[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6266949,"mediaKeyId","3084342-9c7f63cced84c77a084bd66a5840c0ea","parentId",3084342,"title","House committee debates Port of New Orleans road authority, St. Bernard officials oppose bill","audioSeconds",2385,"startMs",4149000,"endMs",6534000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3084342-9c7f63cced84c77a084bd66a5840c0ea&start=4149&end=6534","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3084342-9c7f63cced84c77a084bd66a5840c0ea/thumbnail_4149000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6266949/Louisiana/House-committee-debates-Port-of-New-Orleans-road-authority-St-Bernard-officials-oppose-bill","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6266949-ed7d94b1def44e2eae9145dfaa1a95b8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770390766&Signature=C5Rn0liHZkc~PU8UVdF0wrXm3RMk27lTikVr~hQxgq9uz3IRHL9V0JW6LsXGdVrT-zfhpu4PkwLDgLoRCxjIiFMEgy5wHvRT3q6IXA7Kuxu7WnVnQNjbipPYHwam0AR5ZqWlSPCsLWZz78RgNYA1FqR-rhB4BnTxOLnp5KFB--QFXCoRL-gppfpcSHg1vWf27YsDGH7Z2jjHx38tuTBP7WP5M04ZCbh-z4ktMYTF5EY00kobBxRoUWQUdnfbzve~ZC0VNk6A-6VomDapAQL6mN14J9obAxXHOunptMzqvu2oIXvfxo0k08yK7vkZ9ccP2FYGdPBkWUPVl0eQXDD4LA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Louisiana Legislature","date","2025-04-22T00:00:00Z","article","Representative Talented Wright presented House Bill 6 16, a bill to authorize a procurement and public–private partnership process for construction of a dedicated roadway tied to the proposed Louisiana International Terminal. Supporters said the measure sets an established P3 procurement path for a project that already has state and federal commitments; opponents, largely from St. Bernard Parish, said the bill would strip local control, risk property expropriation and was being rushed while litigation over the terminal remains pending.

Proponents told the House Transportation Committee the legislation is procedural and designed to align the road procurement with private investors and state partners so construction can coincide with the terminal. Chris Kane, representing the Port of New Orleans, said the bill “puts in place a process that allows the P3 market to understand how we're going to move forward with the procurement.” John Paul Escojay, executive counsel for the port, said the port’s existing enabling statutes are broad but the P3 framework helps attract private partners and provides certainty for financing and delivery.

Local officials from St. Bernard Parish urged the committee to reject or rework the bill. Representative Richard Baham submitted resident e-mails and said, “This is imposing something on a parish that the people of Saint Bernard do not want.” Multiple parish officials — including the parish council member who said he represents “at large west” — and the parish district attorney described ongoing litigation with the port and the presence of an active elementary school within parts of the port’s mapped property footprint. District Attorney Perry Nicosha said litigation over jurisdiction and school‑board interests is pending and warned the bill could be used in court to justify expropriation: “Don’t let them expropriate this land,” he said.

Speakers also differed on economic projections. Port supporters cited a market and economic analysis that projects state and local tax revenues and job growth if the terminal and its access road are built. Opponents pointed to unpaid questions about rail access, exact corridor routing and what they called inadequate local consultation. Several St. Bernard witnesses said they had not seen the amendments until shortly before the hearing and asked for more time and clearer routing before the Legislature acted.

The committee heard dozens of in‑person statements and read multiple letters into the record both in support and opposition. After debate the committee considered competing motions: a motion to defer and a substitute motion to report the bill with amendments. On roll call the substitute motion failed and the bill remained in committee. The clerk recorded four yeas and eight nays on the motion to report the bill out of committee; the committee therefore took no further action on the bill at this hearing.

Why it matters: supporters say the road and terminal together are needed to keep Louisiana competitive with other Gulf ports and to avoid traffic and operating inefficiencies if the terminal is built without a dedicated access corridor. Opponents say the bill, as written, gives the port overly broad tools that could override parish authority and lead to property takings in Saint Bernard Parish without sufficient local input and mitigation.

