Senator A.G. Crowe and Senator Julie Quinn will hold a joint Town Hall meeting this Wednesday, September 16th at 6:00 PM at Mandeville City Hall.  The public is invited and the meeting is being held to discuss the Chinese contaminated drywall issue.
Senator Crowe is also planning two other meetings in his district which will be held in Slidell and St. Bernard Parish.  Details including the date, time and place will be provided as soon as its available. 

The Lake Borgne Basin Levee District will receive $1.520 million to help cover the cost of roadway drainage imporvements on Hwy. 46 in St. Bernard Parish.  This is a critical evacuation route and the legislative delegation worked together to get this vital funding.

Senator A.G. Crowe announced today that $420,000 has been appropriated in House Bill 2 for dredging the Pearl River near the Town of Pearl River.  This project is vital to protecting homes and businesses in the Pearl River area.  Silt build up over the years has caused the river to widen and spread causing more frequent flooding.

HB2, in the most recent legislative session, included $17,000,000 for land acquisition for a new St. Bernard hospital and a medical office building.  Senator A.G. Crowe as well as Representative Nita Hutter and Representative Reed Henderson has committed to making the new hospital a top priority and will continue to work with parish officials, leaders and citizens to make sure the best decision is made for the citizens of St. Bernard.

The St. Bernard Judicial Government Complex will receive $500,000 from the State of Louisiana for renovation and expansion.  As the population continues to increase in the parish, the St. Bernard legislative delegation will continue to secure necessary funding as the recovery progresses.

With the help of all the elected officials and leaders in Plaquemines Parish, HB2 included $2.75 million for much-needed funding to deepen and widen Bayou Baptiste Collette.  This strateic channel will allow crew and work boats easier access to the newly designated 8 million acres of oil exploration leases in the Gulf southeast of Venice.  More investment in to the infrastructure in this area will also position Venice for more private investment and more jobs which will help in the recovery effort from Hurricane Katrina.

Senator A.G. Crowe is pleased to announce that the sound barrier adjacent to I-12 will be replaced with an all new cement version thanks to Senator David Vitter securing $1.4 million in funding.  Councilman (and now State Representative) Greg Cromer, Vitter, Mayor Morris and Crowe have been actively working on this project for years.  "We will continue to work with our state and federal contacts to get barriers placed throughout the area since the traffic count and noise pollution on the interstates around the greater Slidell area continues to increase," says Crowe.

"More levee work in the South Slidell area that will protect that area from storm surges will become a reality soon as a result of additional state funding," according to State Senator A.G. Crowe.  State funds in the amount of $450,000 was secured to raise and expand the levees south of Slidell.

During the regular legislative session recently completed, $750,000 was allocated in the capitol outlay bill for the Haas Road Retention Pond project.  This important project managed by the parish is designed to protect the North Slidell area from flooding.

Another $500,000 was approved by the legislature to culvertize the W-14 canal just off Gause in Slidell.  Erosion along that stretch of the canal has caused extensive damage to office buildings and properties owned by SMH.   

In the recent legislative session, $405,000 was reserved to repair the sewerage system at the Metropolitan Development Center in Plaquemines Parish.

The Plaquemines Parish Medal of Honor Park and Museum will receive $100,000 in state funding for planning and construction as a result of the Plaquemines Parish legislative delegation working as a team. 

CABL, one of the most respected good government watchdog groups in Louisiana recognized Senator A.G. Crowe for authoring SB499 which defined "lobbyist" and making sure that Louisiana citizens are not required to register as a lobbyist when testifying before the legislature.  "Citizens have every right to engage in the government process," said Crowe.

Connie Carlton, the President of the Retired State Employees Association recognized Crowe for his support and help to pass a 3% cost-of-living increase for state retirees.  More than 33,000 retirees will receive a cost-of-living adjustment that will meet the many needs of daily living.

The Legislature late Friday sent the governor Senate Bill 780 by Senator A.G. Crowe establishng the Louisiana International Deep Water Gulf Transfer Terminal Authority.  The panel wold work to set up a deep water cargo transfer facility on the lower east bank of the Southwest Pass in Plaquemines Parish.  The bill sets up a 12-member board named by the governor to look at the feasibility and construction of a world-class facility.  Once completed, Louisiana would have the only truly deep water port in the United States which will result in more Louisiana jobs, billions in private investment in Louisiana, increased property values in Plaquemines and St. Bernard Parishes and the opening of warehouses, distribution centers and assembly centers in Louisiana.  Visit www.agcrowe.com to view a WWL-TV feature story about this legislation.

Public education spending totaled about $500 million in the recent legislative session ending June 28. Included is $155 million for teacher pay raises or about $2,375 a year more per teacher throughout the state.

Legislation authored by Rep. Crowe passed the final hurdle with an overwhealming vote on the House floor. "I am thankful for the tremendous final vote on the House floor assuring the final passage of HB25. This important pro-life legislation stipulates that a mother seeking an abortion shall be informed that the baby could feel pain when aborted and that an ultrasound image shall be avalable at the request of the mother. Abortionists can no longer belittle the life of a precious baby by calling it just a blob of tissue. Women will be told the truth which is the fact that the baby will feel pain when it is brutally killed. And when a mother sees an ultrasound image, she may change her mind because she will see more than just a blob of tissue", says Crowe.

SB161 by Senator Ben Nevers established the crime of partial birth abortion except where necessary to preserve the life of the mother. Representative Crowe has a history of supporting pro-life legislation and co-authored the bill.

In spite of a recent rally on the steps of the City Court of Slidell where hundreds of citizens expressed outrage of the ACLU's attack on their religious freedom, the ACLU stepped up their lawsuit threat just in time for the nation's 4th of July celebration. "How ironic is it that we are about to celebrate our nation's independance while our freedoms are being threatened by an organization founded by communists?," questioned Crowe. Crowe authored HR128 which passed unanimously expressing support of the citizens rally in Slidell.

Crowe's HCR1 was introduced to encourage the Louisiana Senate to adopt the same rules as the House relative to the provision of live audio and video broadcasts as well as internet access of such broadcasts. Crowe has always taken a stand for more open government so that Louisiana citizens can stay informed. The introduction of Crowe's HCR1 resulted in a Senate version (SCR133) that passed the Senate and House today. SCR133 was handled on the House floor by Crowe and Crowe co-authored the bill. "The business of the house and senate should be available to every citizen in the state and this is a major move to make sure that will happen," says Crowe.

Legislation authored by Rep. Crowe passed the final hurdle with an overwhealming vote on the House floor. "I am thankful for the tremendous final vote on the House floor assuring the final passage of HB25. This important pro-life legislation stipulates that a mother seeking an abortion shall be informed that the baby could feel pain when aborted and that an ultrasound image shall be avalable at the request of the mother. Abortionists can no longer belittle the life of a precious baby by calling it just a blob of tissue. Women will be told the truth which is the fact that the baby will feel pain when it is brutally killed. And when a mother sees an ultrasound image, she may change her mind because she will see more than just a blob of tissue", says Crowe.

Rep. A.G. Crowe has continued to support legislation to address the critical insurance problems in the state. SB204 allows insurers to use different deductibles based on the relative wind risk by territory, so that people in coastal areas pay higher deductibles, and people inland pay lower deductibles. HB678 is designed to improve the availability and affordability of insurance by encouraging more insurers to compete for business in Louisiana. The fastest way to bring new insurers to our state is to give them economic development incentives to make Louisiana more attractive than other states. This one time investment of state funds will increase property insurance capacity by 15% for at least five years, which will increase availability and decrease the price of property insurance. HB960 will allow Department of Insurance actuaries to approve rates which is a critical step to bring insurance companies to Louisiana to improve the availability and affordability of insurance.

Crowe voted for and the House passed SB32 today which will provide tax deductions for hurricane recovery benefits. Any gratuitous grant,loan, or other benefit directly or indirectly provided to a taxpayer by a hurricane recovery entity as defined in R.S. 47:293(8) shall be allowed as a deduction if such benefit was included in the federal adjusted gross income.

State Representative A.G. Crowe along with Representative Jim Tucker pushed for an amendment (B536A) to Senator Duplessis' SB361 child tax credit bill that would have provided tax credits for property tax insurance premiums for victims of the hurricanes. "Insurance availability and affordability is an immediate and high priority for citizens in St. Bernard, Plaquemines,Orleans and St. Tammany Parishes," according to Crowe. "We must pass legislation that will give immediate insurance cost relief to our citizens so they can get insurance at affordable rates," added Crowe. "Insurance availability and affordability is the single most important factor that will be the difference between recovery or economic disaster in this state," says Crowe.

State Representative A.G. Crowe is organizing a citizens rally on the steps of the City Court of Slidell on Tuesday, June 26 at 7:00 PM. in response to threats of an attack by the ACLU on the citizens of Slidell. "The only reason they make these threats is to get publicity so that they get free press to raise contributions for their cause," says Crowe. "The Slidell City Court shows no favoritism or preference whatsoever to any faith or religious denomination, but respects the diversity of religious faiths represented and practiced throughout the community. It is patently absurd and highly objectionable for the ACLU to imply otherwise. Louisiana ACLU's hostility towards people of faith is well documented, and has grown tiresome. Their goal is a completely secularized nation, where religious speech and ideas are not only silenced, but punished. "Joe Cook infamously compared Christian elected officials in Tangipahoa Parish to the Taliban, says Crowe. He told a WAFB-TV reporter in 2005, 'They (Christians)believe they answer to a higher power, in my opinion. Which is the kind of thinking that you had with the people who flew the airplanes into buildings in this country, and the people who did the kinds of things (terrorist bombings) in London.' "I think those comments say all we need to know about Cook and his organization's agenda," says Crowe.

In a resolution authored by Rep. A.G. Crowe, Jun 27, 2007 is declared as Slidell Day at the Capitol. The purpose of this resolution is to increase the awareness of the importance and contributions of the citizens of the greater Slidell area to the rest of the state and legislators.

Legislation authored by Rep. Crowe passed today with an overwhealming vote on the Senate floor. "I am excited to report that earlier this afternoon, God delivered a victory on the Louisiana Senate floor with the final passage of HB25. This important pro-life legislation requires that a mother seeking an abortion be informed that the baby could feel pain when aborted and that an ultrasound image shall be avalable at the request of the mother. What this means is that abortionists can no longer belittle the life of a precious baby by calling it just a blob of tissue. Women will be told the truth which is the fact that the baby will feel pain when it is brutally killed. And when a mother sees an ultrasound image, she may change her mind because she will see more than just a blob of tissue", says Crowe.

The St. Tammany school system is slated to receive $162,536,775 which is an increase of $$7,449,969. St. Bernard and Plaquemines Parishes will also receive increases over last year. The Louisiana House of Representatives unanimously approved the public schools funding bill (MFP) today. Education funding increased $158,133,790 to $2,924,177,468 from $2,766,043,678. The bill now heads to he Senate for consideration.

SB153 by Senator Dupre provides for depopulating Citizens Insurance through the bundling of policies for competitive bid. SB204 by Senator Cravins calls for policy premium reductions for retrofitting property and SB205 by Cravins creates an Office of Consumer Advocacy in the Department of Insurance and provides for a consumer bill of rights.

The Republican Party of Louisiana announced today its endorsement of State Representative A.G. Crowe for Senate Distict 1 which covers East St. Tammany Parish, all of St. Bernard Parish, most of Plaquemines Parish and a part of Orleans Parish. Crowe's relentless stand for family values, conservative fiscal approach, sponsoring tough crime fighting legislation and tax reform are just a few of the important issues he is known for.

