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Legislative Update 2007
Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans continues to press for reform and renewal in the recovery of New Orleans and for good, responsive government, ethical standards and accountability at all levels. Over the last few months, the organization actively supported issues critical for recovery and reform - flood protection, crime, education, insurance, fiscal responsibility and ethics reform. Citizens for 1 welcomed the opportunity to work together with other local and statewide organizations to forward a reform agenda for the city and the state.
(Report as of June 2007- legislation pending; awaiting Governor’s signature)
Fiscal Responsibility
Called for keeping the spending cap on state revenues and for spending surplus money (the windfall from hurricanes Katrina and Rita) on non- recurring expenses with emphasis on hurricane devastated areas; noting that spending revenues for recurring expenses would cause a crisis in future budgets.
Result: There was success in getting some excess revenues spent on worthy projects in the New Orleans metropolitan area (HBS 2 and 774 - Alario); however, disappointing was the amount of spending that went for recurring expenses.
Flood Protection
Supported flood protection as the priority for the new levee boards (East and West Banks) as these boards worked on some complex transition issues.
Result:The original legislation was tweaked (HB 413-Tucker) to make for a better transition to the board whose primary responsibility is flood control.
Coastal Restoration
Supported funding and implementation of the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority's master plan.
Result: This legislation (SCR 11- Dupre) passed overwhelmingly - a first time real commitment to funding coastal restoration, which clears the way for the state to immediately begin implementing projects to rebuild and sustain coastal marshes, restore barrier islands, and enhance hurricane protection for key population centers.
Education
Opposed efforts to reverse the reforms in the educational system in Orleans Parish, i.e. The Recovery School District and charter schools. Called for lawmakers to refrain from making any structural changes to the system of public schools in New Orleans to allow new Superintendent Paul Pastorek and other public education leaders time to enact their action plan focused on strengthening schools.
Result:Threats to the progress in the better schools reform movement did not materialize. Significant for New Orleans was the Legislature’s support of the Recovery School District and rejection by the legislature of various restrictions to the RSD. In State Superintendent Paul Pastorek’s words “keeping the hope alive for the system of schools in New Orleans .” For the first time, there is optimism that New Orleans with all the new resources and talent that has come to the city can become a national model for urban public school reform.
Insurance
Supported the use of surplus funds to encourage insurance companies to write property insurance in Louisiana and the abolition of the Ratings Commission.
Result:The Insurance Rating Commission (HB 960- Carter) was abolished and $100M allocated for incentives (HB 678 - CARTER) to insurance companies doing business in Louisiana .
Criminal Justice
As a member of the New Orleans Crime Fighting Coalition, Citizens for 1 supported the legislation to reform the state’s Indigent Defender Program and funding for the recruitment and training of police officers in NOPD and for the integration of crime data bases.
Result: The Indigent Defender Bill (HB 436 - Martiny) passed, along with the funding for training and recruitment for NOPD.
Ethics
Supported the Ethics Reform package which included requiring financial disclosure; mandatory ethics training for elected officials; enhanced whistleblower protection; full time ethics administrator; strengthen access to public records.
Result:Positive steps were taken towards ethics reform. Passed HB 340 (B. White) strengthened the whistleblower laws; HB 533 (W. Daniel) full time ethics administrator; HB 493 (R. Ashford Barrow) mandatory governmental ethics training. Unfortunately, the financial disclosure bill did not pass out of the conference committee. However, the increased level of activism by citizen groups for ethics reform bodes well for the future.
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Polly Thomas for Senate 
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