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June 20, 2012    ·     Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce

GSCOC NEWS & REMINDERS

TONIGHT!

LPB Premiere & “Louisiana Hayride Show” at the Municipal Auditorium beginning at 7:30pm

FREE ADMISSION to an exciting evening event beginning with the LPB Premiere of the entertaining documentary “LOUISIANA-200 Years of Statehood” narrated by Harry Connick, Jr. and hosted by Beth Courtney & famous Louisiana actress Faith Ford.  IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE PREMIER:  Louisiana Hayride Jam from 8:00pm to 9:30pm; The “Louisiana Hayride Show” will feature the great musical stars Doug Kershaw, Terrance Simien, Chris Thomas King, and many other musicians, singers, & songwriters.

Nick Akins, CEO of American Electric Power, sits down with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to discuss Energy Policy and his thoughts on an All-of-the-Above Strategy.

Akins discussed the need for a national energy policy that’s consistent, coherent, and makes sense—stating that this country and the utility industry need to invest about $2 trillion in the next two decades.   Akins goes on to discuss an all-of-the-above strategy where you look at nuclear from a long-term perspective, coal from a long-term perspective, push forward with shale gas activity, and continue with renewable, smart grid activity and advances in battery technology.  “These are the kinds of things that would create jobs and an energy future for this country that clearly make sense and would mitigate costs for the customers”, Akins said.  

Nick Akins was the past CEO of AEP—Shreveport.

Highway and Transit Legislative Update

The current extension of highway and transit law expires on June 30!  Time is of the essence for conferees to reconcile their differences and produce legislation that can be signed by the President.

But there is good news: the House and Senate transportation bills are closer than you might think when it comes to critical policy reforms.  In fact, there are 9 Reasons Why A Transportation Bill is Attainable, as we note in this blog post.

Yesterday, the U.S. Chamber sent a letter to conferees highlighting those similarities and urging resolution of differences between the House- and Senate-passed versions of the highway and transit bill.  Tom Donohue reinforced this letter with an opinion piece that appeared in the Washington Examiner and on www.FreeEnterprise.com.

Take Action - Write your Members of Congress Today!

1.   Read the Chamber's letter and the op-ed.

2.   Communicate with conferees urging them to keep negotiating to get a bill done that will support American job growth, economic productivity, and competitiveness without adding to the deficit!  Here are some suggested talking points to help you prepare for a quick phone call or letter.

3.   Spread the word to employees, colleagues, friends and family:  Forward this e-mail, and with a quick visit to the ATM website they can understand the basics with a quick guide to the issues and the talking points.

4.   Write to your local papers about these critical issues.

  MEMBER NEWS & EVENTS

U.S. CHAMBER STUDY RANKS LOUISIANA NO. 1 FOR EXPORT GROWTH, NO. 2 FOR INCOME GROWTH

National Chamber Foundation says positive workforce, incentive policies spurring Louisiana economy

National leadership in exports, a strong energy sector and policies that are attracting business investment helped Louisiana establish nearly a dozen Top 10 rankings in Enterprising States 2012, a new report by an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

The National Chamber Foundation takes an in-depth look at the policies, priorities and programs of the 50 states and Puerto Rico, and identifies how states build economic momentum. The report singles out Louisiana for strong job growth while ranking Louisiana the No. 1 export state (with four rankings of No. 4 or better), No. 2 in tax climate for new firms, and No. 2 in per capita income growth.

Read more about Louisiana in the Enterprising States 2012 report.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON EVENTS and PROGRAMS

www.ShreveportChamber.org

318-677-2500