: Blueprint Louisiana - To Fundamentally Improve Louisiana :

Creating the State We Deserve

Blueprint Louisiana is a citizen-driven effort to identify and implement essential changes that will fundamentally improve life and economic opportunity in Louisiana for generations. This nonpartisan effort is led and supported by community and business leaders from across the state.

Current Status of Health Care Delivery Blueprint Louisiana Chairman Jimmy Maurin issued the following statement on the current status of health care delivery in the state.

Top 10 Legislators for 2012 Blueprint Louisiana has named a “Top 10” legislative list, identifying a group of lawmakers who demonstrated outstanding leadership on topics of interest to Blueprint during the 2012 regular legislative session.

The following legislators will be recognized at Blueprint’s October 10 Board of Trustees meeting in Baton Rouge:

Education Reform: State Rep. Steve Carter of Baton Rouge; State Sen. Conrad Appel of Metairie
School Board Term Limits Legislation: State Rep. Stephen Pugh of Ponchatoula; State Sen. Jack Donahue of Mandeville
“Smart on Crime” Legislation: State Rep. Joseph Lopinto of Metairie; State Sen. J.P. Morrell of New Orleans
State Retirement Reform: State Rep. Kevin Pearson of Slidell; State Sen. Elbert Guillory of Opelousas
Overall Leadership: Speaker of the House Chuck Kleckley of Lake Charles; Senate President John Alario of Westwego

THE BLUEPRINT AGENDA - September 2011

Prioritize Student Success Over Traditional Practices That Impede Performance in Public Schools.

Our adherence to long-standing models and systems, for tradition’s sake, is not delivering the outcomes our students deserve or that our society requires in the 21st century. It is past time to replicate what we know works in public education—high-quality teachers and principals empowered to make performance-based decisions—and implement proven strategies in public schools in our state.

Create A Single High-Quality Pre-Kindergarten System.

Louisiana should prioritize funding for pre-kindergarten and simplify access through a coordinated statewide program of high quality with accountability for outcomes.

Re-Engineer Public Retirement and Health Care Benefits for Long-Term Stability.

Louisiana must act now to stem the growth in retirement and health care debt for public employees—both state workers and teachers. The state cannot afford to put off structural and systemic changes that will ensure we live up to our commitments now and make more affordable policies for the future.

Transition Louisiana’s Charity Hospitals to Public-Private Partnerships.

The New Orleans network of primary care clinics and the upcoming Baton Rouge partnership between Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and Earl K. Long Hospital are best-practice models that should be applauded and replicated. The state should build on this progress and take the lead to encourage other regional partnerships, allowing Louisiana State University to focus on medical education and research.

Adopt “Smart on Crime” Reforms that Reduce the Highest Incarceration Rate in the Nation.

Experts attribute “policy choices” as the primary determinant for incarceration rates, not crime itself. Louisiana must re-evaluate business as usual in our prison system and act on the recommendations of the Sentencing Commission to lower costs and improve outcomes.

Blueprint Louisiana Chairman Jimmy Maurin issued a statement on the current status of health care delivery in the state

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Blueprint Louisiana is a citizen-driven effort to identify and implement essential changes to fundamentally improve Louisiana. Blueprint Louisiana is a nonpartisan organization that is led and supported by business and community leaders from all regions of the state. Our ultimate hope is to better position the state for success and to make citizens proud to say, ‘I live in Louisiana.’