This June, Americans for Prosperity established its Louisiana chapter, seeking to promote fiscal responsibility and governmental accountability in our state. Louisiana’s reputation has been tarnished by political corruption and cronyism, which has prevented the state from making strides in healthcare, economic growth and education. Americans for Prosperity- Louisiana plans to change that and has begun initiatives to institute these reforms. To date, AFP-Louisiana is well underway to making this success a reality. In early July, Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips visited Louisiana and described the mission of AFP to local media and community leaders. The press conference, held at the state capitol, also featured speeches by AFP-LA Grassroots Director Jason Hebert and Rep. Steve Scalise. The group also presented data regarding Louisiana’s bloated $30 billion budget and promised to institute changes through research and grassroots development. Americans for Prosperity played an active role in the call for a veto override session in Louisiana to combat Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco’s vetoes of important tax cut bills. AFP-Louisiana conducted live patch-through calls to concerned citizens urging them to call their respective state senators and support a veto override session. Over 3,000 calls were made into key senate districts netting several hundred patch-throughs to the senators’ district offices. Although the veto override session was a few total votes short of the number needed to call it, the efforts of AFP-Louisiana and active citizens proved invaluable to swing the opinions of those undecided. These grassroots calls allowed AFP-Louisiana to recruit citizens and educate them on the importance the organization provides in fighting for free market conservative issues.

We are also currently working through its activists to organize a phone and email campaign to Congressmen Rodney Alexander and Richard Baker’s office to ask them to sustain their opposition to H.R. 976 – SCHIP Reauthorization Act of 2007. The power of AFP-Louisiana’s grassroots organization is starting to pay off and should prove to be an important part in this endeavor.Perhaps the biggest role AFP-Louisiana played this year was its involvement in the 2007 election cycle. Term limits provide a unique opportunity to elect more fiscally-conservative leaders to the state legislature and AFP-Louisiana’s radio campaign provided voter education in targeted House districts, including District 53, Houma; District 51, Morgan City; District 56, Destrehan; District 10, Minden; and District 27, Pineville. AFP-LA spent $49,592 on these radio buys. As a result, AFP-LA has established a series of key policy goals for 2007-2008:- AFP-LA will be a key player with the newly elected Governor and new conservative legislature in helping pass tax cuts on business utilities and for parents with children in private and/or parochial schools.- AFP-LA will be in a strong position to play key role in the Governor-elect Jindal’s special session to deal with government ethics in January. AFP-LA can continue its fight for more government spending transparency.- Louisiana will have budget surplus for the next fiscal year. AFP-LA will work with the legislature and the new Governor to ensure that surplus dollars are not spent on creating more government, but giving tax relief to small business and families.

GrassrootsAFP-LA began conducting grassroots schools in Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Mandeville/Covington and Lafayette, hosting more than 150 citizen activists and governmental leaders at their seminars. The grassroots schools featured such leaders as House Minority Leader Jim Tucker; John Diez, Executive Director of the Louisiana Committee for a Republican Majority; Rep. Hunter Greene; blogger Jeff Blanco; AFP-Texas Grassroots Coordinator Michele Kanole; and many more.

Since the establishment of Americans for Prosperity- Louisiana just a few months ago, we have recruited more than 500 grassroots activists statewide who support the initiatives of AFP. In addition, AFP- Louisiana recruited district captains to help serve as points of contact for AFP in their areas of the state. Many future events, including grassroots schools, will encourage even further civic participation in the lawmaking process.