In the current competition to land a new Amazon second North American headquarters, Louisiana pulled out all stops.  It would have been quite a coup for a Louisiana location to land this big prize with some 50,000 new jobs to the winner.  But from the beginning, the Bayou State never had a chance. 

Last night, the world watched President Donald Trump give his first State of the Union speech. Politically, it resonated throughout America.  What about in Louisiana?  More broadly, what can politicians and legislators learn from the Trump phenomena as they approach the upcoming elections and the legislative session?

Do states that have lax gun laws, like Louisiana have a corresponding higher gun-related killings? Has the Heller decision resulted in an increased risk of gun-shooting incidents?  According to one organization, Violence Policy Center (VPC), the answer appears to be a resounding yes.

Based upon its statistics, Louisiana is 3rd worse in the nation in gun death rate per 100,000, that the top three states in gun death rates, Alaska, Alabama and Louisiana possess the highest percentage of households gun ownership.  VPC also claims that those states with the lowest gun ownership accordingly have substantially lower death frequencies. 

It’s getting close to redistricting time for legislators, both in Louisiana and throughout the country. By federal law, all election districts must be reapportioned every 10 years to reflect the latest census figures. But should legislators, who have a vested interest in how the redistricting lines are drawn, actually be the ones to do the drawing, anyway?

Today is one of those moments in which you feel a strong sense of accomplishment, even when simply observing.

New Orleans, has made strong advances in the area of technology over the years. This is largely due to numerous companies taking advantage of the Digital Media Tax Credits to help tech-based enterprises grow their respective businesses. At the beginning of this decade, GE Capitol opened up a large headquarters in the city which put a large skin on the wall to promote. Today, the city and the State of Louisiana announced they landed a really big one, DXC Technology, a multi-billion international enterprise that is one of the largest companies in the world. 

The World Trade Center of New Orleans, with support from state and local partners, today announced Louisiana International Trade Week,  October 30 – November 3, 2017, in New Orleans. Week-long activities include an opening reception, industry panel sessions, awards, and a black-tie fundraiser event at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.  Presenting Sponsors of Louisiana International Trade Week are the Port of South Louisiana and Associated Terminals.

by Stephen Waguespack, President and CEO of Louisiana Association of Business and Industry

Your brand name is only as good as your reputation.” – Richard Branson

Louisiana’s brand is strong in many ways. Our culture is second to none, and our people are inviting and entertaining. We are rich in natural resources that fuel the world, as well as those that fuel the sporting passions of any outdoorsman. We are heroically resilient and civically driven, as recently evidenced by the Cajun Navy members and many other responders who rushed to Houston just to help a stranger in need.

The Louisiana's Cajun Navy are not the only organization who deserve credit as the traumas of Hurricane-Tropical Storm Harvey reverberate nationally.

Give credit to the LDWF.

The Republican Party of Louisiana has rejected a former Democrat who just recently converted to be a Republican to a long-term Republican, who has been vilified in the national media as claiming that global warming is a hoax.  Both candidates have served in the Louisiana House of Representatives.