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House committee backs resolution asking state agencies to coordinate rural economic development
Summary
The House Commerce Committee reported House Concurrent Resolution 66 favorably after lawmakers and Louisiana Economic Development officials described a plan to align agency programs, workforce training and infrastructure for rural parishes and added a requirement for a Jan. 1, 2027 progress report to the legislature.
Representative Weibel presented House Concurrent Resolution 66, asking Louisiana Economic Development and several state agencies to study and coordinate rural economic assets, infrastructure capacity and workforce resources across the state. The sponsor said the goal is a strategic, coordinated approach to help rural parishes compete for investment and jobs.
“We know that we've seen unprecedented success in Louisiana, close to $100,000,000,000 in capital investments since 2024,” Representative Weibel said, tying the proposal to recent investment wins and urging a framework to spread opportunities to rural communities.
Secretary Susan Bourgeois of Louisiana Economic Development told the committee the department already uses an internal framework — “AIM: align, integrate, maximize” — to guide coordination and that the department sees a need for clearer alignment across agencies. “When you really start looking at what the state does to support or invest in or engage with rural communities, there isn't much of a formal alignment in those efforts right now,” she said.
Lawmakers pressed for measurable reporting. Committee members adopted an amendment that inserts a requirement that LED provide a progress report to the legislature by Jan. 1, 2027. Representative Domingue moved the measure favorable and no member objected; the committee reported the resolution favorably as amended.
What happens next: the resolution will be sent from the committee to the House for further consideration; the adopted amendment requires LED to file the January 2027 report to the legislature, creating a near‑term accountability date.