A request via HCR217 by Rep. A.G. Crowe introduced in the Louisiana House of Representatives calls for the division of administration to adopt more stringent performance standards and penalties for the contractor of the road home program. The current performance standards and penalties is not enough of an incentive according to Crowe. "Citizens are still suffering and waiting and something has to be done to speed up the process," says Crowe.

As reported today in the Times-Picayune, St. Tammany Parish will be the new home for a consolidated higher education site including the University of New Orleans, Delgado Community College and Southeastern Louisiana University. The 26-acre site was donated by the Weyerhaeuser Real Estate Development Company and is located 2.5 miles north of I-12 above Lacombe. The project will also include a high school for advanced studies of technology and art. Representative A.G. Crowe supports this cooperative effort and has been working for years to expand higher education opportunities on the Northshore.

HCR212 by Representative Crowe requests that the United States Congress to take such actions as necessary to revise the National Flood Insurance Program to include multi-peril insurance coverage for damage resulting from other natural disasters.

Today the state house voted unanimously for HB790 which will allocate much needed funds to senior citizens throughout the state of Louisiana. The funds will be distributed through the parish councils on aging based on the population served by that council.

The House of Representatives voted today in committee to include $5.640 million for St. Bernard Parish school system retirees and $636,000 for Plaquemines school system retirees via HB765 by Representative Alario.

HB616, co-sponsored by Representative A.G. Crowe will make the highways and neighborhoods of many parishes much safer. The bill calls for more state troopers patrolling on the interstate which will allow sheriff's deputies to concentrate fighting crime in the parishes.

Plaquemines Parish elected officials and business leaders gathered at the capitol to host a function featuring great food while sharing concerns important to the parish with legislators from all over the state. Two primary issues include the dredging of Baptiste Collette Bayou so that the new larger class of offshore oil and gas service vessels can navigate through a shorter route to the eastern oil and gas field. This will bring more jobs to the area and establish Venice as a deep water oil and gas shoreside supply facility. Representative A.G. Crowe supports the appropriation request of $30,000,000 for designing, planning and construction. The other primary issue is the construction of a new Peter's Road bridge and roadway extension from its current terminus near Engineer's Road in Jefferson Parish to La. Hwy. 23 in Plaquemines Parish near the southwest corner of the Belle Chasse Air Base. The 5.5 mile extension includes a bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway. This would reduce traffic congestion in the Belle Chasse area and improve access to the air base. The project is projected to cost $60,000,000. Some of those in attendance included District Attorney Darryl Bubrig, President Billy Nungesser, Sheriff Jiff Hingle, Mike Ford with Riverbend, Tony Frickey with the Venice Port Complex, David Pavlovich-PABI Chairman, Robert Thomas-PABI Executive Director, Councilman Burghart Turner, Councilman Brent Chauvin, Councilwoman Lynda Banta, Councilman Jerry Hodnet, Councilman Keith Hinkley, Councilman Don Beshel, Councilman Anthony Buras, Councilman Jay Friedman, former School Board President Byron Williams, Assessor Robert Gravolet and Clerk of Court Dot Lundin.

One of the most important issues in this legislative session is property insurance availability and affordability. Thousands of homeowners have experienced huge increases in their homeowner policies since the hurricanes hit Louisiana.

The Plaquemines Parish Basin includes long narrow strips of protected land on both sides of the Mississippi River between New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico. The Mississippi River Levees (MRL) protect the Parish from floods coming down the river and protection from hurricane-induced tidal surges is achieved by the New Orleans to Venice (NOV) hurricane protection system.

Louisiana law now requires that convicted sex offenders that are released from prison register their domicile location within 30 days of their release. Research has revealed that some sex offenders do not register and the state loses track of them. Representative A.G. Crowe's new bill will require the Department of Corrections to register the sex offender 10 days prior to release from prison. This will insure these predators are accounted for and the public is better protected.

ICF International Inc., a government consulting firm, may face a penalty for delays in processing housing payments for victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita following complaints by Louisiana residents.

The new Twin Span Bridge project is moving ahead as pile-driving work continues on both shores of Lake Pontchartrain. The project contractor, Boh Bros. Construction Co., has begun building the level portion of the new bridge along with the roadway approaches.

Louisiana citizens all over the state including St. Tammany, St. Bernard and Plaquemines parishes need immediate insurance relief from legislators in the next regular session coming up later this month.

State Representative A.G. Crowe is working on legislation that will penalize the Louisiana Road Home contractor for non-performance and delays. Thousands of Louisiana citizens are still waiting for financial relief with no end in sight.

APRIL 2007 The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was directed by Congress to prepare a comprehensive plan to de-authorize deep draft navigation on the MRGO between GIWW and the Gulf of Mexico. A preliminary report was sent to COngress in December of 2006 as required by law.

State Representative A.G. Crowe attended the The Corps of Engineers public meeting held at the St. Bernard Parish Council offices. The hearing was held to present and discuss various projects to be considered for hurricane protection and levee restoration.

As a member of the House of Representatives Education Committee, Represenative A.G. Crowe spends time regularly visiting classrooms and school board meetings.

Hurricane Katrina continues to hamper progress in St. Bernard Parish. Under the leadership of an excellent school board and with the outstanding leadership of Superintendent Doris Voiter, the parish schools are coming back.

Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser and the Port of New Orleans President and CEO Gary LaGrange signed a cooperative endeavor agreement last week to jointly market the Port of New Orleans and the Plaquemines Parish Port, Harbor and Terminal District.

As part of the national Legislative Education program, State Representative A.G. Crowe addressed Mrs. Marshall's class at Slidell High.

Ask any crossing guard standing in the middle of the street how many "near misses" occurred just this past year. With text messaging and cell phone use growing exponentially, a new bill designed to protect students in school zones could save lives and others from serious injury.

Representative A.G. Crowe has pre-filed legislation that will set the stage for the City of Slidell to negotiate the acquisition of the University of New Orleans building near city hall.

Legislation that will protect our children from on-line predators will be introduced in the next legislative session.

On Thursday, March 22, the New Orleans Time-Picayune ran a story explaining the post-Katrina population shift in Southeast Louisiana including Orleans, Jefferson, St. Tammany, St. Bernard, St. John, St. Charles and Plaquemines Parishes.

State Representative A.G. Crowe supports the $20 million dollar CDBG grant for Louisiana's fishing industry.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development advises upcoming work which will affect traffic on the Interchange at US 190 Business and I-10.

While visiting the Plaquemines Parish School Board site recently, I noticed this wonderful story about a teacher when asked how much she makes.

HCR1 authored by Representative Crowe is a bill re-introduced for the next Legislative session beginning in April.

One of the most-discussed issues over the past year has been the implementation of the Residential Building Code throughout the state of Louisiana. The legislature passed the new building standards for the protection of our loved ones, the protection of our personal property and to insure the availability of homeowner’s insurance.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

New Muslim Congressman Keith Ellison (Hakim-Mohammad) of Minnesota was absolutely right when he said Thomas Jefferson gleaned knowledge from the Quran – only it was knowledge about his enemies that Jefferson likely gleaned.

When filing your 2006 state tax return, there is a refundable tax credit to reimburse taxpayers if they paid an assessment to fund the Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Program as a part of a homeowner's insurance premium.

One of the interesting developments in the debacle of December’s Special Session of the Legislature was what happened—or, maybe more correctly, what didn’t happen—regarding the proposed pay raises for some public employees. Governor Blanco included a wide-ranging proposal for pay increases for teachers, support workers, university professors, and fire and police personnel in her call for the special session.

As a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives Education Committee, State Representative A.G. Crowe has witnessed firsthand the tremendous educational gains as a result of the LA 4 prekindergarten program.

Be on the lookout for the greatest new place for our teenagers to hang out here in Slidell. Club "E" is coming. More on Club "E" later.

Representative A.G. Crowe co-authored legislation requiring students who have been admitted to a post-secondary education institution for the first time to be vaccinated against meningococcal disease as a condition of registration. This bill passed the House of Representatives today and will also provide detailed information on the risks associated with meningococcal disease.

Norfolk Southern Railroad has been pressuring the Town of Pearl River to close the Nelson Road Railroad crossing. Crowe has lobbied the DOTD to support Pearl River Mayor Lavigne and the citizens of the Pearl River area. With the increase of population as a result of Hurricane Katrina and the need to get emergency services to the area, it would be safest for the citizens to keep the crossing open. The DOTD has assured Crowe that they will not support closing the crossing.

HB254 sponsored by Crowe will stop the sale of video games containing material harmful to minors. Video games depicting violence and the shooting of police officers in a game setting has been outlawed in other states as studies have shown that it has been harmful to minors.

A.G. Crowe has written a legislative resolution recognizing the 100th birthday of the Town of Pearl River. Pearl River Day at the Capitol will be in May. Crowe will recognize (in the House of Representatives) Mayor Lavigne and all of the elected leaders of Pearl River and encourages the citizens of Pearl River to come to the capitol for Pearl River Day.

Babies that are aborted are not given pain medication before the abortion. Legislation filed by Crowe(HB582) will require that the mother be asked if she wants pain medicine given to the baby before it is aborted. Studies have proven that babies being aborted experience pain and in many cases, the mother is not informed of this fact. Pain medicine can be administered to the baby without harm to the mother.

Current law stipulates that highway construction companies can not block highways during peak traffic hours. However, the current law does not define specifically what times are considered peak hours. So Representative Crowe has filed new legislation that defines peak hours as 7:00AM to 9:00AM and 4:00PM to 6:00PM, Monday through Friday. Many calls and complaints by constituants prompted Crowe to file this legislation. People have been stranded for up to one and a half hours to go just five miles because construction companies were not following the intend of the current Louisiana law.

HB202 introduced by Crowe in the regular session will establish standards and licensing of mold assessment and mold remediation firms. Many Louisiana citizens have been affected by the outbreak of mold due to the hurricanes. Consequently, numerous individuals and firms have blanketed the storm damaged areas with false claims and promises taking advantage of hurricane victims. The legislation will extablish qualifications and standards so that Louisiana citizens will be protected from fly-by-night operations.

In an effort to notify and remind citizens of the potential addictive nature of gambling (it's called gaming in Louisiana), Representative Crowe has written legislation that will require gaming hotline information in all forms of advertising of gaming activities.

Uncompensated care costs have sky-rocketed since Hurricane Katrina and has caused our local health care facilites to experience huge losses. Crowe and other area legislators recently met with local hospital officials to discuss the problem and as a result Crowe introduced HB996. The state's current funding policy needs to be changed so that Slidell Memorial Hospital and Northshore Regional Medical Center will be re-imbursed for costs associated with uncompensated health care they provided.

After a lengthy court battle, Louisiana citizens once again have the right to order "In God We Trust" prestige license plates. Crowe's HB267 in the current legislative session distrubutes the proceeds to the various retarded citizens service organizations in the state as well as the Louisiana Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. The plate is just $25.00 a year for 2 years plus the normal registration fee and a $3.50 processing fee. Crowe's legislation establishes a perpetual fund raiser for each group every time a plate is ordered anywhere in the State of Louisiana. For more information or to order a plate, call the Department of Motorized Vehicles at 1-877-368-5463 (Toll-Free).

The Caring Center and Safe Harbor have been operating in St. Tammany Parish for many years serving battered women and their children while providing a safe, secure place. Crowe's legislation added the names of the two organizations which will guarantee much needed funding so that they can continue to help battered and abused women.

State Representative A.G. Crowe is one of just 11 legislators to be awarded the Louisiana Family Advocate Award by the Louisiana Family Forum. This prestigious award is earned by those legislators who best represent traditional family values measured by their votes during legislative sessions according to Gene Mills, Executive Director.