Next steps: the bill remains in the House Transportation Committee. Committee members and witness groups said they expect further negotiation and asked the author and port representatives to continue consultation with St. Bernard officials and other local stakeholders before any future committee or floor action.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Transportation Apr 22, 9:30 AM, HCR-3 ","oneSentenceSummary","Representative Wright presented legislation to establish a public–private procurement process for a roadway tied to the proposed Louisiana International Terminal; port and economic‑development officials supported the measure while St. Bernard Parish leaders warned it would give the Port of New Orleans excessive authority and risk property takings.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature LA, Louisiana","taxId",78558,"location","Louisiana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6266935,"House Transportation: quick roundup — several bills reported, one major port bill held in committee",610,894000,1504000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3084342-9c7f63cced84c77a084bd66a5840c0ea&start=894&end=1504","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3084342-9c7f63cced84c77a084bd66a5840c0ea/thumbnail_894000.jpg","/articles/6266935/Louisiana/House-Transportation-quick-roundup-several-bills-reported-one-major-port-bill-held-in-committee","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6266935-771762861b557046c3103d7fd074c74f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770390766&Signature=AowNYrUlHTIiD5R7PJkwjBexoxRT3ZHpE4J9iumfeeuX~CvjTJWe8nGVcGtCoX6hqLCVkO-pli35RWLtl9XV1A8zO~vrqKc6D6oZC0gaLjJFCPzaTP~v7GDiGbBsWRRKUcBZboa8jiLYQToHjOyopzbW-snYpJ2zUpP9COZMc5SLf28o4T4JIMJBU1-cLFsv8tF1TjgHxV4mDS1mbn4K98xYUqyiJO8rfDrVYwIpsXkSAy1htXqHHRW47s8nnex8JpBWV4TdUW9xSbgLqxNoqpQSiyHm4WG~gm81wQ7aNn1OmkPkTfrkW8NdTKQ7-RM7toI3ormEGRQGFF~Q0ErHYg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the April 22 House Transportation Committee hearing lawmakers handled multiple relatively discrete items in addition to the longer port discussion.

- House Bill 167 (Representative Taylor) designates a portion of LA‑3188 as Veterans Memorial Highway. Supporters included members of the American Legion and local veterans. The committee reported the bill favorably.

- House Bill 312 (Representative Godberry) clarifies procurement law by reinforcing a qualifications‑based selection (QBS) approach for architects and engineers and excluding price as a selection factor for certain professional services. Committee amendments were adopted and the bill was reported with amendments.

- House Bill 508 (Representative Lawverdane) narrows a cruise‑terminal parking fee exemption to Louisiana disabled veterans and confines the benefit to port‑owned and controlled parking to address administrative and competitive concerns; the committee reported the bill favorably.

- House Bill 524 (Representative Spell) expands local public safety agencies’ ability to use group purchasing organizations and clarifies that national cooperative contracts with appropriate public procurement transparency are eligible. The committee reported the bill favorably.

- Construction management at‑risk (CMAR) delivery: the committee approved use of the CMAR delivery method for a proposed multipurpose educational complex in Evolz Parish at the request of the parish school board.

Votes and outcomes: the record shows each of the items above was reported favorably or reported with amendments except for House Bill 6 16 (Port/road P3), which the committee declined to report after opposing testimony; the port bill therefore remains in committee.

Why it matters: these bills affect highways naming, procurement rules for professional services, veteran parking at port facilities, cooperative purchasing for public safety agencies and local capital‑project delivery methods — all items with routine but practical consequences for local government operations.

Next steps: the reported bills will appear on the House floor calendar for further consideration; the port/road bill remains in committee pending additional negotiation and review.","The committee advanced several bills with little debate (local highway designation, procurement clarifications, veteran parking, cooperative purchasing access for public safety) and approved a CMAR delivery method request; a major Port of New Orleans P3 bill did not clear committee after heavy local opposition.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6266940,"Committee approves bill urging local fixes for school‑related congestion in Shreveport neighborhoods",1288,2670000,3958000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3084342-9c7f63cced84c77a084bd66a5840c0ea&start=2670&end=3958","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3084342-9c7f63cced84c77a084bd66a5840c0ea/thumbnail_2670000.jpg","/articles/6266940/Louisiana/Committee-approves-bill-urging-local-fixes-for-schoolrelated-congestion-in-Shreveport-neighborhoods","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6266940-49f3f508a1f1f5ee9ce0e1d466eb52b2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770390766&Signature=fKpZfmQhKbbnX73vNSo3Vr15pu~816WjCCY17JxiFWwSQRkslWM0dKVRy9pSDwLcrqlsXvQEj0hYorpGQW1axd~U2ueVgkzatJnqWO5LRe6G~S2O1sfQ0CU2itx72izP6KNpf488nS4mdwThugxkN7uo60i0S67BMwDKLMPBIlgwom1GB3NXh9ilisVeJ5zAaTSyfna1sckSldQCGNKXVqoMdxxnpD2CcFtkjey8Byhs4xRuH73~bncIyH-Pu726O04XGBrr-EFWxbRE8L7KuXnTEVbuurI96AIheYAb1N-qRVhPfug0a4FrER5LsMsFRHcH1N2jIbPjRfIp07WXWA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Phelps presented House Bill 620 to establish procedures to reduce traffic congestion in neighborhoods near two schools in Shreveport. The bill directs the Caddo Parish School Board to adopt routing and drop‑off plans and invites the district office of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development to participate in traffic‑engineering discussions for any state highways bordering the schools.

Kent Rogers, executive director of the Northwest Louisiana Council of Governments, told the committee the neighborhoods affected have about 1,000 residents but see roughly “between 8,000 cars between certain hours of the drop off and pickup time frame.” He said vehicles block driveways and neighborhood streets and that police, fire and EMS vehicles sometimes struggle to get through. Residents and school officials have discussed various local remedies for years without durable solutions, Rogers said.

