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Cover Feature
Gov. Bobby Jindal’s
First Order of Business
Special legislative session called to deal exclusively
with governmental ethics reform.
By William Kalec
For months on the campaign trail, gubernatorial candidate Bobby Jindal reiterated his intentions to change the way politics works in Louisiana, to rescue the state from the widespread perception of corruption by making significant governmental ethics reforms.
And if Jindal’s outright majority victory in October’s general election is any indication, the voting public listened and agreed with much of what he said.
Demonstrating the seriousness of his intent to tackle this sticky subject, governor-elect Jindal scheduled a special legislative session dealing strictly with ethics reform. The session begins shortly after Mardi Gras.
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Governor Bobby Jindal
In December, Jindal told members of the Council for a Better Louisiana, a nonpartisan political watchdog group, that he’ll endorse legislation that attaches jail time to violators of certain ethics laws. He also repeated many of the ideals comprising his oft-referenced 31-point plan for ethics reform. This includes:
• Requiring all legislators and statewide elected officials to disclose their sources of income, assets and liabilities.
• Prohibiting contracts between the State government and businesses in which legislators have a financial interest. The same applies to contracts between those same businesses and Federal governmental entities doing work in Louisiana.
• Forcing comprehensive public disclosure of business relationships between elected officials and lobbyists.
• Requiring a supermajority (two-thirds) vote for the legislature to pass exceptions to the ethics code.
• Requiring comprehensive lobbyist disclosures so the public can know exactly who is hired, for what specific reason, under what contractual provisions, and at what cost.
“The only thing a lot of people are wondering is, ‘In what form is (the ethics reform legislation) going to be passed, and is it going to have teeth?’ I would say I’m optimistic,” says Barry Erwin, CEO and president of the Council for a Better Louisiana. “I think there are some real good chances to bring about some significant reform, but once it gets to the legislature it’s always a brand new ball game.
“But legislators know that there is an expectation among the public that they pass some ethics reforms that pass the smell test; by that I mean ethics reforms that have some teeth,” Erwin continues. “If they take some substantive proposal and water it down and make it look like it’s a sieve with 100 holes in it, then people are going to see through that, and they’ll be upset about it.”
According to a survey done in the spring of 2007 by Southern Media & Opinion Research, 87 percent of the 600 Louisiana likely voters polled considered it “very important” to move Louisiana’s national ranking of governmental ethics from the bottom five to the top five states in the country. This public opinion poll was trumpeted by Jindal throughout his campaign.
“Still, it’s not a slam dunk,” says Jim Brandt, president of the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana. “General consensus among the public and the legislature is that we all want ethics reform. But when you get down to the details, we quickly see how that consensus falls apart.”
One of Jindal’s campaign television advertisements shows clowns (supposedly representing his Democratic opponents in the race for governor) stuffing money into their coats outside the Louisiana capitol – a dramatic way to hammer home his belief that the current system of ethics laws was crippling the State’s economy.
At various campaign stops, Jindal referenced a 2004-2005 national study, compiled by the LSU Public Policy Research Lab, that concluded “cleaning up image/corruption” and “improving public schools” would make Louisiana more attractive for business investors.
Some scholars point out Louisiana’s long-standing reputation for corruption is the product of its checkered history. Some of this reputation may be warranted, especially to those who believe acts of dishonesty in government are tolerated – even celebrated – within Louisiana, the latest example being the reelection of U.S. Rep. William Jefferson in 2006, despite FBI raids on his house and office during a corruption probe a year earlier. Jefferson was later indicted on corruption charges in June 2007.
“Whether it’s real or perceived, the fact of the matter is this perception exists, and we suggest it has been a major deterrent in furthering the State’s economic activity,” says Brandt. “In the view of people on the outside, we don’t have our politics right because we base so much of what we do in Louisiana on who you know rather than what you know.
“So there’s the notion that if you do business in Louisiana you’ll be forced to hire this architect, or that planner, or this attorney or this advertising firm. And until that perception changes, it’s going to continue to be a barrier to Louisiana.”
Because of his young age, educational background and assertiveness in proclaiming the need for radical ethics reform, Jindal has been compared to former governor Buddy Roemer by several pundits. During his one term in office, Roemer’s attempts to push his ethics platform through the legislature were mainly unsuccessful, and his effectiveness was often compromised by Edwin Edwards loyalists in the House and Senate. When addressing the Press Club of Baton Rouge in mid-December 2007, Roemer spoke highly of Jindal, saying, “This is not 1988. This is the 21st century, and I think he’s a perfect 21st century guy.”