Representative A.G. Crowe introduced HB10 in the Special Legislative Session that will require mortgage companies to deposit insurance settlement checks in to an interest bearing account for the insured if the check is not returned (with endorsement) within 30 days. Since SB32 by Schedler was a similar bill, Crowe joined Senator Schedler as a co-author. This legislation will encourage mortgage companies to return insurance claim checks back to the insured much quicker allowing for the re-construction and\or repairing of their homes.

The House of Representatives just passed SB8 and SB9 by Senator Boasso to consolidate and reform and consolidate levee boards in the southeast region of the state. As a co-author of this reform, this is the most important issue of this session. We were successful in killing amendments that would have weakened the bill by removing parishes such as St. Bernard. The bill creates a regional board made up of professionals, including engineers and hydrologists. A nominating committee composed of professional organizations and universities, excluding politicians, will recommend these members. The bill also removes all non-levee functions from levee boards. The complete focus of levee boards should be flood protection. They should not be in the property management business as some boards currently are. Non-levee assets such as marinas and airports will be removed so the sole focus of levee boards will be overseeing the work being performed by the Corps of Engineers. This historic legislation establishes the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority East that includes Orleans, East Jefferson, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. John, and the portions of St. Tammany and Tangipahoa south of I-12 and creates the SLFPA West that includes West Jefferson and the Algiers portion of New Orleans. Both of these authorities will report to the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), which will serve as the single voice for comprehensive coastal and flood protection for the citizens of the State of Louisiana. After discussions with members of our congressional delegation this morning, including a conversation with Senator David Vitter, the legislation that passed this evening should meet the requirements established by congressional language that will allow us to obtain an additional $12 million from Congress to study what it will take to get Category 5 flood protection. The bills now go back to the Senate for concurrence in technical House amendments. Senator Boasso

In an effort to provide safer homes and buildings, the legislature passed sweeping changes to the state's building code. New, more stringent guidelines should also reduce significant damage during storms such as Hurricane Katrina which could result in lower insurance premiums. The DHH will be responsible for writting new building codes for nursing homes, hospitals and group homes for disabled people in flood-prone areas of the state.

HB39 and HB41 recently passed through the legislative process exempting companies from state sales taxes on those purchases for repairing or replacing machinery and equipment damaged by the hurricanes . Companies borrowing to rebuild from the storms will not have to pay the state franchise tax on debt for those particular loans. "This is a major incentive to assist and encourage businesses to start the re-building process right away which will save jobs for Louisiana citizens," commented Crowe.

Louisiana businesses could get up to $20 million in tax breaks with a reduction of in taxes for natural gas purchases and a reduction of the state portion of their utility bills. This measure will hopefully provide savings to businesses that will be converted to higher employee salaries, additonal jobs and the expansion opportunities. Crowe voted in favor of the bill.

In the recent special legislative session, HB24 was enacted so that if the United States Congress grants a personal tax credit or deduction for storm-related relief, Louisiana personal income tax filers will not be adversely affected by the changes on their state forms.

With support from Representative Crowe, the state's priority program project has provided $105,263 to help pay for Phase 2 of the Slidell Airport runway extension project. "Increased support and funding of the growth of the airport is the single most important economic development move we can make for Slidell and eastern St. Tammany," remarked Crowe.

The DOTD has appropriated funds to install highway light poles at the Oak Harbor/Eden Isles exit at I-10. Representative Crowe has also requested that the I-10 exit signs be changed to reflect the name change of Oak Harbor to Lakeshore Estates on the east side of the interstate.

With the support of Rep. Crowe, state funds for the LA4 preschool program for four-year old children was increased in the 2005/06 budget year from $1,941,081 to $3,086,250. More children than ever before in St. Tammany Parish will now be included in this very important educational level. The program includes six hours of instruction and four hours of before and after school care, transportation, breakfast, lunch and a snack.

Representative A.G. Crowe supported the budget increase in the state's formula for dividing up education funds via the MFP. The St. Tammany Parish school system received $150,392,622 for fiscal year 05/06 which is an increase of $5,529,462 over last year.

Representative A.G. Crowe authored and passed Act353 on behalf of Slidell City Court Judge James Lamz. Nearly one half of the population of the parish resides in eastern St. Tammany. By increasing the jurisdictional amount for cases heard in Slidell City Court, fewer residents will have to travel to the Covington court house to hear their case. This will result in less time away from their job or business, lower attorney's fees and less traveling expenses.

In an effort to encourage investments in Louisiana companies, the legislature passed Act400 to establish tax credits to be used against any income or franchise tax liability. The program will be administered by the Louisiana Department of Economic Development. Crowe lobbied heavily for the bill's passage in the House.

A.G. Crowe supported the passage of Act447 by Representative Gary Beard that provides a new definition of "spouse" for purposes of living wills for patient's whose condition is terminal and irreversible.

To commemorate the May 20, 2005 completion and Grand Opening of the Northshore Harbor Center, Senator Boasso and Representative Crowe sponsored SCR97.

Act496 by Senator Tom Schedler and A.G. Crowe provides that notice be given to taxpayers concerning certain property tax assessments and meetings to increase millage rates without voter approval. This law will encourage more citizens to become involved and attend meetings where property taxes are being discussed by various local governmental bodies.

Representative Mike Powell and co-author A.G. Crowe passed a resolution requesting BESE to change the MFP requiring that at least 70% of local school general fund monies be spent at the school level for instructional services and at least 65% of the general fund monies be spent at the classroom level for the instruction of students by teachers and instructional staff members. This resolution is an important legislative step to encourage BESE to provide adequate teacher pay raises within the current formula (WITHOUT RAISING NEW TAXES ON LOUISIANA CITIZENS) which could result in Louisiana teachers being paid at the southern regional average for the first time.

A.G. Crowe supported and co-authored Act375 by Representative Hebert that will increase the gasoline and special fuels tax refund for contract school bus drivers. "Those individuals entrusted with the safe transportation of our children need budgeting assistance since the price of fuel keeps going up," says Crowe.

Thanks to legislation introduced by Representative Greene and co-authored by Crowe, it is now a criminal act for computer related solicitation of a minor. Act246 will help to protect our children from child predators that use the Internet.

Act 25 authored by State Representative Pete Schneider and Co-Authored by Crowe is new law designed to control and eliminate the free and unregulated flow of illegal prescription drugs in the state of Louisiana.

HCR167 by Representative Crowe is an urge and request to the Base Realignment and Closure Commission to reject the Defense Department's recent recommendation to close the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) site in Slidell.

Legislation passed by Crowe requests that all clerks of court in the state remove social security numbers from such documents in the mortgage and conveyance records prior to making such documents available on the Internet. The bill is designed to protect Louisiana citizens from identity theft.

Representative A.G. Crowe has passed legislation suppporting the practice of prayer at the beginning of school board meetings and recognizes that such prayer is a protected act, and disapproves of a court decision ruling that such prayer was unconstitutional. The bill passed by a huge margin and expressed the mood of the legislature as being extremely supportive of the right for school boards to pray.

In the next legislative session, Crowe will sponsor a bill to limit the option of a House member to change his vote to the same day of the original vote. Currently, with a motion to suspend the rules, any member can change their vote up until the end of the session which is sometimes weeks or months later. "The practice of changing your vote seems to be getting out of hand and should be held to a minimum," says Crowe. Crowe's initial plan was to eliminate the practice completely but there are unique situations where members should have the right to change their vote. For example, a member could be just outside of the chamber talking with a constituent or in the restroom. Since a missed vote (due to being absent for that vote) is automatically recorded as a "no" vote, a member should have the right to change it to a "yes" vote. Sometimes misrepresentation by other members occur and is discovered after a vote. At that point a member may motion to re-consider the vote or to suspend the rules to allow a change of his vote.

A bill that will require warning labels on video games containing violence that includes the player to assume the role of the criminal will be introduced in the 2006 legislative session. This type of product is being sold openly and features the killing of police officers and innocent citizens.

State Republican Chairman Roger F. Villere, Jr. announced that State Representative A.G. Crowe has been named Chairman of Republican Party for the First Congressional District. Rep. Crowe has served the 76th Legislative District with great distinction for the past six years. He is Chairman of the House Select Committee on Technology and also serves on the House Education and Commerce Committees. Crowe was selected Legislator of the Year for the State of Louisiana by CRIMEFIGHTERS, the Alliance for Good Government, and the Louisiana ARC. He is also the recipient of the eWARD from the Louisiana Technology Council and Greater New Orleans, Inc. for his outstanding leadership in technology. Crowe has alsways been active in his community serving as a Deacon, on the board of the chamber, Boys and Girls Clubs and the St. Tammany association for Retarded Citizens. "Representative Crowe brings a wealth ofknowledge and experience to this very important position," Villere said. "A.G.'s leadership will bring renewed energy to the conservative movement in the First District (where Congressman Bobby Jindal currently serves as our Congressman) and the rest of the state as we continue the momentum of the last few years of electoral successes."

Representative A.G. Crowe has extended an open invitation to all Louisiana citizens to join him and Senator Sharon Weston Broome (both are the Legislative sponsors for Intercessors For Louisiana) to come and be a part of a network of informed intercessors called by God to pray for Government so that His purposes will be accomplished in Louisiana. Meetings are held on the second Tuesday of every month beginning at 7:00 PM in Senate Room A. Intersessors For Louisiana is based on 1 Timothy 2:1-4 and was founded by former State Representative Tony Perkins. Tony now serves in Washington, DC as the President of the Family Research Council. Carolyn Hatcher is the IFL State Director and the advisory council includes Pastors Larry Bizette, Terry Workman, Lloyd Blount, Gene Mills, Jonathan Samuel and Danny Aarons. To get on the email list and learn more about IFL, please visit www.pray4govt.org.

HB148 will provide property tax relief for Louisiana citizens that suffered damage during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The new law will require assessors to re-evaluate storm-damaged property for the current year using post-hurricane values. St. Tammany Parish will be allowed to choose an automatic assessment of properties at two thirds of the pre-damaged value which calls for a vote of the elected taxing bodies within the parish. Orleans, St. Bernard and Plaquimines does not have this voting option. "This new law gives a much needed break to those that have suffered so much," says Crowe.

Louisiana citizens can thank the State Legislature for an early Christmas gift. The state has designated December 16, 17 and 18 as State Sales Tax Holidays and citizens will not have to pay the 4% state tax on most purchases. Crowe was a one of the authors of this legislation.

In the recent special session called after Hurricane Katrina, state leaders passed a revised budget to cover a $959 million shortage. State spending was cut by more than $600 million, the so-called "slush funds" were eliminated (that's a good thing!) and money from the state's rainy day fund along with 2004-05 surplus funds was used to cover the remaining shortage.

HB121 paves the way for the state to take over 102 of the 117 public schools n New Orleans. Every school with a performance score below the state average will be moved into a "recovery school district" run by the State Department of Education and Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). They will determine which schools will be opened and how they will be run. Since Hurricane Katrina, the population of New Orleans is under 100,000 and most of the schools have not re-opened.

Due to the tremendous challenges brought on by Hurricane Katrina such as mass destruction, long term power outages, lack of reliable cell phones, lack of internet access and being pre-occupied getting our personal lives in order, our businesses re-opened, talking with the FEMA people, the insurance adjusters, contractors, tree removers, mold people, dodging trash and debris removal trucks and handling constituant challenges, I have not be able to adequately update the "In The News" section of my web site. Please stand by as I try to catch up. God Bless.

