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Regular Session, 2011
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 176
BY REPRESENTATIVE EDWARDS
MILITARY AFFAIRS: Urges and requests the La. Department of Economic Development
to complete a military economic impact analysis
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON1
To urge and request the Louisiana Department of Economic Development to complete a2
military economic impact analysis.3
WHEREAS, the state of Louisiana is home to the Louisiana National Guard, United4
States Air Force, United States Army, United States Army Corps of Engineers, United States5
Coast Guard, United States Marines, United States Navy, Louisiana Department of Veterans6
Affairs, United States Veterans Administration, as well as significant military support7
activities such as shipbuilding and vehicle manufacturing; and8
WHEREAS, the state commissioned a 2002 military economic impact analysis to9
take inventory and assess the value of the military presence in the state of Louisiana; and10
WHEREAS, in 2002, the impact of the military on Louisiana's economy amounted11
to more than seven billion dollars in gross sales revenue, three billion five hundred sixty-12
three million dollars in household earnings, two hundred seventeen million two hundred13
thousand dollars in sales tax collections, and one hundred twelve thousand seven hundred14
forty-three total jobs; and 15
WHEREAS, since 2002, and with consideration given to base realignment and16
closure requirements mandated by congress in 2005, Louisiana's military profile and17
economic impact have evolved dramatically; and18
WHEREAS, Fort Polk, Barksdale Air Force Base, and the Naval Air Station Joint19
Reserve Base are the first, forth, and fifth largest employers, respectively, in Louisiana; and20 HLS 11RS-2910 ORIGINAL
HCR NO. 176
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WHEREAS, Fort Polk is one of only two Army installations set to grow1
geographically and Fort Polk's expansion will be the largest of any base in the entire Army2
for twenty or more years; and3
WHEREAS, fifty percent of all soldiers deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan are trained4
first at the Joint Readiness Training Center at Fort Polk; and5
WHEREAS, in 2009, Barksdale Air Force Base was named as the headquarters of6
the Air Force Global Strike Command, which is the first major command in the United7
States Air Force in thirty years, and which is described by the secretary of the Air Force and8
the Air Force chief of staff as the most important mission in the United States Air Force; and9
WHEREAS, the state of Louisiana invested more than one hundred fifty million10
dollars to provide a new headquarters building and quality of life amenities for the United11
States Marine Force Reserve and Marine Force North, which is the command center for all12
United States Marine Corps Reserves and all United States Marines in North America; and13
WHEREAS, the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, Belle Chasse, is the command14
center for response and recovery for major disasters in the Gulf of Mexico and Louisiana and15
remains one of the preeminent training locations for naval aviators in the United States; and16
WHEREAS, since the prosecution of the War on Terror, the United States Coast17
Guard has emerged as the preeminent force to protect the homeland; and18
WHEREAS, the Eighth District of the United States Coast Guard is headquartered19
in New Orleans and is the largest jurisdiction in the entire United States Coast Guard; and20
WHEREAS, the New Orleans District of the Army Corps of Engineers has nearly21
completed fifteen billion dollars in Hurricane Storm Damage Risk Reduction System22
improvements in the greater New Orleans area; and23
WHEREAS, under the leadership of the Louisiana Army National Guard at Camp24
Minden, the newly established one hundred million dollar Regional Training Institute at25
Camp Minden will provide leadership training and military occupational specialty training26
for the seven-state region of Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, New Mexico,27
and Kansas; and28
WHEREAS, Fort Polk, Barksdale Air Force Base, Marine Support Activity New29
Orleans, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Belle Chasse, the United States Coast Guard30 HLS 11RS-2910 ORIGINAL
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Eighth District, Jackson Barracks, Camp Minden, Gillis W. Long Center, and other military1
facilities have experienced nearly one billion dollars in direct capital investment since 2002;2
and3
WHEREAS, the overall military impact is significant to the state's overall economy,4
and each major military installation and activity uniquely impacts each regional economy;5
and6
WHEREAS, the state of Louisiana recognizes eight unique economic regions and7
regional hubs of the state as Bayou in the Houma/Thibodaux area, Southeast in the New8
Orleans area, Capital in the Baton Rouge area, Acadiana in the Lafayette area, Southwest9
in the Lake Charles area, Central in the Alexandria area, Northeast in the Monroe area, and10
Northwest in the Shreveport/Bossier area, each of which is impacted by a military11
installation or significant military activity; and12
WHEREAS, the governor's Military Advisory Board unanimously recommended on13
June 7, 2010, that the state complete a military economic impact analysis and reaffirmed this14
recommendation on June 8, 2011.15
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby16
urge and request the Louisiana Department of Economic Development to complete a17
thorough military economic impact analysis which includes an inventory of the current18
military presence in Louisiana and an assessment of the military's overall impact on the state19
and to the region that hosts each installation or major military operation and submit a report20
to the governor's Military Advisory Board by December 31, 2011.21
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the22
speaker of the House of Representatives, the president of the Senate, the governor's Military23
Advisory Board, the House of Representatives Special Committee on Military and Veterans24
Affairs, the Senate Select Committee on Veterans Affairs and the secretary of the25
Department of Economic Development.26 HLS 11RS-2910 ORIGINAL
HCR NO. 176
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DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
Edwards HCR No. 176
Urges and requests the Louisiana Department of Economic Development to complete a
military economic impact analysis.