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Click here for a copy of the report. State contracts with private entities are the citizens’ window into how taxpayer dollars for goods and services are spent. PAR’s new report “Strengthening the Standards: A Case Study of Disaster-Related Contracting Practices in Louisiana” offers recommendations to improve spending transparency, minimize conflict of interest and prepare for […]
A recent change to the state’s ethics code will weaken the enforceability of the state’s ethics laws by making violations more difficult to prove. There have been no problems cited with the lesser burden of proof, which continues to be in effect until August 15. Rather, increasing the burden of proof seems to be an […]
David Eustis, senior vice president of Whitney National Bank of New Orleans, was elected chairman of the Public Affairs Research Council (PAR) Board of Directors at the organization’s annual conference in Baton Rouge on Friday, April 25. This will be his second year of service as PAR board chairman. The PAR Board also elected Donna […]
The second special session of the 2008 Legislature reinforced the momentum begun with last month’s ethics session. Louisiana, under its new leadership, is making headway on several priorities that aim to make the state more attractive to investors: making business taxes more competitive, refurbishing transportation infrastructure and investing in regional economic development opportunities. Additionally, by […]
The special legislative session that adjourned on Tuesday yielded an impressive set of reforms to the state’s ethics, campaign finance and other laws. Several long-resisted changes were enacted to disclose public officials’ personal financial dealings, forbid state officials from personally profiting through state contracts, eliminate many of the freebies officials have traditionally enjoyed, require more […]
The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana (PAR) has just released its Guide to the 2008 Louisiana Legislature. The updated Guide is a useful, pocket-sized booklet filled with key information about Louisiana’s legislators, state elected officials and agencies. “With all the new faces in the Legislature, this year’s Guide is particularly useful for gaining an understanding of who’s who around […]
The administration proposal to insert administrative law judges (ALJs) into the process of ruling on ethics violations would dilute the existing power of the Board of Ethics. While most of the ethics reform package is in line with previous PAR recommendations, this one raises some troubling questions that require additional research. There should be no […]