By a vote of 95-0, the House approved and sent to the Senate a bill that backers say will reduce the number of car thefts in the state. House Bill 744 by Rep. A.G. Crowe, R-Slidell, goes to the Senate for debate. Crowe's bill says no one can get a duplicate key for a vehicle "based only on a vehicle identification number," which is visible through the windshield, without producing a valid driver's license and a registration certificate or title to the vehicle. Crowe amended the bill to exempt lending institutions and repossession agencies from having proof of ownership to obtain a key to the vehicle. Anyone who violates the law can be fined up to $500, Crowe said.

The Louisiana House of Representatives' Speaker Joe R. Salter has appointed A.G. Crowe as one of two House members to serve on the Louisiana Commission on Marriage and Family. "Rep. Crowe has one of the strongest voting records for marriage and family in the legislature and is the perfect choice for this important position," said Speaker Salter.

Roger F. Villere, Jr., Chairman of the Republican Party of Louisiana, today issued the following statement regarding the defeat of the proposed tobacco tax: “On behalf of the Republican voters of Louisiana, I offer my heartfelt thanks and congratulations to the conservative members of the Louisiana Legislature from both parties who stood firm and defeated the proposed tobacco tax increase. I also recognize Governor Kathleen Blanco for making a wise decision to discontinue this effort to raise taxes. This is a great day for the people of Louisiana and for the fiscal reform movement in our state. State government does not have a revenue problem. It has a spending problem. The concept of limited government is the foundation of the Republican Party and the American way of life. In order to create an atmosphere conducive to economic development and the importation of quality jobs to our state, Louisiana must now begin a journey down a different path: limited government. The leaders of the Republican Legislative Delegation deserve much credit for today’s victory. Instead of merely opposing the tax proposal, they offered a positive alternative to fund 100% of the state’s priority programs without raising tax rates. The Republican “First Class Education” Plan offered members of the legislature yet another path to raise teacher pay to the southern regional average without increased tax rates. Let us go from here with a new resolve to check the power of government in Louisiana and to begin a new discussion on the benefits of limiting government’s power and providing substantial tax cuts to the overburdened families and businesses of Louisiana.”

Representative Crowe's HB38 designed to provide property tax relief for disabled citizens was rejected by the House Ways and Means Committee. Many tax credit bills presented by those legislators not supporting tax increase legislation by the Governor have not made it out of the Ways and Means Committee. "It is not fair to penalize Louisiana citizens because of party politics," says Crowe.

Representative A.G. Crowe introduced a bill that would have provided a tax credit up to $1500 for Louisiana citizens who adopt foreign children. The majority of the House Ways and Means Committee voted to defer the bill although it for reasons totally unrelated to the merit of the bill.

A bill by Representative Crowe that would have provided much needed relief to homeowners hit by a tropical storm or hurricane by providing a tax credit in the amount limited to the deductable on their insurance policy was voted down. The House Ways and Means Committee voted against passage of the bill citing the potential cost to the state. Crowe argued that the tax credit would help Louisiana citizens during a difficult time and that the credit would most likely be spent within the local economy. The majority of the committee was not in favor of providing this assistance to our citizens.

The House Ways and Means Committee rejected Representative Crowe's legislation that would have provided an income tax credit for Louisiana citizens who invest in software development firms located in Louisiana. The bill would have made capital available to hundreds of Louisiana firms and would have created more high-paying jobs. The committee's concern was the cost to the state which would have been miniscule compared to the tremendous return for Louisiana had Crowe's bill passed.

In a response from a concerned parent in his legislative district, Representative Crowe has filed legislation to protect children by restricting access to books and other materials with homosexual themes. HR119 will encourage all state public libraries to confine books and other materials containing the theme of homosexuality that are age inappropriate for children to areas designated exclusively for adult access and distribution. The parent of a 4 year old was upset that the "brightly colored" book (designed specifically to catch the attention of children) was even available in the local library. Crowe has received many calls and letters of support for the legislation and may file a House bill in the next general session if his ongoing research reveals evidence that public libraries are starting to set up "children's alternative lifestyle book sections".

The Corp of Engineers recently notified local officials that they want to shut down access to the navigational canal. Crowe and other members of the Northshore Legislative Delegation recently met with Senator Vitter in Baton Rouge to develop a compromise to be presented to the corp that would maintain access for the citizens of St. Tammany and Washington Parishes.

A state bill sponsored by Rep. Crowe is designed to reduce car theft by key duplication. Crowe has the support of law enforcement officials throughout the state including Slidell Police Chief Freddy Drennan and Sheriff Jack Strain. Thieves were obtaining the VIN's displayed through the windshield then going to dealerships and locksmiths to get a duplicate made making it much easier to steal cars. This will protect our citizens, close down potential crime rings and provide dealerships and locksmiths with legal guidelines for duplicating automobile keys. Crowe will author additional legislation next year that will increase the fine and jail time for automobile theft.

The federal appellate court ordered a judge to throw out a lawsuit that claimed the state's prestige plate program discriminated against abortion rights views by offering a "Choose Life" plate but not a pro-choice plate. Thanks to Attorney General Charles Foti and his staff, all prestige plates including "In God We Trust" will now be available by calling the Louisiana DMV on their toll free number....1-877.368.5463.

St. Tammany legislators will be working as a team in the next legislative session to try to obtain funding for various St. Tammany projects presented by Parish President Kevin Davis. Most of the requests are for funding to make drainage improvements and emergency preparation for large storms. Some of the eastern St. Tammany requests include $845,000 for storing flood water in the Haas Road Detention Pond reducing the possibility of flooding in North Slidell. Storm water from the W-15 drainage basin drains through residential and commercial areas causing flood damage. We will be seeking $2.8 million to fund a project that would divert storm water away from areas where 500 homes were flooded during Tropical Storm Allison. The long range plan is to increase flow to the Pearl River Basin by improving the Poor Boy Canal. Funding for the South Slidell Levee Protection project (Yester Oaks-Hwy.11 to Railroad Tracks) is also a high priority. St. Tammany Parish has approved a plan to raise an existing levee from Hwy.11 to a railroad right-of-way that will provide flood protection for about 240 homes in South Slidell. In 2002, homes were threatened by the tidal surge of Lake Pontchartrain as it overtopped the existing levee. The current levee is 6' and this project will raise it to 10'. This project is expected to cost $850,000.

In an effort to inform Louisiana citizens, Representative A.G. Crowe will provide a series of financial highlights on the "In The News" section of his website. The NET ASSETS of the State of Louisiana exceeded its liabilities at the close of fiscal year 2004 by $14.1 billion, a 4% increase from the prior fiscal year. This amount includes $7.3 billion that is restricted and is not available to pay the general obligations of the state. Net assets of governmental activities increased by $542 million (4.7%), while net assets of the business-type activities decreased by nearly $11 million from the previous fiscal year. The state reduced its long-term debt by $150 million in this fiscal year.

State Representative A.G. Crowe was chosen for his outstanding leadership in technology at the annual Regional New Orleans Technology Ewards presented by the Louisiana Technology Council and Greater New Orleans, Inc. held at the Hilton Riverside in New Orleans. The ewards program is designed to recognize the achievments of organizations and individuals who have helped with technological development in Louisiana. Crowe was chosen for authoring legislation to establish a Technology Committee in the Louisiana House of Representatives where he serves as Chairman. He has also sponsored numerous bills to promote the technology sector in Louisiana including tax incentives for technology companies in the state.

For the first time ever, Louisiana is ranked number one in the nation for the "Legislators Back to School Week" program. Louisiana coordinators Sheila McCant and Kathleen Randall announced that Louisiana had the highest percentage of legislators visiting schools and meeting with students than any other state. Representative Crowe has visited with students in his legislative district every year for six years. In addition, Northshore High students produced a video at the capitol and can be viewed at www.agcrowe.com.

Representative Crowe along with his fellow legislators will soon be deciding what to do about the New Orleans Saints situation. Crowe agrees with a recent study by the Bureau of Governmental Research that concludes with this recommendation. "Fiscal impacts should be compared to the public investment to determine whether the investment is producing the desired fiscal return. That return should be considered against the projected return from other potential investments. Equally importantly, the investment should be considered in light of the community's competing needs and priorities. These and other matters should be carefully considered before the State agrees to additional funding for sports." Crowe has continued to solicit input from his constituants and encourages more comments and opinions by emailing to larep076@legis.state.la.us or simply by calling his legislative office at 985.643.3600.

Due to the continued build up of traffic at the intersection of Brownswitch Road and Robert Blvd, Rep. Crowe has sent a second request to the Louisiana DOTD for a right turn lane from Brownswitch Road northward on to Robert Blvd. Traffic backs up to the I-59 bridge and often the fire station is blocked.

The Louisiana Family Forum Action, the advocacy arm of the Louisiana Family Forum, in recognition for his outstanding pro-family voting records during the 2004 Legislative Session, has selected Crowe to receive the "Outstanding Family Advocate" award. Crowe scored 100% on family value related legislation and is one of only 11 legislators out of 144 so honored. "We commend these legislators for championing family values. They are a part of a growing network of pro-family leaders in the state-leaders who are willing to stand up and speak out for our families," said Gene Mills, Executive Director of LFF. Crowe will be presented the award at the annual LFF banquet on April 29.

HCR65 introduced by Rep. Crowe requests the Governor to appoint a representative of St. Tammany Parish as a member of the Louisiana Recovery Authority in order to have a comprehensive and cohesive group working toward regional recovery efforts.

In 2004, Representative Crowe requested that the Louisiana highway department look for ways to get traffic off I-10 eastbound quicker at the Gause exit. During peak traffic times, many vehicles were left backed up left stranded in the right lane of the interstate just a few feet from full speed traffic and dangerous 18-wheelers. After a study, the department began construction of additional exit lanes at Gause. They expect the backups on to the interstate will be reduced dramitically. The news lanes should be open within the next 30 days.

Representative Crowe is pleased to announce the hiring of Wayne Labit as his legislative aid responsible for running the Slidell office. Mr. Labit has an extensive backgroud in private and public service over his career. He has been married to Mary (Michel) Labit for 23 years and they are the proud parents of Steven and Heather. His office number is 985.643.3600.

According to the Government Performance Project in its "Grading the States 2005", Louisiana received one of the strongest and best-institutionalized systems of performance, based on budgeting and program evaluation in the country. Only seven other states received higher grades. Commissioner Jerry LeBlanc is nationally known for his stance on performance budgeting and Governor Blanco believes his work is greatly responsible for an improved score for Louisiana. Louisiana received an "A" for information management, a "B+" for money management, a "B" in people management and a "C+" for infrastructure management through capital planning, project monitoring, maintenance and internal and intergovernmental coordination. To view the full report on the web, go to www.results.gpponline.org.

With the recent increase of property taxes in St. Tammany Parish citizens unable to afford the property tax can lose their home. That is current Louisiana law. Representative Crowe will introduce legislation this year to protect homeowners from losing their homes if they can not pay the tax. Instead of losing their home, the new bill will attach a lien to the property which is much more fair than confiscating a citizen's home.

Representative Crowe will introduce legislation that will allow a tax credit up to the amount of a homeowner's insurance policy deductable. Recently, a tornado ripped through the Belair subdivision damaging over 150 homes. While most all of the homes were insured, families still had to pay the deductable causing more hardship during a financially stressful time. A credit on the state income tax return for the amount of the deductable paid will be allowed should the bill become law.

