Businesses called to capitol

March 23, 2008
Special to the Daily World     

Business, civic and community leaders from throughout St. Landry Parish will travel to Baton Rouge in April to salute local and state legislatures and showcase community and economic development.

The various businesses and agencies will take part in this year's St. Landry Parish Legislative Day at the capital April 30 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Roxsan Godeaux with parish government is in the process of forming a committee to coordinate the event. "We are asking the mayor or their representative from our 12 municipalities to serve," Godeaux said.

"They will then approach the businesses and festivals in their area," Godeaux said. "Nobody knows their communities like they do."

While she said she would like participation in the legislative day from the district attorney's office, the sheriff's office and other such govThe main event of the day will be a legislative reception, featuring food, musical entertainment and local business and industry exhibits from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Pentagon Barracks on the grounds of the State Capitol.

All 144 state representatives and senators and a host of state elected officials and public policy makers have been invited to attend the reception.

"It will allow St. Landry Parish government and our municipalities and service agencies to showcase their achievements," said Parish President Don Menard. "It will allow us to meet one-on-one with our legislators. It will give us a chance to show them how much we appreciate what they do for us."

Menard said the parish, which teamed up with Evangeline Parish in 2006 for the last showcase, will be holding just a St. Landry Parish Day this time.

"We feel we have enough to offer in St. Landry Parish. We think we can make it a big, fun effort by ourselves. We have a lot going on," Menard said.

St. Landry Parish Tourism Director Celeste Gomez, who is helping coordinate the event, said the 2006 event was a great success.

"We had more than 500 visitors last time. We had not only the legislators but their aides as well. It is important to reach out to (the aides) as they do much of the leg work for their legislators," Gomez said.

She said the event is a great opportunity for local groups to help the legislators "connect the dots. We can show them the results of their votes."

Gomez said while all the festivals and other tourism related groups are great, helping provide food and music for the day, it is also important to have local businesses and industries present as well.

"This is a great economic opportunity to show the legislators what we have in St. Landry Parish, to let them know about the economic development potential here," Gomez said.

While it will be a fun day, the event has a mercenary side as well. The state is expected to run a healthy surplus again this year.

"We all want a piece of that surplus. Hopefully we can get on some lists. We want them to see our projects are worthwhile," Menard

ernmental bodies, her real targets are local businesses, industries and festivals.

"We are a very unique parish. We want to showcase that," Godeaux said.