“Jindal’s term will be defined by how successful he is with these ethics reforms,” Erwin says. “It’s a pretty gutsy call to say, ‘I’m going to call a special session before the regular session, and we’re going to meet just on ethics.’ That’s like putting all your money on the table.
“If you win, you walk away with a good jackpot and a lot of capital to do some other things. And if you stumble, or are perceived as stumbling, or perceived as having to fold to some degree, it starts things off on a more difficult footing…. It’s a pretty bold move to do it this way, and it’s not without risk.”
A new beginning for Louisiana
In his inaugural address, Gov. Bobby Jindal expresses
great optimism for the future of the state.
On Jan. 14, 2008, Bobby Jindal took the oath of office and was sworn in as governor of Louisiana, becoming the first Indian-American governor in the United States.
Attending the ceremony were former governors Mike Foster and Buddy Roemer along with outgoing Gov. Kathleen Blanco. Following are excerpts from Jindal’s inaugural address:
“We come to the steps of this historic Capitol today to celebrate not just an election, but a new beginning. We are here not for one man to take an oath, but for one people to make commitments to each other. We are here not to inaugurate one administration opposite from those before, but to set forth together, all of us, toward a new era.
“For reasons none of us can understand or fully appreciate, history has placed all of us – every living Louisianian, those within her borders and without – in a position previous generations could only envy. Under the spotlight of the world, with generosity from many and a clear call to common purpose, we have the opportunity to make lasting and positive change. We have the opportunity to make this change not over the course of decades but in short order. We have the opportunity to affect not just our own children’s lives, but the lives of Louisiana children yet to be born. We have the opportunity – born of tragedy but embraced still the same – to make right decades of failure in government.
“You have often heard me say that we do not have a poor state, but a state with poor leadership. That we do not have a state stuck in the past, but leaders who were unconcerned with the future. If we are honest with ourselves, we can all agree that too many of the stereotypes rang true.
“In our past, too many politicians looked out for themselves. Too many arms of state and local government did not get results. And the world took note. Those stereotypes cost us credibility. They cost us investment. They cost us jobs. Let us all resolve – Democrats and Republicans, north Louisiana and south, leaders of all races and religions, elected and unelected – let us all resolve that era ends today.
“It is possible that there has never been a more creative group of people than the group called Louisianians. No one anywhere in the world doubts our talents or creative energy. They wait in line to listen to our music. They revere our athletes. They marvel at our state’s film and visual arts. They envy our celebrations and flock to them every year. And they all try to imitate our cuisine.
“Across the entire civilized world, when it comes to culture, the word ‘Louisiana’ stands for innovation and quality. Those talents – given by God and nurtured by a community that values creativity – will enable us to turn our state around.
“Wherever you are today hearing my voice, to my fellow Louisianians, those gathered here at the Capitol, to those inside our borders and outside, I ask you to come home. Come home in person. Or send home your commitment. Make Louisiana’s rebirth your own priority. If you’re a Louisiana small business owner trying to get started, stick it out another year. If you own companies in other states, grow your business here. If you teach in our schools, if you serve your community, redouble your efforts. Join in our cause. Make every day not just a job but a mission. With clarity of purpose and commitment to our pursuit, we will not fail.
“Two centuries ago, Louisiana was the economic focal point of the entire country. Just as the water of the rivers in America flowed to Louisiana, so flowed the harvest of America to Louisiana.
“It built one of the world’s great cities and a magnet for entrepreneurs and innovators and capitalists. In today’s world, the great harvest in our economy is not measured in bushels and bales, but in brainpower. In the knowledge-based economy of this century, investment and opportunity flow to places where the workforce is prepared, the business climate welcoming.
“In short, the opportunities flow to places focused on the future and driven to do something about it. That is how we will run our New Louisiana government. Twenty-first century schools and colleges. Curricula linked to our new economy. Quality teachers. Accountability for results.
“A business climate second to none that rewards risk-takers, welcomes entrepreneurs. A government ready to help and efficient enough to get out of the way.
Infrastructure to take advantage of our resources. A modern health care system that provides for all. And a safe quality of life where you can raise children in peace. Our New Louisiana will be a magnet for the dreamers, the risk-takers, the adventurers, the leaders of America’s new economy.”
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