In response to numerous complaints and inquiries from constituants resulting from the 2004 property tax reassessment process, Representative Crowe along with many members of the Northshore Legislative Delegation will be sponsoring the Property Taxpayer Protection Act in the upcoming legislative session. The series of bills will promote the uniform assessment of property values across the state, seek to eliminate the income cap for those 65 and older to qualify for the tax freeze, add the disabled (under 65 years of age) on fixed income to allow lower taxes on their principal place of residence, study the appeals process, extend the "review" date for appeals and allow appeals to be handled by mail or on line. The most important bill in the group will attempt to cap the amount property taxes can increase annually and limit the increase the Consumer Price Index. Lastly, a bill will be introduced to allow citizens the right to vote before any taxing body can roll millages forward.

The clearing and grubbing is under way and construction on the new interchange should begin within the next few months. The truck scales have been removed and the new permanent location may be in east New Orleans which will reduce traffic congestion on the northshore.

Two-thirds (892) of Louisiana's 1,375 public schools improved over the past year and the state's overall School Performance Score improved to a record high in 2004. Louisiana's School Accountability System calls for continuous improvement in student achievement, attendance and the reduction of drop-out rates. Schools receive numerical scores (School Performance Scores) based on their students' test scores on LEAP21/GEE21 and the Iowa Tests as well as their drop-out and attendance records. While St. Tammany Parish schools continue to lead the state, overall, public schools scored 84.1 in 2004, up from a previous high of 80.5 in 2003. The state met its one year growth target of 3.6. More schools than ever before reached the state's 2009 goal of scoring 100 or better. Fewer schools scored below 45 in 2004 than in previous years. Schools must score 45 or above or the state labels them Academically Unacceptable. Seventy-eight schools scored below 45 in 2004 compared to 182 schools in 1999. Louisiana is at the half-way mark of the 10 year program to improve student performance and our public school system. These results again show that Louisiana is moving in the right direction when it comes to education.

The Louisiana DOTD announced today that work on this exit will begin on November 4th, weather permitting. The construction work will require lane closures and motorists should be prepared to reduce speed for their safety and the safety of construction workers. Most of the work will be done at night during non-peak traffic times. The improvements should be completed by November 15, weather permitting. For more details, please visit the Louisiana DOTD web site at www.dotd.louisiana.gov.

In an attempt to assist people visiting our area for the first time, Representative Crowe has requested that the DOTD change the Interstate 10 exit signs to include the actual name of the highway such as Gause Blvd. and Old Spanish Trail. Many visitors and people unfamiliar with our area have missed the exit at Gause, followed I-10 eastward and could not exit until they were in Mississippi. Some have endangered themselves and others by making illegal u-turns on the interstate. Crowe expects that the DOTD will agree and put the new signs in place.

The Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives, Joe R. Salter has appointed Representative A.G. Crowe to serve as a member of the Louisiana Commission on Marriage and Family. The commission was recreated via Executive Order #KBB2004-39 by Governor Kathleen Blanco and will handle issues important to the preservation of marriages and families in Louisiana.

In a state-wide effort by Governor Blanco to reform health care for Louisiana citizens, leaders from all over the state have joined together to provide input and make recommendations for improving health care delivery.

The committee was established to address the serious concerns of coastal land losses. The goals are to prevent further land loss, restore deltaic processes through river re-introduction, restore endangered or critical geomorphic structure and protect vital socio-economic resources. The committee is also charged with the responsibility of re-establishing accurate elevation data since subsidence has ruined the state's system of elevation control. Highways are being designed and built using wrong elevations, flood-zone maps are incorrect, slab elevations are off and the elevation of evacuation highways are wrong. Expert witnesses testified that most of the coastal parishes (including parts of St. Tammany) will subside below sea level by 2075. Louisiana land is subsiding 1/2" yearly while the gulf sea level is rising about 1/10" yearly. Storms and hurricanes add to the problem. The solution should begin by establishing accurate elevation data so that we can determine how severe the problem is so that we can determine a proper solution. We need to raise our current levees and build an all new ocean proof hurricane protection levee spanning the entire coast of Louisiana, from Mississippi to Texas. Experts also suggest re-sedification of the marsh areas by identifying five strategic areas along the Mississippi River and allow sediments to flow in from the river system. More information will be available later.

Representative A.G.Crowe has pre-filed legislation for next year's fiscal session that will freeze the property tax for those individuals on fixed incomes and that are disabled. The proposed law will contain similar provisions included in the current law that freezes the property tax (for your principal place of residence) for individuals 65 years and older.

An all new state-of-the-art international river pilot training facility will be opening in St. Tammany Parish. This will be a multi-million dollar project that will bring numerous construction and permanent high paying jobs to the parish. The state recently appropriated $11,650,000 in support of the massive project. Currently, this specialized training is only available in the northeast United States and in Europe. The large number of river pilots that work on the Mississippi River and who live in the greater New Orleans area are just a couple of reasons the institute is locating in St. Tammany.

Seven-hundred fifty thousand dollars has been ear-marked for the Haas Road Retention Pond Project north of Slidell. Severe flooding over the years has prompted Parish President Kevin Davis to begin flood control projects in the parish by developing strategically placed retention ponds. Funding for this project is crucial and will result in the protection of thousands of homes and businesses throughout the Slidell area.

The City of Slidell will receive $75,000 from the state for planning and construction for the Schneider Canal pump station protection. This will help to reduce the flooding of homes and businesses in south Slidell. The state also appropriated $150,000 for planning and construction for the City Barn Drainage Pumping Station.

HB2, the capital outlay bill of the 2004 legislative session, included $300,000 to fund the due diligence process of a new technology park in Slidell. The New Orleans Research and Technology Foundation is working with Slidell officials (as well as with state and federal officials) and business people to increase the number of high-tech job opportunities in the Greater Slidell area. Representative Crowe was recently appointed Chairman of the new Technology Committee in the Louisiana House of Representatives and has already received invitations to speak with out of state prospects about locating here in Slidell.

The state has appropriated $225,000 to assist the City of Slidell in the development and construction of the amphitheatre in Heritage Park. The Heritage Park Amphitheatre was the idea of Mayor Ben Morris who has worked hard to make sure our citizens will have a unique venue to enjoy all types of music and entertainment in an outdoor setting.

The State of Louisiana through HB2 in the recent legislative session has appropriated $1,000,000 toward the construction of a new facility in West St. Tammany to serve our special citizens in that area. Representative Crowe has worked with the St. Tammany Association for Retarded Citizens for many years and serves as President of RSVP, a funding arm of the association. STARC has experienced phenominal growth under the leadership of Dianne Baham.

In the 2004 legislative session, the ESTEC was appropriated a total of $2,150,000 in state funds. The new convention center now under construction will provide east St. Tammany with a much needed state-of-the-art facility.

Representative Crowe is pleased to announce 2004-05 capital expenditures for St. Tammany Parish. Funding will be provided for the I-10 Slidell Welcome Center ($1,285,000), Camp Salmen ($950,000) and the W-14 Canal Control Structure ($75,000).

The Governor is expected to sign a bill by A.G. Crowe that changes the crime of "Peeping Tom" from a misdeamor to a felony violation for those violating the law for personal sexual gratification. Instead of a few days in jail and a small fine, when convicted of a second offense, the criminal will get a year in jail and a $1000 fine. Most importanly, the criminal will have to register as a sex offender requiring official notification to neighbors and schools each time he/she moves. Statistics show that many career sex offenders, such as the serial killers recently arrested, start out as "Peeping Toms". Crowe brought the bill as a result of complaints from Slidell citizens that were repeated victims of this type of criminal activity.

Throughout the entire 2004 regular legislative session, Representatives Crowe and Scalise worked together and combined their two bills in to one resulting in the passage of HB61. The Scalise/Crowe bill gives citizens the right to vote on a new Louisiana Constitutional Amendment that will strengthen the family unit by preserving marriage between one man and one woman.

SCR122 is the resolution that determines the amount of funds the state provides each school system in the state. The total this year is $2.614 billion which is a state-wide increase of $61 million. The St. Tammany School system received $141,755,563 in year 2003/04 and is slated to receive $145,934,333 in year 2004/05 which is an increase of $4,178,770. The St. Tammany School system continues to lead the state in student performance.

In an attempt to define the responsibilities of the school superintendent and to de-politicize the activities of the Orleans Parish School Board, Representative Karen Carter passed a new law providing for the above and an accountibility procedure. The bill will give the superintendent the necessary leverage to do his job for the 68,000 public school students.

HB1464 by Representative A.G. Crowe addresses the problem of identity theft. Many documents, including mortgage records and notorial acts, filed with parish agencies require the inclusion of one's social security number. To reduce the possibility of identity theft, Crowe's bill will allow only the last four digits of the social security number.

As a result of a May 14 meeting of the state's Revenue Estimating Conference, sufficient revenue has been declared in order for the state to trigger a first-step reduction of the sales tax on manufacturing machinery and equipment in the fiscal year beginning next July 1. State Representaive Crowe fought hard to help get this economic development incentive passed in the Legislature. This should result in more jobs by the expansion of current businesses and the incoming of new businesses.

Representative A.G. Crowe has formally requested a traffic study to determine the need for a new traffic signal at the intersection of Hwy.41 and Pine Street in the town of Pearl River. The increase in traffic and accidents on Hwy.41 (especially near Pine Street) has become a major concern for the citizens in the area. Senator Walter Boasso has also sponsored a Senate Resolution this session supporting the installation of a traffic signal at that location.

The Transportation Committee today approved a bill by Crowe to raise the speed limit from 60 MPH to 70 MPH for the eight mile stretch from the St. Tammany/Orleans line to I-510. Crowe has received numerous complaints from constituants that travel to and from New Orleans daily. The change could occur as early as August 1 of this year.

Representative A.G. Crowe has been meeting with Bob Roth of the Louisiana DOTD to encourage the state to install a left turn lane (northbound) from Military on to Brownswitch Road. Traffic backs up during peak hours as far as the interstate overpass. Crowe is also working on a right turn lane from Brownswitch (westbound) at St. Joe Road (northbound).

Due to the numerous truck accidents (overturns) at the exit from I-12 to northbound I-59, the DOTD has finally authorized and funded the re-construction of this dangerous exit. For over four years, the DOTD and Representative Crowe has been monitoring the number of accidents. Lighted signage, rumple strips and extra warning signs were installed at the request of Representative Crowe a few years ago. While this reduced the number of accidents slightly, there are still too many overturns. This prompted the DOTD to move up the project.

My last discussion and review with DOTD of the highway projects in Eastern St. Tammany revealed the following: The Fremaux interstate interchange work will begin in May, a middle turn lane will be installed on Hwy. 11 (Front Street)from W. Hall north to Lafayette Street which will cost $396,000, Hwy. 11 will be re-surfaced from Gause Blvd. northbound to I-12, both directions of I-12 will be repaved from I-10 westward to Hwy. 434 in Lacombe and base stabilization work is scheduled to begin between the St. Tammany Parish line on the twin spans northbound to the I-12 and I-59 intersection. Due to the law we passed to reduce traffic congestion, most of the work will be done at night.

After weeks of legislative debates and battles, the citizens of Louisiana will now have the opportunity to vote on a new Constitutional Amendment that would protect marriage between one man and one woman. Representative Steve Scalise and Crowe teamed up to pass the amendment through the legislative process.

The clearing and grubbing contract for the interchange will be let in April with an award date in May. Crowe talked with BellSouth officials today and their part (moving utilities) can take up to six months to complete. Crowe will contact the DOTD to make sure the clearing and grubbing contractor does not skip around so that BellSouth crews can follow right behind them. This would allow BellSouth to complete their part sooner. More later.

Thanks to DOTD manager Bob Roth, the repair of three bridges on old Highway 11 in the Pearl River Wildlife Management Area is now safe for travel. Had the bridges not been repaired, the entire area would have had to be closed to vehicular traffic according to State Representative A.G.Crowe

At the request of Representative Crowe, the DOTD will construct a right-turn lane on Brownswitch Road turning on to St.Joe Road. This will allow drivers to get through the intersection quicker reducing back ups. The addition of the lane will also reduce blockage in front of the new fire station.

