Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Flood Protection topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee adopts substitute to formalize nominating committee for New Orleans‑area flood protection authorities
Summary
The Transportation Committee reported a substitute for House Bill 6 33 on May 12 that updates the nominating committee for the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority East and West, adding CPRA and clarifying record custody and counsel.
The House Transportation Committee on Monday reported a substitute for House Bill 6 33 that modifies the nominating committee that supplies candidates to the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority East and West.
Representative Breaux, sponsor of the substitute, said the bill "refreshes a very unique board and nominating process" created after Hurricane Katrina to move flood protection boards toward professional, apolitical leadership. The substitute adds the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) to the statutory nominating committee, makes CPRA the custodian of committee records, and provides legal counsel for the nominating committee from the Attorney General’s office. It also allows the committee to meet remotely.
Civic groups applauded portions of the substitute but urged one more change. Blair DuCanay of Citizens for One Greater New Orleans and Ruthie Frierson, a longtime civic leader, thanked the sponsor for preserving the independent nominating committee but asked that the bill be amended to restore a board’s right to select its own chair. "We are asking that an amendment be added to this bill to restore that right," DuCanay said, arguing the change would preserve the apolitical nature of the boards.
PAR and others noted the substitute keeps the nominating committee intact rather than eliminates it, a change from prior proposals. The committee adopted the substitute and voted to report the bill. Representative Breaux said the substitute reflects widespread stakeholder conversations and will help ensure qualified, professional leadership for levee and flood protection authorities.
Why it matters
The post‑Katrina governance reforms created an expert‑led nominating process to ensure that boards in the New Orleans region include required technical expertise for levee design, maintenance and oversight. Civic groups and the Public Affairs Research Council urged preserving the nonpolitical, independent process and the ability for local boards to choose their own leadership. The substitute was reported; advocates asked the sponsor to consider a follow‑on amendment restoring board authority to select their chair.
