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Regular Session, 2012
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 176
BY REPRESENTATIVE CARTER
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To commend the Council for A Better Louisiana upon the celebration of its fiftieth
anniversary.
WHEREAS, it is appropriate to commend the Council for A Better Louisiana upon
its fiftieth anniversary celebration; and
WHEREAS, the Council for A Better Louisiana (CABL) is a statewide, nonpartisan
organization that seeks to improve Louisiana through its program of work, which includes
governmental research, advocacy, public awareness, leadership development, and civic
engagement; and
WHEREAS, it was on June 29, 1962, that a diverse group of more than ninety
business, civic, and religious leaders gathered in New Orleans and founded CABL as a
nonpartisan agent for change and reform in Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, the initial objectives of CABL were spotlighting the state's problems
and stimulating deeper thinking on their solutions, developing a specific action plan to
remove obstacles to economic growth and development, expanding the base of CABL and
cooperating with other civic groups, and pointing out to the nation the state's virtues and
ongoing progress; and
WHEREAS, CABL's first executive director, Edward W. Stagg, was a visionary
leader who helped usher in a wave of governmental reform in Louisiana, and among CABL's
major accomplishments in the early and mid-1960s were its role in the passage of the first
state Code of Governmental Ethics, initiatives to improve the state's bond rating, and the
creation of the Louisiana Commission on Human Relations to improve racial dialogue as the
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WHEREAS, later, CABL was a driving force behind the 1984 New Orleans World's
Fair (Louisiana World Exposition), the creation of Louisiana Public Broadcasting, and the
development of the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP); and
WHEREAS, in 1989, CABL created the Leadership Louisiana program, whose
mission is to build the capacity of existing and emerging state leaders to help improve the
quality of life in their communities and the state; this program boasts nearly one thousand
alumni from all walks of life, including a former governor, statewide elected officials,
supreme court justices, legislators, and business and community leaders from across the
state; and
WHEREAS, CABL publishes several fine publications that provide information,
commentary, and analysis pertaining to the state's various issues and challenges; and
WHEREAS, today, CABL's focus continues in the areas of education reform, state
fiscal policies, and governmental ethics, and it continues to be served by a strong group of
citizen volunteers from every region of the state who are dedicated to the notion of making
Louisiana a better place for all to live.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
commend the Council for A Better Louisiana upon the celebration of its fiftieth anniversary,
does hereby recognize and record for posterity this memorable and historic occasion, and
does hereby extend enduring appreciation for CABL's contributions to the state of Louisiana.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted
to Barry Erwin, president of the Council for A Better Louisiana.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE