Upcoming legislative session preview with local business owners

ALEXANDRIA, La. (KALB) - Stephen Waguespack, President and CEO of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, met with local leaders on Feb. 21, 2022, to discuss the upcoming legislative session.

The pandemic, natural disasters and economic uncertainty have made the last two years challenging for Louisiana residents. However, the 2022 legislative year presents an opportunity to bring some normalcy back to our state.

“We will talk about what are some of the important issues that will be tackled hopefully in the next legislative session, primarily in our opinion: education and workforce. That’s the one issue we are hearing most around the state and the one that we think has the most potential to move the needle forward as best as we can,” said Waguespack.

LABI’s priorities in the upcoming session include implementing changes recorded in the most recent census, as well as reassessing and redrawing representation maps.

Along with economic development, the 2022 legislative year will provide a chance to focus on job creation and educational growth.

“On the horizon, on the federal front, we are looking at initiatives like the jobs act, and we may see a chance for students to get short-term credentials, so we are very excited,” said Jimmy Sawtelle, the Chancellor of CLTCC.

Another area of concern is the number of people moving out of the state right now, Louisiana has the eighth highest percentage of people moving out, often for better employment.

The regular legislative session will convene at noon on March 14 and will end no later than June 6.

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