State Rep. Thibaut Wins Another Basketball Goal July 28, 2011 -- State Rep. Major Thibaut recently announced to the
New Roads City Council that he has once again won a drawing hosted by
the Louisiana Legislature and sponsored by the New Orleans Hornets that
will lead to the resurfacing of one of the basketball courts at the
Emmitt Douglas Park.
Thibaut,
who has won the drawing twice in the last few years, said work should
begin on the court by mid-August. He said the New Roads court was one of
several in the district he submitted. The last time he won it, the
Hornets resurfaced two basketball courts at the Scott Civic Center.
June 30, 2011 -- District
17 state Sen. Robert Marionneaux Jr. (D-Livonia) and District 18 state
Representative Major Thibaut Jr. (D-New Roads) have announced the
results of this year’s legislative session, which has successfully secured
over $1.2 million for Pointe Coupee Parish.
Pointe
Coupee Parish will see an array of projects and improvements as a
result of the 2011 legislative session. From HB 2, $1,200,000 was
allocated to the parish for the Pointe Coupee Port Commission, False
River Regional Airport, Regional Fence Line Monitoring Project, and Gas
Main Line Replacement on Hwy. 78 from U.S. Hwy. 90 to Cooley Street.
The
projects listed in House Bill 2, the state capital outlay bill, details
how cash and revenue from state bond sales will be used in the
2011-2012 fiscal year for construction, renovation and repair projects
throughout the state.
The projects included in HB 2 for Pointe Coupee Parish totaled
$1,200,000 and include:
Pointe Coupee Port Commission (for Pointe Coupee Parish Port capital
improvements): $100,000, Priority 2; $620,000, Priority 5; Total:
$720,000.
False River Regional Airport (for new terminal facilities):
$110,000, Priority 2.
Regional fence line monitoring project: $100,000, Priority 2.
Gas main line replacement on Hwy. 78 from U.S. 90 to Cooley Street,
planning and construction: $150,000, Priority 2; $120,000, Priority 5;
Total: $270,000.
Lawmakers
approve the capital outlay bill every year, but the projects listed in
the bill do not move forward until the State Bond Commission gives its
approval.
Additionally,
Rep. Thibaut passed HCR 168 which paves the way for the Department of
Natural Resources to contribute towards the study being conducted by the
U.S. Corp of Engineers relative to the issues surrounding False River.
Children Win as Louisiana Enacts Special Needs Scholarship Program June 25, 2010 -- Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal signed into law the nation’s 20th private school choice program, which will allow children with special needs to use state-funded scholarships to attend the private schools of their parents’ choice.
Hailed by school choice activists as a significant, bipartisan victory for children with special needs in Louisiana, the legislation enacts a two-year pilot program benefiting children in the state’s parishes with populations of 190,000 people or more. Accordingly, children in Caddo, East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, Lafayette, Orleans, and St. Tammany parishes will be eligible to participate.The scholarships are worth up to half the cost of what the state pays to send participating children to public schools. The new law will assist children in Kindergarten through eighth grade who have autism, developmental delay or other specific learning disorders.
“This new program is a significant victory for Louisiana’s children,” said Betsy DeVos, chairman of the American Federation for Children, a leading school choice advocacy organization. “This program will improve educational access and quality for thousands of students with special needs across the state, and we applaud legislators from both parties for doing what is right for families and not bowing to pressure from special interests.”
The bipartisan piece of legislation was authored by Representative Franklin Foil (R-Baton Rouge) and cosponsored by Representative Major Thibaut Jr. (D-New Roads), Representative Patrick Williams (D- Shreveport), Senator Conrad Appel (R-Metairie), Senator Ann Duplessis (D-New Orleans), Senator Eric LaFleur (D-Ville Platte), and Senator Gerald Long (R-Winnfield).The School Choice Pilot Program for Certain Students with Exceptionalities Act will place Louisiana in the ranks of six other states (Arizona, Georgia, Florida, Ohio, Utah, and Oklahoma) that have enacted school choice programs designed for children with special needs. Across the country there are approximately 24,555 students enrolled in these programs and nearly 200,000 students participating in private school choice programs in general.
2010 4-H Club Day at the Capitol June 2, 2010 -- The Pointe Coupee 4-H delegation got a chance to meet Representative Major Thibaut. The students were thrilled to talk face to face with Representative Thibaut about his daily duties at the capital, as well as, ask questions about the requirements of his job. The 4-H’ers learned about voting, debating, and how important making contact with constituents really can be on issues. Click here to read the full story and view photos.
