides relative to the identification of human remains prior to cremation.

HB326 — (sent to governor) Repeals exemption for Washington Parish from the moratorium on additional nursing facilities or beds.

HB591 — (Governor vetoed, override failed) Removes the sunset on a portion of the tax levied on cigarettes and increases the tax on cigars, cigarettes, smoking tobacco, and smokeless tobacco. This would have added four cents per pack tax on cigarettes.

HB630 — (involuntarily deferred, died in committee) Provides for temporary reduction of certain tax exemptions, exclusions, and deductions for support of K-12 and higher education.

(Published first at http://www.wpnewsblog.blogspot.com)

Lumpkin: 'Catch Governor's attention on July 4'

Jason Lumpkin

For a Washington Parish business owner and resident, it’s all about taking care of business … and while Jason Lumpkin, who owns and operates Bogalusa Equipment Sales at 14234 Highway 21 South, is not inside the city limit, it doesn’t matter.

Tuesday night, Lumpkin, who is unashamedly pro-Bogalusa, went before the Bogalusa City Council to encourage them to be aggressive in marketing the community to Gov. Bobby Jindal when he is in town for the annual July 4 birthday celebration and Independence Day Parade.

“How many cities in the state do you think he’s going to be in to ride in a parade that day?” he asked in a raised voice. “How many cities do you think are going to be able to tell him, ‘Hey, here we are!”

Lumpkin, holding up a single sheet American flag reproduction from the Bogalusa newspaper said, “There are going to be plenty of American flags there … it’s the Fourth of July!  Why not print up 5,000 or so of these pages that say ‘Highway 3241’ or ‘Keep Rayburn Open!’ ?”

Lumpkin, who has a sign erected on the south side of his building — visible to drivers headed north on Highway 21 — that touts the merits of Highway 3241 and the manner in which funds have been collected without the road ever having been built.

“If we don’t do it this year, I think it’s dead,” Lumpkin told wpnewsblog following the council meeting. “It’s so important that we not waste the opportunity of having the Governor here in a one-on-one — or 5,000-on-one situation.”

The TIMED (Transportation Infrastructure Model for Economic Development) program was one of the late Sen. B.B. “Sixty” Rayburn’s prized pieces of legislation in that it created a revenue stream to fund 17 projects statewide. Only Highway 3241 and the 5-mile-long Florida Avenue Bridge, now projected to cost $474 million, to run through the Lower 9th Ward and part of St. Bernard Parish, remain to be completed.

The projects were to be paid for — and have been — with a dedicated four-cents per gallon tax that has since been renewed.

The Highway 3241 project was once estimated to cost about $20 million, but cost estimates to complete the project are now $150 million or more.

Lumpkin has been persistent and passionate about the highway and the positive impact it could have on the region.

In October 2008, he went to a Town Hall meeting in Franklinton and elicited a promise from Jindal regarding the road.

“You have my commitment, we're going to build that road,” Jindal said.

At that time,  Lumpkin urged the governor to “get involved” with the long-delayed project.

There have been a number of plans and proposals over the years and, about four years ago, a preferred route was selected that followed much of the former railroad line through the countryside.

“I just want us to catch his attention while we have him in this setting,’ Lumpkin said. “Imagine the impact it could have if we have young children like this, pointing to council member Michael O’Ree’s young son on the front row of seats, holding signs that encourage him to support our community?”

Lumpkin said he felt the potential impact was worth any expense that might be incurred to print such a flyer.

There is a website on the project — http://www.i12tobush.com.