LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) – State lawmakers sat down with Southwest Louisiana leaders Wednesday to discuss issues including insurance costs and the region’s job gap during the annual Legis-Gator event, which Lake Charles has hosted for more than 20 years.
Will Green, president and CEO of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, said the event brought together business and political leaders.
“We brought together some of the smartest minds in business and politics through this LegisGator event and so we’re so excited from the state’s chamber of commerce and state’s manufacturing association to join them to really highlight not only the economic development and success of this area but also to bring in–kind of paint the picture of what’s going on as a whole in the state,” Green said.
Policy makers from around the state gathered to assess the present and look toward the future of Louisiana.
When asked about the event serves as a pre-cursor for future sessions Scott Walker, president and CEO of the SWLA Economic Development Alliance, said, “What’s going to happen next year at session and how do we move Louisiana forward?”
SWLA Workforce participation lags state, national rates
The goal of the event was to identify challenges and successes facing the region and state and what can be done to find solutions.
Walker said the alliance’s strategic plan, “Accelerate Southwest Louisiana,” identified that the region’s workforce participation rate lags the state and the U.S.
“So that means we have people normally eligible for work sitting on the sidelines here,” Walker said.
Insurance, energy and workforce among topics
The proceedings included discussions about insurance reform, workforce development and how Louisiana can expand its energy footprint while being mindful of its residents.
Dustin Davidson, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Conservation and Energy, said, “And so when we’re welcoming these industries in, when we’re welcoming these companies, we want to make sure that they’re not just coming here to do whatever business that they want to do, we want to make sure that they are partners in those communities.”
Data centers a common topic of discussion
The conversation included questions about the role of carbon sequestration and LNG. The most common topic was the role data centers will play in Louisiana’s future and whether electricity rate spikes or high water usage seen elsewhere would occur in Louisiana.
Jean-Paul Coussan, Louisiana Public Service Commissioner for District 2, said, “There’s a lot of anxiety in the United States about data centers, but what we’ve done in Louisiana for ensuring the data centers are paying their full freight. And without that, they wouldn’t be getting the electricity deals approved through the Louisiana Public Service Commission.”
As lawmakers return to their respective areas, the work shifts from panels to policy.
The Legis-Gator conference will continue through Friday, Aug. 21.
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