Hornets Court Refurbishment in New Roads March 8, 2010 -- Hornets guard Darren Collison was on hand to shoot the first shot and dedicate the newly refurbished basketball courts at False River Park in New Roads, LA. The New Orleans Hornets and The La. Legislative Charity Fund teamed up to provide a much needed make-over for the dilapidated courts, which are used not only as a community playground, but also as a place for organized games for two local schools.
“To say these courts were in bad shape is an understatement,” said Sal Genusa, director of Pointe Coupee Parks and Recreation. “For the state legislature and the Hornets to come in and do something like this…it’s just wonderful. The smiles on the kids faces, and adults, says it all. Nothing puts it in more perspective than the smiles on their faces and the excitement they showed whenever (Collison) walked up.”
Proceeds raised from the annual Louisiana Legislature's Annual HoopLA charity basketball game between the House and the Senate and a Hornets’ contribution provided the funds for the courts’ make-over. State Rep. Major Thibaut, D-New Roads was randomly selected out of the list of names of all legislators who participated in the game last summer, and he selected the courts at False River Park in his district to be refurbished.
“With the budget constraints here, recreation is usually the last thing on the list,” said Thibaut, D-New Roads. “This court is unique because of where it’s located, and it brings together kids from all kinds of socioeconomic backgrounds. It’s a chance for them to come together and make new friends. As you can see form the turnout, this court will be used a lot.”
The side-by-side basketball courts were painted to replicate the Hornets hardwood at the New Orleans Arena. More than 100 youngsters received a Hornets T-shirt and stepped foot onto the freshly painted court to participate in a free basketball clinic and question-and-answer session with Collison. The Honeybees, Buzz Patrol and Air Hugo also helped entertain all attendees with photos, autographs and inflatable games.
“Basketball is important to these kids, and this is a once in a lifetime chance to meet one of their heroes,” said Thibaut. “I think it’s wonderful, especially for communities like ours, to be exposed to the NBA and the Hornets and to have a piece of the Hornets in our community. I can tell you, the Hornets made a few new fans today.”
Shown below are some photos taken at the event:
Image:
Louisiana Rural Health Grants Help Fight Breast Cancer And Diabetes January 22, 2010 -- Governor Bobby Jindal and Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) Secretary Alan Levine announced eight community-based rural health grants that will aid rural communities throughout the state in the fight against breast cancer, diabetes, and other health needs.
The Governor emphasized the importance of these grants given the proposed federal changes to disproportionate share hospital (DSH) funding that could limit funds to many hospitals in rural areas. Based on the latest audit, Louisiana faces a federal rule change that could cost the state $197.5 million per year in DSH funds, which are available to hospitals to help cover the costs of uncompensated care to Medicaid recipients and the uninsured.
Governor Jindal said, “These grants will play an important role in improving access to affordable health care in our rural parishes – while helping to address populations that suffer from chronic conditions, like diabetes. By improving the capacity to provide integrated, effective and efficient health care services in our rural areas, we can help keep our residents healthier while making their costs more affordable.
“Even as we face significant budget challenges from the faulty federal FMAP formula that will cost us $500 annually in health care funds for some of the poorest in our state, as well as a federal reduction in our disproportionate share hospital funding that is costing us an estimated $200 million in hospital and rural health funding, we remain committed to meeting the health care needs of our rural communities.”
The grants total $597,282, with approximately $75,000 each going to the St. James Parish Hospital, the Health Enrichment Network in Allen Parish, the Central Louisiana Area Health Education Center, the Pointe Coupee Homebound Health Hospice, Pointe Coupee Better Access Community Health, the St. Charles Community Health Center, the Southwest Louisiana Center for Health Services, and the David Raines Community Health Center in Bossier Parish.
Funding for five of the grants, totaling $372,282, was made available for the community-based and rural health program through an annual state legislative appropriation to provide financial assistance to rural and/or underserved areas. Funds are used to maintain, enhance or expand access to community-based primary and preventive health care services.
Three grant applicants — the St. Charles Community Health Center, the Southwest Louisiana Center for Health Services, and the David Raines Community Health Center in Bossier Parish — fit the requirements for both community-based rural health grant dollars and federal Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) dollars, allowing the state to fund these grants without using state general funds. DHH has also begun accepting applications for a new round of SSBG grants this week, which can also be used for rural health needs.
“Our state has some of the highest cancer and diabetes rates in the nation, and it is important that we help spread awareness, offer preventive treatment options, and increase access to care in our rural communities to fight these diseases,” Levine said. “These community-based rural health grants will help accomplish those goals long-term by jump-starting programs today.”
Representative Major Thibaut said, “These grants are going to go a long way in keeping our people healthier – and I applaud the Governor and the folks at the Department of Health and Hospitals for understanding how important our rural communities are to the state.”
