Local News Page
Louisiana on the National Stage
I will have the opportunity in the coming days to tell the nation that there is a New
Louisiana that is open for business. I will be appearing on the Tonight Show with Jay
Leno this evening. I am very excited for this opportunity to showcase before a
national audience everything that we have been doing to improve Louisiana, and I
hope you will all be able to tune in tonight on your local NBC station beginning at 10:
35 p.m.
I will also be speaking to the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. this Friday, and
will be discussing our highly successful reform agenda. In four months we have
accomplished a great deal, but still have more work in order to ensure that our
children have more opportunities to realize their dreams right here in Louisiana.
Garnering Support for Louisiana's Rebuilding
Last week I was able to spend the day with Presidential Candidate John McCain in
New Orleans and show him the progress Louisiana has made following the 2005
hurricanes, but also the work that still needs to be done. The Senator’s presence in
New Orleans, following the North American Leader’s Summit just days earlier, allows
us to remind the nation and world that Louisiana has made great strides in our
recovery and is open for business, but still has ongoing hurricane recovery needs.
We must continue to pursue aggressive reforms in order to show the American
people that their trust is well-placed, and it was great to hear the support for our
recovery from all the leaders who recently visited.
"McCain Pledges Faster Disaster Response," USA Today
"McCain Visits," Baton Rouge Advocate
Putting Discipline Back in the Classroom
One of the most important ways to ensure our children get a high quality education is
to put a good teacher in every classroom. Sadly, about half of our new teachers are
not in Louisiana's public schools within five years of graduating, and one of the top
reasons they list for leaving is the lack of discipline in the classroom.
That is reaffirmed with a survey showing Louisiana ranks 39th out of 40 states
reviewed for discipline in classroom. That is why action taken by the Legislature last
week is a great first step in giving teachers back the classroom.
Last week the House overwhelmingly passed with a vote of 98-0 legislation that
provides teachers with a bill of rights. This legislation will give our teachers the
confidence that we will stand behind them when they do their jobs.
This follows legislation passed earlier this month that doubles the penalty against
anyone who assaults a teacher in the classroom. Schools should be safe-havens for
students - and places of learning and growth. Both bills are now before the Senate.
First 100 Days
Last Tuesday marked my 100th day in office, and I am very pleased with how much
we have accomplished thus far. Our special session on ethics reform gave Louisiana
the strongest legislative disclosure laws in the nation, and eliminated many conflicts
of interest. Our second session cut burdensome taxes that harmed Louisiana’s
economy and our families, and invested more than a billion dollars in our state’s
infrastructure, education, health care, and hurricane protection systems.
Now, I look forward to continuing to push reform of our workforce development
system, sex offender laws, and many other aspects critical to moving our state
forward. I want to thank you all for your support through my first 100 days, and I
can ensure you that this is just the beginning.
I will have the opportunity in the coming days to tell the nation that there is a New
Louisiana that is open for business. I will be appearing on the Tonight Show with Jay
Leno this evening. I am very excited for this opportunity to showcase before a
national audience everything that we have been doing to improve Louisiana, and I
hope you will all be able to tune in tonight on your local NBC station beginning at 10:
35 p.m.
I will also be speaking to the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. this Friday, and
will be discussing our highly successful reform agenda. In four months we have
accomplished a great deal, but still have more work in order to ensure that our
children have more opportunities to realize their dreams right here in Louisiana.
Garnering Support for Louisiana's Rebuilding
Last week I was able to spend the day with Presidential Candidate John McCain in
New Orleans and show him the progress Louisiana has made following the 2005
hurricanes, but also the work that still needs to be done. The Senator’s presence in
New Orleans, following the North American Leader’s Summit just days earlier, allows
us to remind the nation and world that Louisiana has made great strides in our
recovery and is open for business, but still has ongoing hurricane recovery needs.
We must continue to pursue aggressive reforms in order to show the American
people that their trust is well-placed, and it was great to hear the support for our
recovery from all the leaders who recently visited.
"McCain Pledges Faster Disaster Response," USA Today
"McCain Visits," Baton Rouge Advocate
Putting Discipline Back in the Classroom
One of the most important ways to ensure our children get a high quality education is
to put a good teacher in every classroom. Sadly, about half of our new teachers are
not in Louisiana's public schools within five years of graduating, and one of the top
reasons they list for leaving is the lack of discipline in the classroom.
That is reaffirmed with a survey showing Louisiana ranks 39th out of 40 states
reviewed for discipline in classroom. That is why action taken by the Legislature last
week is a great first step in giving teachers back the classroom.
Last week the House overwhelmingly passed with a vote of 98-0 legislation that
provides teachers with a bill of rights. This legislation will give our teachers the
confidence that we will stand behind them when they do their jobs.
This follows legislation passed earlier this month that doubles the penalty against
anyone who assaults a teacher in the classroom. Schools should be safe-havens for
students - and places of learning and growth. Both bills are now before the Senate.
First 100 Days
Last Tuesday marked my 100th day in office, and I am very pleased with how much
we have accomplished thus far. Our special session on ethics reform gave Louisiana
the strongest legislative disclosure laws in the nation, and eliminated many conflicts
of interest. Our second session cut burdensome taxes that harmed Louisiana’s
economy and our families, and invested more than a billion dollars in our state’s
infrastructure, education, health care, and hurricane protection systems.
Now, I look forward to continuing to push reform of our workforce development
system, sex offender laws, and many other aspects critical to moving our state
forward. I want to thank you all for your support through my first 100 days, and I
can ensure you that this is just the beginning.