According to DOTD Regional Manager Bob Roth, the proposed interchange has once again been delayed. The latest reason is because the property appraisings needed to buy right-of-way property took longer than expected. That process is almost complete. Clearing and grubbing will begin after that. Utilities will then need to be re-located. BellSouth will be allowed up to six months to move their equipment. Representative Crowe has been in contact with their management team to encourage them to do whatever they can to complete their work in less than their alloted time. More information relative to the progress of this project will be posted on this site later.

Now that Congressman David Vitter has announced his election bid for the U.S Senate, State Representative A.G. Crowe is strongly considering a run for Congressman Vitter's seat. Crowe has set up an exploratory committee as a result of numerous calls urging him to run.

In an effort to continue getting much needed repairs on our heaviliy traveled roads in the Slidell area, the Louisiana DOTD began work on numerous projects including Lindberg Drive, Voters Road, Lewis Road, Frontage Road, Beach Road and Crawford Landing Road. For years, those roads have been in a sub-standard, dangerous condition according to State Representative A.G. Crowe. Road conditions contribute to accidents and have cost our citizens untold amounts of money in vehicle repairs over the years. All of the work should be completed by the end of the month. Citizens are encouraged to log their road concerns at www.agcrowe.com.

The "Stelly Plan" that eliminated taxes on home utilities did not include those homes that use propane gas for heating and cooking. Representative A.G. Crowe has pre-filed legislation to correct the oversight at the request of constituents living in his legislative district. Crowe does not expect any opposition to his bill.

State Representative A.G. Crowe is pleased to announce the launching of www.LouisianaGrads.com which was produced by Rolfe McCollister, Publisher, Business Report. The objective is to showcase Louisiana graduates and provide instant access for businesses looking to hire our graduates. The website is sponsored by the Louisiana Department of Labor and BellSouth. Graduates can also post their resumes at www.LAWORKS.net where thousands of employers seek information regularly. Our young citizens are ready to work. As a business looking to hire, your decision to hire a Louisiana graduate will help us reverse the out-migration of our younger citizens.

Figures released for the 2002-03 school year and projections for the 2003-04 school year show that in the last 8 years teacher pay in Louisiana has increased by 43% or $11,500 bringing the average annual salary up to $38,300. This year, that figure represents 97% of the southern average compared to 86% in 1996. Representative Crowe will continue to support teacher pay raises with the goal of exceeding the level of the southern average.

The NSLD met with St. Tammany Parish President Davis to prioritize capital outlay projects for the parish. Projects in and near District 76 include state monies for the completion of the Haas Road Detention Pond to provide additional drainage relief along St. Joe Road, Brownswitch Road and north Slidell, the addition of up to three available locations for detention ponds at Camp Villere that will reduce flooding north of and in the City of Slidell, drainage improvements in the areas of the Poor Boy Canal and Gum Bayou to divert storm water away from areas where over 500 homes flooded during Tropical Storm Allison, construction of a new levee in South Slidell from Highway 11 to the railroad right-of-way that will provide flood protection for about 240 homes and sub-divisions such as Dellwood, YesterOaks as well as First Baptist Church on Pontchartrain, construction of another South Slidell levee east of Interstate 10 along the shore of Lake Pontchartrain, work with the Corp of Engineers to make the Pearl River near the Town of Pearl River more navigable and purchase 15 acres off East Gause for Pearl Acres Park and Recreation area. While there are numerous capital outlay projects targeted throughout the parish, the projects mentioned here are in or near Crowe's legislative district.

A.G. and Linda Crowe's first granddaughter was born during the legislative session on June 5 at Women's Hospital in Baton Rouge. Hannah Elizabeth's proud parents are Aimee and Travis Smith. Then on October 25 (just before the LSU/Auburn game at 6:24 PM) Aaron and Brooke Crowe became the proud parents of Beauregard Jackson (aka "Bojac") born at Northshore Regional Medical Center in Slidell. It will be a busy holiday season at Crowe's Landing this year.

Representative A.G. Crowe was the guest speaker at the quarterly EDF luncheon held at LaProvince in Lacombe. Crowe spoke about the goals and strategies of the Northshore Legislative Delegation. By working together as a unit, the 4 state senators and 9 state representatives can leverage their combined influence for the benefit of the citizens of the northshore.

The St. Tammany Homebuilders Association and the St. Tammany Parish Board of Realtors have endorsed State Representative A.G. Crowe for his re-election bid. The two organizations together account for hundreds of jobs and contribute millions to the local economy.

Four years of hard work and accomplishments plus keeping in touch with the people of his legislative district is the reason State Representative A.G. Crowe easily won re-election with almost 80% of the votes cast. Despite negative campaign tactics by his opponent, Crowe focused on his accomplishments and on his platform throughout his successful campaign.

The Times-Picayune today endorsed the candidacy for the re-election of State Representative A.G. Crowe. "A.G. Crowe has been a voice for good government and has done a credible job representing the views of the citizens of his legislative district over the past four years," quoted the newspaper.

The Louisiana Sheriff's Association rated State Representative Crowe as one of the top lawmakers in the state and recently endorsed his campaign for re-election. Crowe has been a leader in the state house, taking a strong stand against crime, opposing lighter sentences for criminals and helping law enforcement personnel.

Dr. Craig Ramey, director of the Georgetown Center on Health and Education completed a study of Louisiana's Pre-K program during the 2002-2003 school year. The results were "stunning" according to Ramey. Louisiana is clearly in the top tier of states in Pre-K initiatives in the entire country. As a member of the House Education Committee, Representative Crowe voted for and has fully endorsed this important educational strategy for our children. Crowe served on the St. Tammany Parish School Board and his wife, Linda teaches Kindergarten at Bonne Ecole Elementary in Slidell so he knows first-hand the importance of early age education.

Citizens in A.G.'s legislative district now have the opportunity to "speak out" by logging on to www.agcrowe.com and linking to "Your Opinion." Using technology to keep in touch with the citizens of his legislative district will help A.G. maintain a better understanding of the needs and concerns of the citizens he represents. In addition to the survey, you can click on the "register" link to sign up for future emails, news and notices about the district.

Representative A.G. Crowe voted to fund $50,000 for the construction of a new amphitheatre in Heritage Park. Crowe will request an additional $50,000 from this year's Rural Development Grant Fund in support of the project.

The Alliance For Good Government endorsed State Representative A.G. Crowe for re-election to the Louisiana House of Representatives at their forum held in the Slidell City Council Chambers. Crowe was selected over his lone opponent because of his strong record of fighting corruption and supporting legislation to reduce wasteful spending.

State Representative A.G. Crowe has joined with our local officials to help bring a technology and research park to the Slidell area. The group met with Congressman Vitter, UNO officials and a local Slidell family willing to donate 25 of the projected 100 acre facility. "One of my original campaign objectives was to promote the Northshore (particularly Slidell) as a technology corridor and to increase research and development job opportunities on this side of the lake," Crowe said. "I will continue to work with all parties involved to make sure this opportunity stays in the forefront."

State Representative A.G. Crowe has earned the trust and confidence of practically every elected official that serves in and near his legislative district. Among those officials that co-hosted Crowe's recent kick-off campaign function are Parish President Kevin Davis, Sheriff Jack Strain, Clerk of Court Malaise Prieto, Assessor Patricia Core, Coroner Dr. Peter Galvan, District Attorney Walter Reed, Slidell Mayor Ben Morris, Slidell Police Chief Freddy Drennan, Pearl River Mayor James Lavigne, Pearl River Police Chief Bennie Raynor, Slidell City Marshall Wyatt Williams, Senator Tom Schedler, State Representative Mike Strain, St. Tammany Parish Council members Baggert, Brister, Canulette, Cry, Singletary, Smith, Stefancik and Thomas, Slidell City Council members Burkhalter, Binder, Canada, Cromer, Cusimano,Harbison, Kingston, Livaudais and Williams, Pearl River Aldermen Crowe, Gauley, McQueen, Phillips and Zechenelly, and St. Tammany Parish School Board members Alfred, Allen, Bellisario, Johnson, Lamarque, Palmer, Panks and Zechenelly. Hundreds of citizens, business and community leaders and supporters attended the function hosted by Bobby and Anita Torres.

After receiving numerous calls and letters from constituents and city leaders, State Representative A.G. Crowe sent a formal request to Bob Roth with the DOTD asking that the traffic lights remain as fully functional. Crowe mentioned that it has become difficult and dangerous for many of our citizens to get on the highway. Also, many back streets in neighborhoods are being used to get to an intersection that has a fully functional traffic signal.

At the request of the St. Tammany Fire Protection District 11, Representative A.G. Crowe will pursue the construction of an interstate crossover at mile marker #8 between Exit #5B and the Pearl River turn-around near the Mississippi state line. The Pearl River Fire Department and other emergency agencies are being called on more frequently to this section of the highway, usually involving dangerous and life threatening factors,including toxic and flamable materials. Time is of the essence and minutes can mean the difference between life and death. If the accident occurs on the southbound side of the highway, fire and emergency personnel must travel an additional seven miles to reach the site. With the installation of a crossover,emergency assistance could get to the accident scene quicker, possibly saving lives.

During a joint Education Committee meeting held today at the state capitol, Representative Crowe voted in favor of allocating $4,090,205 for the St.Tammany Parish School System via the Education Excellence Fund. This fund was established as a result of the tobacco settlement. Article VII of the Louisiana constitution provides for the rules and procedures for qualifications and distribution of this education funding program.

Representative A.G. Crowe and Parish Councilman Barry Baggert met today with homeowners in Chanticleer Estates to discuss solutions to flooding. While the Lowe Retention Pond is nearly completed and should provide flood relief for Chanticleer Estates and Stonebridge, ditchwork along the highway also needs to begin to control run-off water after heavy rains. Crowe will contact Lt. Governor Blanco to investigate the possibility of creating a drainage corridor along the front or back of the I-59 rest area property to provide additional help to reduce flooding.

Congressman Vitter's Economic Development Forum recently held in Metairie included panelists State Representative Crowe, Bill Hines with Metrovision and John LeBlanc from the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry. The forum included discussions of policy changes needed to improve Louisiana's business climate so our children will not have to leave the state for jobs. Our own Brenda Reine (Director of the St. Tammany Economic Development Foundation) lead a discussion about capitol sources and local financial incentives. The New Orleans Hornets co-owner Ray Woolridge was the keynote speaker.

A formal request by State Representative A.G. Crowe was sent to the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development explaining the reasons a new traffic light should be installed at this intersection. Many constituents have complained about the number of accidents, the lack of visibility and the increase of traffic as a result of the recent population increase in the area. The DOTD will perform a traffic study to determine if the proposed traffic light will meet the criteria necessary for installation.

Many people living in the Greater Slidell area travel to New Orleans daily to go to work. Represenatative Crowe met with DOTD officials to get the speed limit raised to 70 MPH on Interstate 10 from I-510 to the Orleans-St. Tammany line. "As soon as the traffic studies are completed this year, the speed limit will increase to 70 MPH", according to a highway department spokesman. "This will allow our residents to get to and from work quicker and spend more time with their families," says Crowe.

Crowe recently authored a House resolution that recognizes the many volunteer hours of the members of the Jr. Auxiliary of Slidell. The Jr. Auxiliary is known for its generous and constructive assistance to help those in need. "We are blessed to have so many people giving of their time and resources to help those less fortunate here in the Slidell area," remarked Crowe.

