[StBernard] Jindal Weekly Update

[Westley Annis]

Jindal Weekly Update

This week brought exciting news as a new state business climate ranking was
released showing Louisiana has achieved its highest ranking ever, with the
state climbing 26 spots since 2008, the fastest climb of any state in the
country.  This week also brought news showing that more Louisiana high
school students will be eligible for college this year than in past years,
and Louisiana's private sector employment growth has continued with 34
consecutive months of private employer job creation. In addition to this
great news, Governor Jindal announced that Honeywell is making a more than
$200 million capital investment at four sites across Louisiana that will
help create and retain hundreds of jobs.

Here Is A Quick Recap Of The News About The Governor's Week:

Louisiana Achieved Its Highest Ranking Ever
<http://click.bsftransmit7.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c2979%7c9390%7c930
16&digest=S7CjNoEzvr%2bkeX0ts38lXA&sysid=1>  In A State Business Climate
Ranking Released This Week, With The State Climbing 26 Spots Since 2008, The
Fastest Climb Of Any State In The Country. Louisiana has achieved its
highest ranking ever from Pollina Corporate Real Estate on the brokerage and
consulting firm's annual listing of the states with the best business
climates in the nation. Louisiana has climbed two spots from last year-and
26 spots from 2008-for a No. 14 ranking on this year's list. Gov. Bobby
Jindal's office says no other state in the nation has climbed as far on the
list over the past five years as Louisiana. Pollina ranks states on 32
factors, including metrics such as business tax burden, workforce training
programs, workers' compensation costs, economic development incentives and
others.

The Louisiana Department Of Education Released Data
<http://click.bsftransmit7.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c2970%7c9390%7c930
16&digest=BMxveTo0t1m0KIRV2f9EXw&sysid=1>  This Week Showing 3,600
Additional High School Students Scored Well Enough To Earn Admission To
College In 2013 Over The Previous Year. Nearly 3,600 additional public high
school seniors scored well enough on a key test to earn admission to a
college in Louisiana, state Superintendent of Education John White said
Wednesday. "This is a moment of great opportunity and we should bask in it,"
White told reporters. . About 37,000 students took the test, up from nearly
26,000 last year.

State Employment Numbers
<http://click.bsftransmit7.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c2971%7c9390%7c930
16&digest=nq5K3TTkhc%2b7%2fU6LZQK0Aw&sysid=1>  Were Released That Show
Louisiana's Job Picture Continues To Improve, With 34 Consecutive Months Of
Private Employers Adding Jobs. Louisiana's total nonfarm employment grew by
21,700 jobs in the 12 months ending June . . .  Figures released by U.S.
Bureau of Labor Statistics on Thursday show the total public and private
sector employment reached 1,946,500 in June. This is the 34th consecutive
month the state's private employers added jobs. "There are more jobs than a
year ago, there are more people working and business and industry is gearing
up to add many more jobs. This is a time of opportunity in Louisiana," said
Curt Eysink, executive director of the Louisiana Workforce Commission.

Governor Jindal Announced A New $208 Million Investment
<http://click.bsftransmit7.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c2972%7c9390%7c930
16&digest=NrbWF4lcpMnnK1hdIYTE4A&sysid=1>  By Honeywell In Louisiana For
Four Productions Plants Which Will Create 42 New Jobs And Retain Nearly 700
Jobs. Baton Rouge, Shreveport, and Geismar will gain new jobs with average
salaries of $68,300 plus benefits. The jobs are due to a $208 million
investment by Honeywell at four of its production plants. Governor Bobby
Jindal made the announcement on Monday, July 15. The investment will create
42 new direct jobs, 148 new indirect jobs, and will retain 698 existing
jobs. "Two years ago, we announced Honeywell's $33 million investment to
manufacture new environmentally preferable products here in Baton Rouge
because the company took notice of the work we were doing to improve
Louisiana's business climate," Governor Jindal said. "Our partnership
continues today through an additional round of projects in Ascension, Caddo
and East Baton Rouge parishes. We are proud that a global technology leader
like Honeywell is choosing to expand its Louisiana manufacturing sites,
create more jobs and deliver more performance technologies throughout the
world from right here in our state."

The State Auditor
<http://click.bsftransmit7.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c2973%7c9390%7c930
16&digest=clUOLbYo9YLzH%2bgIoDVWOg&sysid=1>  Announced That The State Has
Saved $22 Million Over Two Years Because Of Governor Jindal Initiatives To
Privatize The Office Of Risk Management. Auditors say the state has saved
$22 million in the first two years of a privatization contract for claims
processing and loss prevention services for the Office of Risk Management.
The findings by the legislative auditor's office were presented Thursday to
lawmakers who want to keep tracking the $75 million contract to make sure
the state continues to save more than it would have spent keeping the work
in-house. Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration hired Mandeville-based F.A.
Richard and Associates Inc. in 2010 under a five-year contract to take over
much of the Office of Risk Management's workload.

Governor Jindal
<http://click.bsftransmit7.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c2974%7c9390%7c930
16&digest=E18cA6LIaLyZO%2fh6jnoSOg&sysid=1>  Participated In An Announcement
At LSU About A $2 Million Donation That Will Help Build A New Engineering
School Complex On Campus, A Project Which Has Also Received $50 Million In
State Funding Supported By The Jindal Administration. Louisiana State
University officials announced a $2 million donation Tuesday that will help
them build a new engineering complex planned for the campus. The gift comes
from lumber company RoyOMartin and the Martin family, and brings the total
raised from private donors for the project to $30 million. Roy O. Martin
III, president and chief financial officer for the company, is a member of
the Louisiana Board of Regents. . . . At a press conference announcing the
donation, Gov. Bobby Jindal said that increasing the number of LSU's
engineering graduates is crucial to meeting demand from Louisiana employers,
as well as attracting new companies to the state. "We all know that LSU is a
world-class destination for athletics," Jindal said. "Now we must place that
same focus, that same intensity, on the academic side as well."

Governor Jindal Was Proud To Announce
<http://click.bsftransmit7.com/ClickThru.aspx?pubids=393%7c2985%7c9390%7c930
16&digest=I0Ot0RO69PA0VV50FSAEFA&sysid=1>  That AT&T Is Currently Looking To
Fill More Than 450 New Job Openings In Louisiana. In what Gov. Bobby Jindal
calls "great news for the entire state," AT&T announced today that it is
currently looking to fill more than 500 job openings in Louisiana, including
more than 450 new jobs. . . . "By working together, we are making Louisiana
one of the best places in the country for businesses to invest, grow, and
create jobs," said Gov. Jindal. "These new technology-related jobs are great
news for our entire state." Many of the new positions are the result of
AT&T's recently announced Project Velocity IP (Project VIP), a three-year,
multi-billion dollar investment plan to expand and enhance its national
wireless and wired IP broadband networks.