Tired of being 50th? RESET Louisiana sets path out of cellar

Greg Hilburn | Updated 3:52 p.m. CT July 26, 2019

Don't miss a chance to visit the open-air observation deck at the Louisiana State Capitol. Greg Hilburn/USA Today Network

Louisiana's most prominent good governments groups have created a road map they believe will lead the state out of the cellar and climbing the ladder to the top.

Council for a Better Louisiana (CABL), the Public Affairs Research Council (PAR) and the Committee of 100 for Economic Development (C100) has raised $500,000 from their members to create the RESET Louisiana's Future campaign.

It's no coincidence the campaign comes as term limits could turn over more than one-third of the lawmakers in Louisiana's Legislature.

test (Photo: Courtesy photo)

"We're tired of being 50th, 49th, 48th," said C100 President Mike Olivier during a meeting with reporters at PAR's headquarters in Baton Rouge Friday. "Now is the time to do something about it because so many seats are changing."

RESET focuses on early childhood education, K-12 education, higher education and workforce, taxes, the Louisiana Constitution, pension reform, criminal justice reform and public safetyand transportation and infrastructure.

"We've been studying all of this for a long time," CABL President Barry Erwin said. "It's time to get something done."

"Nothing happens while you wait," PAR President Robert Travis Scott said.

RESET's focus areas

Following are key points for RESET's eight focus areas:

Early childhood

Make sure every at-risk child has access to high-quality early care and education programs from birth through 4.

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K-12 education

Maintain and expand existing accountability reforms and grow the dual-enrollment program allowing high school students to take college classes and the career track program called jump-start.

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Higher education and workforce

Focus on increasing higher education attainment for high school graduates both in colleges and universities and career certificates. Forty-six percent of Louisianians attain a post-secondary degree or certificate. RESET said the state needs that number to grow to 56% to meet workforce needs.

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Taxes

Create a fair, simple and competitive tax environment for individuals and businesses by broadening the base and lowering the rates.

MORE: Study: Louisiana worst for financial literacy

Louisiana Constitution

Simplify the state constitution to increase fiscal flexibility and modernize. That will require a constitutional convention. Scott said PAR will soon roll out a study showing what's missing, what would change and how a new Louisiana Constitution could look using fact-based research.

MORE: Louisiana voters to decide whether to add abortion ban to constitution

Pension reform

Build a new system for a new era, transitioning from the state's existing traditional retirement and reducing the billions of existing liability.

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Criminal justice reform and public safety

Make sure the 2017 reforms reducing Louisiana's once nation-leading prison population remain intact and create task forces to study crime prevention and how to create more crisis intervention centers as prison alternatives for those who qualify.

MORE: America's most violent state? Louisiana.

Transportation and infrastructure

RESET wants Louisiana's transportation infrastructure to be an asset rather than the liability it is now. The campaign acknowledges that can't happen without additional recurring revenue, including new taxes.

MORE: What is the state of Louisiana's infrastructure?

RESET meeting with candidates

Members of CABL, PAR and C100 have already met with all of the legislative candidates they could identify before qualifying begins Aug. 6 and are now meeting with incumbents.

They have also met with Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards and his top Republican challengers U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham of Richland Parish and wealthy Baton Rouge businessman Eddie Rispone.

RESET isn't asking candidates to sign pledges and isn't making political contributions. It will roll out a $100,000 digital marketing campaign and schedule town hall meetings in all of the state's major metro markets.

"We're trying to say these are the things that can move the needle and this is the time to elevate these issues," Erwin said.

Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.

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