Representative Wiley and Representative Jackson both expressed support for local engagement and urged adding similar problem locations to the bill’s language if required. Representative Jackson moved to report HB 620 with amendments; the committee adopted an 8‑amendment set and voted to report the bill favorably. Committee members asked the author and local agencies to continue consultation with DOTD and the regional council to develop practical engineering and enforcement steps before the next school year.

Why it matters: the bill targets recurring safety and access problems at schools sited near state highways, asking local authorities to adopt routing and drop‑off arrangements and coordinate with DOTD on signal and corridor changes. Supporters described immediate safety and access problems for residents and emergency services.

Next steps: HB 620 was reported from committee with amendments; the author and local officials will continue to develop route options and traffic engineering measures for implementation before the next school year if possible.

","Lawmakers approved House Bill 620, asking the Caddo Parish School Board and DOTD to coordinate to reduce morning and afternoon congestion around two Shreveport schools. Witnesses described blocked driveways, emergency‑vehicle delays and repeated community complaints.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6266945,"Committee backs raising Ascension Parish public‑works contract threshold with bond change",518,243000,761000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3084342-9c7f63cced84c77a084bd66a5840c0ea&start=243&end=761","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3084342-9c7f63cced84c77a084bd66a5840c0ea/thumbnail_243000.jpg","/articles/6266945/Louisiana/Committee-backs-raising-Ascension-Parish-publicworks-contract-threshold-with-bond-change","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6266945-6eda94e7c119436367db0a2bffdb78bf/orig.mp4?Expires=1770390766&Signature=JVHpkcRH1DBmku9xxM4A-g9u~gU5L2TZpE84okS2wF-AwceiSOMsIVEJhqDq0QKglla1hXj2cJdOJJ30Ub47pM~oy~ZcYlFCEUJ7tEQBvQvuDVsRY6zi0a3aY1p3o30dJd6rdzKinKIO3VlGssAW4U0mvqgm-fHzUXCl8RHINYLo7S7qG9wFllfX94bNfuGUIwAPH6T9pM7Tr-GyhHQl5moXF1DiwPD3dO2wk-ghggdmARHR97~9IBBphs7i7kL6oh-CBlLwmY2ahmDv4xCcpPmeemO9vcn~DImK5lyQGfjm7CWWGx7~aHz5qD1Wc~RDHsVOc00vMJLaRxxuCYJ8JA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Vice Chairman Brass sponsored House Bill 209, a local Ascension Parish bill that raises the contract threshold for public works from $150,000 to $500,000 and changes the bonding requirement so that contracts in excess of $500,000 must include a performance bond for at least 50% of the contract value. The committee adopted an amendment that raised the bond threshold language in the draft.

Ascension infrastructure director Ricky Compton told the committee Ascension Parish had spent “over a million dollars on performance bonds” for contracts under $250,000 and that those bonding costs are passed to taxpayers. He gave a local example: a $32,000 park pipe‑rail job required a $3,200 bond premium. Ruth Phillips, chief administrative officer for Ascension Parish Government, said the parish is having trouble getting contractors for projects under $500,000 because mobilization is not cost‑effective for many firms; raising the threshold and matching bonding requirements, she said, would let parish crews or local contractors handle smaller projects more quickly.

Darryl Cahoon of Capital Partners, representing the Associated General Contractors (AGC), opposed aspects of the change. Cahoon said raising the limit means more work could be done “with your own forces up to $500,000 with no transparency,” and cautioned that increased thresholds shift costs to contractors because of bonding requirements; he cited industry data that only a small share of performance bonds are ever called but that the premium is a real cost to contractors and ultimately to owners.

Representative Wiley moved to report House Bill 209 with amendments; the committee adopted the amendments and voted to report the bill to the floor. Support and opposition cards were submitted and noted in the record. Committee members and the bill author said they would continue to work with local contracting organizations on technical fixes as the bill moves forward.

Why it matters: the change would allow Ascension Parish to use local forces and shortened procurement steps for projects up to $500,000 and would alter when performance bonds are required; proponents say it will speed repairs and small capital work, while construction industry groups worry it reduces competitive transparency and increases costs borne by contractors.

Next steps: the bill was reported out of committee to the House floor with amendments; the author and interested trade groups said they will negotiate technical language before a floor vote.

","Lawmakers advanced a local bill to raise the non‑bid contract threshold in Ascension Parish to $500,000 and to require performance bonds at a different threshold; parish officials said the change would speed small projects, while a construction‑industry representative warned about transparency and bond‑cost impacts.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

House committee debates Port of New Orleans road authority, St. Bernard officials oppose bill

House Transportation: quick roundup — several bills reported, one major port bill held in committee

Committee approves bill urging local fixes for school‑related congestion in Shreveport neighborhoods

Committee backs raising Ascension Parish public‑works contract threshold with bond change