State Representative Crowe recognizes that the largest potential prospect for many Louisiana businesses is the State of Louisiana. Therefore, he authored a resolution that requests and urges all state agencies and departments to seek out Louisiana-based companies when procuring goods and services. "If we buy from Louisiana businesses, we will be providing jobs for Louisiana citizens while strengthening Louisiana companies," says Crowe.

A.G. Crowe has announced his candidacy for re-election as the State Representative of District 76, which covers the greater Slidell and Pearl River areas. Crowe is known as a fiscal and social conservative, fighting tax increases while taking the lead on family values issues and promoting technology to pro-actively fight crime. He has been chosen by his fellow legislators to serve as Chairman of the Northshore Delegation, which is composed of nine state representatives and four state senators covering St. Tammany, Washington and Tangipahoa Parishes. Crowe has maintained a high level of visibility, accessibility and involvement over the last four years attending numerous homeowner meetings and being responsive by returning telephone calls as well as answering letters and emails promptly. To enable and encourage his constituents to stay in touch, Crowe has launched the “24/7/365 Digital Town Hall Meeting” via his web site (www.agcrowe.com). When you log on you will be able to instantly communicate via email, review up to the minute local and state events, read about legislation being considered and laws passed, participate in on-line surveys to get feedback from constituents and see how Crowe voted on certain bills. Crowe serves on the Education, Commerce and Labor/Industry Committees and has authored or co-authored numerous bills designed to increase job opportunities, maintain the TOPS program, increase teacher pay, maintain and strengthen the school accountability program, to provide affordable health care, requiring DNA testing for all convicted felons and child safety legislation such as the Amber Alert system that distributes information when a child is abducted. For his efforts and strong work ethic, Crowe has received many awards such as the Alliance For Good Government Legislator of the Year, the Governor’s Office of Disability Affairs Policymaker of the Year Award, Metrovision’s Legislator of the Year for econ

As he promised when he first ran for office, Representative Crowe has taken a strong stand against crime and for victims rights. For his many efforts of writting and supporting legislation, he has received the "Legislator of the Year Award" from the Louisiana Victims and Citizens Against Crime (2 times) and the "Outstanding Legislator of the Year Award" from CRIMEFIGHTERS. "Crowe has proven to be one the top legislators in the state when it comes to supporting victims and punishing the criminal," says James Sandifer, State Director of Common Sense Against Crime.

HB1283 by Representative Lancaster and co-authored by Representative Crowe became Act 422 after Governor Foster signed the bill in to law on June 18, 2003. This legislation will allow 12 graders who are at least 17 years of age to serve as commissioners on election days.

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality serves an important role in protecting our environment here in the state. However, Secretary Bohlinger recently announced (in a meetng on August 6th) the department will exercise its authority to impose a $2.00 per tire "fee" on the five new tires on new motor vehicles. State Representative Crowe has consistently opposed and voted against fee hikes by various state departments. "It's just another form of taxation that takes money out of the pockets of Louisiana citizens," Crowe remarked. "This move by the DEQ will force citizens to pay the "fee" (tax) when they buy a new motor vehicle and then they will have to pay another "fee" (tax) ON THE SAME TIRES when they are replaced! This is a double "fee" (tax) and should not be tolerated. Although Crowe sent a letter expressing his opposition to this decision, he intends to file legislation that will make it tougher to pass fee increase bills in the future.

State Representative A.G. Crowe was recognized by Delgado Community College for his continued support for higher education as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives.

PRIDE, an organization of outstanding young people dedicated to fighting drug and alcohol use and abuse among their peers, was recently honored in the legislative session by State Representative A.G. Crowe. Crowe authored and passed a House resolution congratulating the organization for their achievements.

"We need to do everything we can to encourage our young people to become involved in our political system," says Crowe, a member of the House Education Committee. That's why Representative Crowe has continued to visit schools in his district over the last four years including Boyet, Clearview, Pope John Paul II, Slidell High, Northshore, Salmen, Pearl River High, Little Oak, Florida Elementary, Brock, Bonne Ecole, Cypress Cove, Honey Island, Alton Elementary, Our Lady of Lourdes, St. Margaret-Mary, St. Tammany Jr. High, Slidell Jr. High and Whispering Forest. Crowe has developed a unique "skit" that keeps the attention of the students because the students are the "players". Once the students "elect" their Governor, State Representatives, Senators and Supreme Court Judges, they decide on what "law" they want to pass. "We show them how to take an idea and turn it into a law," says Crowe. The program can be done in less than an hour. If you would like to schedule the program at your school or to your organization, just call 643.3600. If one of the high schools in the district would like to volunteer to produce a video, Crowe would like to have the program produced to share with schools around the country.

The most prestigious and respected good government organization in the State of Louisiana has chosen State Representative A.G. Crowe as "Legislator of the Year" because of his continued efforts to author and support legislation to reform state government. "Because of the standards and goals of this organization, this is the most coveted recognition I have ever received", says Crowe. Crowe urges all citizens to seriously consider joining this non-partisan group of concerned citizens.

A state-wide "Traffic Safety Summit" will be held at the Marriott Hotel in Baton Rouge on October 16, 2003. The goal of the summit is to generate renewed interest and greater awareness of the critical highway safety issues and concerns in Louisiana. Crowe will emphasize that St.Tammany's rapid growth has generated dangerous highway conditions and that the DOTD needs to address those situations as soon as possible.

Local State Representative Crowe supports the location of a new Veterans Administration Outpatient Clinic in St.Tammany Parish. Congressman David Vitter and Lane Carson of the St. Tammany Veterans Advisory Committee is encouraging citizens and elected officials to attend a meeting on August 26 at the VA Gulf Coast Health Care System in Biloxi. St. Tammany is the fifth largest and the fastest growing parish in the state. As chairman of the Northshore Legislative Delegation, Crowe is scheduled to attend and take an active part to get the clinic located on the northshore. There are over 32,000 veterans in the parishes of St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington.

At their recent state-wide convention, ARC of Louisiana recognized State Representative A.G. Crowe as their "Legislator of the Year". The group applauded Crowe for his continued support of issues that affect our special citizens. Crowe passed a law that allowed for the purchase of official Louisiana license plates with our national motto, "IN GOD WE TRUST" imprinted on them. Each time a plate is ordered from the Department of Motor Vehicles, the organization gets $16.67. To order your license plate, call the DMV at 1-225-925-6146.

State Representative A.G. Crowe recently pre-filed legislation to address the critically dangerous situation on our interstate highways. "Big trucks and 18-wheelers are exceeding the speed limit and following too closely putting our citizens in harm's way. Three members of a local Slidell family were killed recently in an accident on I-10 involving an 18-wheeler. Something has to be done to protect our citizens." Crowe's bill will require the big trucks to travel at a speed 5 MPH less than the posted speed on all roadways throughout the state. Hopefully, this will force them to travel most of the time in the right lane on interstate highways making it less of a hazard for the other drivers. The legislation will be introduced in the 2004 session.

Over the last 5 years, the hairpin exit from I-12 East to I-59 North has averaged in excess of 15 over-turned eighteen-wheelers a year according the Louisiana Department of Transportation. State Representative A.G. Crowe recently met with highway officials and they have agreed to install rumple strips and a lighted letter board sign to slow down the trucks. This action has reduced the number of accidents and we are very fortunate that we have not had hazardous material or chemical spills. Crowe will continue to monitor the accident rate.

Due to complaints by citizens and concern by Parish officials, State Representative A.G. Crowe has contacted the Louisiana Department of Transportation seeking approval to install a yellow warning light and rumple strips to cut down on the amount of accidents in that area. The guardrail has been replaced so many times that it has to be less expensive (and certainly much safer) if the highway department installs caution lights and rumple strips on the road surface.

The Louisiana Coastal Restoration Fund was established in the 2003 session via Act 1300. The funds will come from the securitization of any remaining portion of the revenues received from the Master Settlement Agreement in the tobacco litigation after July 1, 2003. The fund will be used to reduce coastal erosion and to restore the areas of the state directly affected by coastal erosion. Since this is a Constitutional Amendment it has to be passed by the public to become law.

HB1666 streamlined the Department of Economic Development from seven offices to three including the Office of the Secretary, Office of Management and Finance and the Office of Business Development. The DED will utilize the cluster model of economic development to implement Vision 2020, Louisiana's master plan for economic development. This legislation will position Louisiana to become more focused on quality prospecting in a more efficient manner.

SB881 by Senator Chaisson lowered the threshold for DWI offenses from a Blood Alcohol Level (BAL) of .10 to .08, effective September of 2003. Representative Crowe offered a floor amendment to make the law effective immediately instead of waiting until September of 2003. Although Crowe's amendment would have saved lives and enabled Louisiana to receive millions of dollars in additional federal highway construction money, the alcohol industry lobbyists pressured legislators to kill his amendment.

This legislation repealed minimum mandatory sentencing guidelines for non-violent crimes in an effort to reduce the costs of the prison system. Crowe strongly objected because criminals should stay in jail for their full term. We should not change our laws to let them out early just because of the expense. We should come up with a way to reduce costs without letting criminals taking "the easy way out".

A.G. Crowe voted in favor of State Representative Bruneau's bill to place the elections commissioner under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of State's Office, saving Louisiana taxpayers approximately $1.7 million annually.

As a member of the Education Committee, Representative Crowe co-authored SB776 by Senator Jones. This bill creates a statewide early-childhood education program for 4-year-olds to boost learning. The program uses unallocated TANF funds and an initial $15 million dollar investment that will provide classes for 3,000 at-risk 4-year-olds at public schools all over the state.

After a rash of kidnappings in the Slidell area, Representative Crowe keyed in on researching ways to come up with laws to better protect our children from child predators. HB363 establishes a Technology Fund that raises by $5.00 the monthly fee that people on probation and parole pay to the state for managing their cases. This will generate about $200,000 annually and will allow the State Police to enhance their tracking procedures of sex offenders. New mapping software will enable an officer to go to a web site and point on a map where the child was abducted. Once that happens, white dots begin to pop up on the screen indicating where the registered sex offenders live. This provides an instant suspect list before the first officer even arrives on the scene. Other officers are dispatched at the same time to the homes of the sex offenders. The strategy of using technology to pro-actively fight crime will greatly increase the chances of finding the abducted child alive. Crowe's new law will be implemented at no cost to the taxpayer and all law enforcement officers will have free access to the software. Other legislators from around the country have called Crowe to duplicate the law in their states.

Representative A.G.Crowe is pleased to announce that the State of Louisiana is one of just a few states in the nation that did not have to increase taxes to balance the state's budget. In addition, Louisiana led the nation over all other states in debt reduction in 2003.

As in many other states, it is now a felony instead of just a misdemeanor if a convicted sex offender does not register every time he or she moves in the State of Louisiana. Crowe's law also included tougher requirements such as the registration of every vehicle owned by the criminal. This law will enhance the quality of the tracking program which could save the life of a child.

Act 1236 proposes an amendment to the Constitution to provide for across the board budget adjustments and reductions in the case of a projected deficit. This amendment is especially important since 68% of the state's budget is mandated by the Constitution leaving health care and higher education needs the only areas that could be cut. Instead of taking all of the cuts from health care and higher education, the amendment would allow across the board cuts of up to 5% of appropriations from the State General Fund and/or dedicated funds. Relative to the development of a new budget, if the official revenue forecast for the next fiscal year is at least 1% less than the current fiscal year, the governor and lawmakers could reduce appropriations or make cuts across the board. Reductions to the Minimum Foundation Program is limited to 1%. Crowe voted for the passage of this amendment and strongly encourages citizens to vote in favor at the polls in October of 2002.

