Weekly Update March 8, 2014

This week, Governor Jindal spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference about the fight for religious liberty and equal opportunity in education in Louisiana. The Governor also unveiled his top priorities for the Louisiana legislative session that begins Monday, which includes ensuring Louisiana workers are prepared to fill the thousands of jobs coming to the state.

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

Governor Jindal Spoke At CPAC And Stated That President Obama Has Surpassed President Carter As The Worst President Of Governor Jindal’s Lifetime. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal questioned President Obama’s intelligence today in a series of jabs that included an assessment that Obama has been a worse president than Jimmy Carter, who has long been a punchline for conservative Republicans. …“We have long said this president is a smart man. It may be time to revisit that assumption,” Jindal deadpanned. “Or at least to make a distinction between being book smart and truly wise.” That was just the opener. “If I were him, I’d consider suing Harvard Law School to get his money back because I’m not sure what he learned in three years,” Jindal continued, suggesting Obama might want to “actually read the Constitution every now and then.” … This president seems to believe that our religious rights, our First Amendment rights, start and end in the pews on Sunday,” Jindal said. “I knew this administration doesn’t like the Second Amendment to the Constitution — I thought they might still like the First.”

Governor Jindal Spoke About The Department Of Justice’s Lawsuit Against Equal Opportunity In Education In Louisiana. Jindal focused the bulk of his speech on his work on school choice in Louisiana and religious liberty, saying both were under assault from the administration. For a former law professor, Jindal said, Obama doesn’t seem to respect the Bill of Rights. “I’m not for lawsuits, and I’m not about suing people, but we’ve got a constitutional scholar as president. Strikes me he might benefit, we might benefit if he actually reads the Constitution now and then,” Jindal said. “If I were him, I’d consider suing Harvard Law School to get his money back because I’m not sure what he learned in three years.”

Governor Jindal Wrote A Piece For The Heritage Foundation’s Foundry Blog About The Facts Behind President Obama’s Minimum Wage Economy. In Washington, facts can sometimes be stubborn things. I guess that’s why some media pundits thought my comments at a governors’ association meeting last Monday—which highlighted the slow growth and failed economic policies of our President—impolitic or impolite. … Call me crazy, but I believe the truly insane idea is thinking that we can grow the economy through policies that put Americans out of work. The fact is, we can do better. We can grow our economy faster, improve our health care system, explore new sources of energy, and put more Americans back to work. President Obama can use his infamous “pen and phone” to get started on all these areas things today. Last week, I outlined 10 places for the Administration to start. But if President Obama won’t lead, then conservatives must show the American people a better way. And to do so, we first must win the battle of ideas.

Governor Jindal Challenged President Obama To Address Obamacare’s Cuts To Medicare Advantage. Louisiana Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal challenged President Obama to address cuts to Medicare Advantage when he visits senior-heavy Florida on Friday.  Obama plans to travel to Miami on Friday where he'll discuss education and the economy.  But Jindal, on the sidelines of the Conservative Political Action Conference, held a brief conference call where he urged Obama to address cuts affecting 1.3 million Florida seniors.  Jindal cited a report by from America's Health Insurance Plans, an industry group, which showed costs up an average of $50-$90 per month or reduced benefits next year. He also praised Florida Republican Gov. Rick Scott for being critical of these cuts.  More than a third of Medicare beneficiaries in Florida are enrolled in Medicare Advantage, about the same proportion in the plan nationwide. Jindal said the program is successful and popular, and that when threatened by "reckless" cuts, bipartisan groups have sent letters.

Governor Jindal Outlined His Top Priorities This Legislative Session, Which Includes Preparing Louisiana Workers For The Manufacturing Expansion Coming To The State. Gov. Bobby Jindal said aligning Louisiana's educational systems to state workforce needs will be his main priority for the legislative session that begins Monday. In an interview with The Associated Press, the Republican governor outlined items he's pushing with lawmakers during the three-month session, including tougher laws against human trafficking in Louisiana and changes to the civil litigation system sought by business groups. … At the top of his list this session, Jindal said he wants to build on efforts to recruit and retain businesses. He said his administration has attracted billions of dollars in new investment, much of it in the petrochemical industry, but he said Louisiana needs to better prepare workers for the construction and skills trades jobs coming with those projects. "We need to link the needs of employers with our educational institutions," Jindal said. "I think our big challenge this session is getting ready for this manufacturing expansion."

Louisiana Ranked Among The Top In The Nation In A Recent Survey Of States That Gained The Most New Business Facilities And Business Expansions. Louisiana ranked No. 3 nationally in Site Selection magazine’s annual Governor’s Cup rankings among states that gained the most new and expanded corporate facilities on a per-capita basis in 2013. In 2012, Louisiana ranked No. 8. Louisiana was also tops in the South for per-capita corporate facilities, according to a news release from Louisiana Economic Development. … “When we took office in 2008, we made economic growth and job creation our top priorities, and today’s ranking provides further proof that the world is taking note of our comprehensive reforms,” said Gov. Bobby Jindal in a prepared statement. “By eliminating burdensome business taxes, reining in spending, overhauling governmental ethics laws and revamping our workforce development system, we have given Louisiana one of the best business climates in the nation, and we continue to outperform our peers in the South. But there is still much work to do, and we remain laser-focused on our commitment to ensure a more prosperous future for Louisiana families right here at home.”

Governor Jindal Unveiled Legislation He Will Be Supporting This Legislative Session That Continues To Promote A Culture Of Life In Louisiana. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal promoted two pro-life bills that will be heard in the upcoming legislative session during a news conference Friday at White’s Ferry Road Church of Christ. House Bill 305, authored by Rep. Frank Hoffmann, R-West Monroe, would prohibit employees of abortion clinics or any of their affiliates from distributing abortion-related information in public and charter schools. House Bill 388, authored by Rep Katrina Jackson, D-Monroe, would require abortion providers to have admitting privileges within 30 miles of a local hospital and strengthening the licensing requirements for those providers. Jindal said the bills would further protect Louisiana’s Christian values and “culture of life.” “One of the things I’m most proud of is that year after year, Louisiana is consistently ranked as the most pro-life state in the country, but we must never become complacent. We have to continue to fight,” Jindal said. Both bills also received support from Louisiana Right to Life and the Bioethics Defense Fund.

Governor Jindal Attended The Dedication Ceremony For The First Phase Of A New Economic Development Project That Could Lead To The Creation Of As Many As 6,000 New Jobs.  A $750 million plant that began manufacturing direct reduced iron Dec. 24 already leads all other competitors, according to the man who wears the three largest hats for the plant’s corporate owner. … “You can’t find better workers than they found right here in Louisiana,” Jindal said. Jindal noted the plant already employs 140 full-time workers and is expected to add at least 10 more this year. The governor said 500 construction workers built the facility, about 30 miles south of Baton Rouge and about 60 miles north of New Orleans.

Louisiana Leads The Nation In The Number Of Feature Film Productions. Louisiana led the nation last year in feature-film production, according to a 108-film survey by a Los Angeles nonprofit think tank studying the impact of California’s loss of such projects. Eighteen of those live-action movies, with spending estimated at $750 million, were filmed primarily in Louisiana, according to FilmL.A. Inc. … “It is a good day,” said Liza Kelso, executive director of the Baton Rouge Film Commission. “Just seeing Louisiana is No. 1 in feature film locations is a huge, huge feather in our caps.”