Joseph Buccaran and his wife were special guests at the 2003 Legislative Session in Baton Rouge. State Representatives Pete Schneider and A.G. Crowe along with State Senator Tom Shedler authored HCR229 to honor Buccaran for his many years of dedicated service at Slidell High School and the St. Tammany Parish School System.

As a member of the House Education Committee, Representative Crowe voted in favor of the following education bills in the 2003 legislative session. HB1342: Established a "Bill of Rights" for teachers that will help clarify protections and rights that teachers are guaranteed by law such as the right to remove students with severe discipline problems from the classroom. Act 296: This new law requires the free enterprise curriculum to include instruction in personal finance beginning with the 2004-2005 school year. Act 81: This provides TOPS eligibility for dependent children of certain U.S. armed forces personnel stationed in Louisiana and mandates the waiver of full-time enrollment requirements for students ordered to active military duty. HB1686: This new law suspends driving priviledges for up to one year when a student receives a 10-day suspension or expulsion for serious discipline infractions. The law allows exemptions for students going to and from work and other authorized locations.

State Representative A.G. Crowe has filed a bill that will provide for stiffer fines and penalties for outdoor billboard companies that damage or destroy trees without proper permitting. This bill is in response to a company that illegally cut down trees directly behind Crossgates Subdivision. The trees and brush served as a site and noise barrier from the interstate for the neighborhood.

Crowe recently met with Senator John Breaux and with our local state, municipal and parish officials to discuss transportation issues critical to our area. "We are the fastest growing parish in the state but because we are not a major metropolitan area, we are not getting adequate federal highway money to keep up with the growth", said Crowe. The cars in the right lane of the interstate approaching the Gause exits in both directions are backed up due to the heavy traffic flow. Just three feet away, eighteen wheelers are moving at 70 mile per hour and it is extremely dangerous." Crowe specifically asked Senator Breaux to sponsor a federal transportation bill to change the distribution of federal highway dollars by the state to address fast growth areas such as St. Tammany Parish.

Charity and University hospitals, which together make up the Medical Center of Louisiana in New Orleans, has been directed to absorb $27 million of a $66.5 million budget shortfall in the nine-hospital system managed by LSU's Health Care Services Division. The budget shortage is a result of a cap on the amount of federal dollars available for the treatment of uninsured patients. To help relieve some of the financial pressure, Representative Crowe voted for a bill passed in the 2003 legislative session that more than doubled the amount of state general fund money it sends to charity hospitals, from $34 million in the 2002-03 fiscal year to $69 million in the new year's budget. The legislation also gave LSU the flexibility to make financial decisions and adjustments to the budget.

The State of Louisiana's operating budget expenditures for the St. Tammany System, which is appropriated through the Minimum Foundation Program (MFP),increased from $133,675,440 to $137,059,573 in the 2003-2004 budget year. Education investments continue to be a top priority of legislators and Governor Foster.

Senator Tom Schedler and Representative A.G. Crowe teamed up to pass Act 562 that provided for the re-structuring of the hospital's board and how board members are selected.

Although Representative Crowe co-authored a bill this past session to reduce the speed limit in the school zone in front of the new Creekside Jr. High School, the legislation stalled in a Senate committee. Crowe followed up by writting a letter to the DOTD requesting a reduction which was approved on August 11, 2003. Signage will be changed to display the new 25 MPH speed limit.

During the 2000 fiscal legislative session and 2 special sessions called by the governor, there was a serious budget shortage. During the three sessions, the budget deficit roller-coasted in 100 million dollar increments. Over $1.5 billion dollars of taxes against businesses was introduced such as the single business tax, the inventory tax and an oil and gas tax. Enough colleagues joined with me in blocking the passage of the taxes and as a result, tax increases were held in check. Surprisingly, after the session were over, we had a $250 million dollar surplus which meant that businesses would have been needlessly taxed. We need to do all we can to take the tax burdens off business so that they can re-invest in expansion and more jobs for our citizens.

Act 191 by Senator Noble Ellington and co-authored by Representative Crowe will provide for the tracking of kegs of malt beverages consumed off premises. The legislation was supported by the Slidell Police Department and law enforcement officials throughout the state. "This act will certainly reduce the number of underage drinkers as well as reduce the accident and fatality rate among our young people," Crowe said.

State Representative A.G. Crowe was one of the co-authors of House Resolution 80 by Representative Landrieu honoring Archbishop Philip Hannan on the occassion of his ninetieth birthday.

HB1666 streamlined the Department of Economic Development from seven offices to three including the Office of the Secretary, Office of Managment and Finance and the Office of Business Development. The DED will utilize the cluster model of economic development to implement Vision 2020, Louisiana's master plan for economic development.

State Representative Crowe along with his fellow legislators passed a measure that would prohibit tax-payer funded organ transplants for rapists and murderers serving life sentences in prison.

In the 2003 legislative sessions, lawmakers passed a new law requiring DNA testing of all convicted felons. Representative Crowe co-authored the bill and pledges to fight for adequate funding to protect our citizens from criminals.

The Legislature extended the Incumbent Worker Training Program renewing $50 million to train workers for higher paying jobs. Also, the creation of the Louisiana Major Projects Authority puts provisions in place to allow Louisiana to move quickly to assess sites and finance their preparation, make offers on mega projects and make other investments as necessary to attract jobs for Louisiana.

The total state budget for FY 2003-2004 is $16.8 billion. The major appropriations are distributed among Education (36% or $6,038 billion), Human Resources (33.6% or $5,643 billion) and General Government (13.2% or $2,211 billion). It was a historic session in many aspects as the Legislature passed a balanced budget with the help of a one time influx of federal dollars. That funding allowed us to avoid drastic cuts in health care and higher education. It also afforded legislators the chance to make $95 million in debt payments that will help ease the pain of next year's expected budget shortfall.

Strongly supported by State Representative Crowe, SB876 makes it mandatory for criminal history checks to be conducted for anyone who applies for a job with a nursing home, an intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded, adult day care center,home health agency, hospice or ambulance service. If a person has been convicted of certain crimes, then he or she can not be hired.

In an effort to reduce traffic jams on highways all over the state, legislators voted to require that construction involving lane closures on interstate highways be performed during non-peak hours.

In the 2003 legislative session, Homeland Security laws were passed that designates the Adjutant General of the Louisiana National Guard as the state's leading authority on Homeland Security issues. HB1 allocated $500,000 to support the creation of the Homeland Security and Bioterrorism Fund. This will provide for bioterrorism and chemical warfare related university research and development as well as anti-terrorism training.

Supported by Representative Crowe, this legislation is the start of a comprehensive reform of Louisiana's system for treating and protecting the public from juveniles who break the law. The product of two years of work involving cooperation among all three branches of government, the bill takes a number of immediate steps toward reform and also sets in place a structure for making more reforms in the future. This is the beginning for Louisiana to take a smarter, safer approach to handling troubled, at-risk juveniles.

SB574 restructures the TANF FIND Work Program and renames it the "Strategies to Empower People" (STEP) Program. The program is designed to help people move off of welfare by requiring them to enroll in employment-related activity while on welfare. This combines employment and educational opportunities that increase the chances of permanent employment.

The unexpected arrival of one time federal dollars helped to avoid massive budget cuts in health care funding for the next year. A new law passed this year requires that hospitals, insurance companies and doctors clearly identify on their bills how much is owed by the patient and how much is being paid by the insurance company. SB867 revises the structure of the LSU Health Sciences Center-Health Care Services Division to allow more flexibility over state hospitals and to allow them to cut services as well as to collect payments from some patients. Hospitals would require to provide emergency services to anyone, whether or not they have insurance.

Act 298 prohibits an insurance company from cancelling an automobile insurance policy solely on the grounds that the insured has submitted a single claim under his or her policy.

HB2004 sets up an all new procedure to help Louisiana citizens easily identify whether or not a deceased loved one has a life insurance policy. This new law requires that the Louisiana Department of Insurance (upon request of a citizens following certain procedures) notify by email all insurance companies operating in the state to contact that citizen within ten days if there is a life insurance policy on the decedent in question. The proceeds of the policy will go to the appropriate family member or loved one.

Louisiana continues its slow but steady economic recovery. We are one of just three states in the nation that did not raise taxes to balance the 2002-2003 budget. While the sluggish economy made the budgeting process extremely difficult, the Legislature approved a balanced spending plan without cutting key services.

Governor Foster proclaims September 14th as "In God We Trust" day, bringing national attention to Crowe's bill promoting our national motto, and the "In God We Trust" license plates.

HB3 by Rep. Crowe....Act53 signed in to law in 2002 allows for the production of official Louisiana vehicle license plates with our national motto included "In God We Trust", the first such plate in the United States. Proceeds will be split evenly between the Louisiana Boy Scouts, the Louisiana Girl Scouts and the Louisiana Association for Retarded Citizens.

Crowe presented an amendment to HB1 on the House floor during the 2002 and the 2003 legislative sessions to abolish the so-called "slush funds" which are funds spent mostly by individual legislators in their districts. The funds are not distributed equally and fairly among legislators and this practice invites corruption. Crowe's amendments intented to dedicate those funds to health care expenditues to capture 3 to 1 federal matching dollars converting the $20 million fund to $80 million.

Crowe voted against the continuation of the sales tax on food and utilities and voted against the continuation of the 50% removal of the itemized deduction exemption which forces higher taxes in the 2002 regular fiscal session.

Crowe voted to provide a state child care tax credit given by the State of Louisiana to help reduce the tax burden of working mothers with small children in the 2002 Fiscal Session.

Education and economic development are the 2 main ingredients to create jobs for the many students graduating with the financial assistance of the TOPS program. Crowe strongly supports the TOPS program and says that it is a shame that we spend all that money to get our children through college only to have them move out of state to get a decent job. The answer is to continue to support and pass legislation that will encourage the businesses already here to re-invest and grow thereby providing more jobs. This will also create a better atmosphere for businesses looking to locate in Louisiana. Crowe introduced a bill in the last fiscal session that would have given a $500.00 one-time tax credit to a business that hires a TOPS graduate. Crowe believes we need to pass legislation that will give businesses tax breaks such as a reduction of the corporate tax, the reduction of the tax on borrowed capitol and the reduction of taxes on equipment and machinery.

After numerous hearings with many local citizens expressing concern about the dangerous mercury levels found on two separate occasions, and over the objections of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Crowe has written DEQ Secretary Dale Givens and Governor Foster requesting to rescind the LDEQ certification. Fortunately, the certification was rescinded recently. The dredging project would have created a major health threat to the people of St. Tammany Parish because mercury levels would have been disturbed. While we want to be good neighbors with Mississippi, we can not allow the economic benefit for them out-weigh the health risk the project would have caused for our citizens.

The SRWC recently raised and presented Representative Crowe with a check for $863.00 to go toward paying for the "Spirit of Louisiana" fire truck for New York. Theresa Faustermann, Laura Leonard, Sue Morris, Mary Bishop, Catherine Palmer, Lynn Bowers, June Erickson presented the check which Crowe will hand deliver it to Governor Foster.

State Senator Tom Schedler, Representative A.G. Crowe, and State Representative Pete Schneider today announced they have introduced legislation declaring the First Annual Slidell Day at the Legislature. We want to encourage our citizens to get involved and better educated as to how the legislative process works. This also raises the level of awareness of Slidell to other legislators and the rest of the state. Our city is a unique and a viable part of Louisiana and next year, we will involve the chamber, the city, schools and citizens.

State funding for a WWII Memorial passed through the legislative process. Our men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice will be permanently recognized for their contribution to our nation's security. This is long overdue.