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Regular Session, 2013
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 149
BY REPRESENTATIVE CONNICK AND SENATOR ALARIO
COMMENDATIONS: Commends the Stop the Tolls organization for their efforts in
educating the public on the need to eliminate the tolls on the Crescent City
Connection Bridge
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON1
To commend the Stop the Tolls organization for their efforts in educating the public about2
the need to eliminate the tolls on the Crescent City Connection Bridge.3
WHEREAS, the Crescent City Connection Bridge has provided a vital transportation4
link over the Mississippi River between the east and west banks of the parishes of Jefferson5
and Orleans; and6
WHEREAS, in 1989, tolls were authorized by statute to be collected for passage over7
the second span of the Crescent City Connection Bridge; and8
WHEREAS, the statutory authority to collect these tolls was set to expire several9
times only to ultimately be extended until December 31, 2012; and10
WHEREAS, prior to the December 31, 2012, expiration of tolls on the Crescent City11
Connection Bridge, a ground swell of opposition to another extension resulted in a12
concerned group of citizens creating the organization Stop the Tolls; and13
WHEREAS, with little to no commercial backing, Jefferson Parish residents Michael14
Teachworth and Patrick Hand III, instrumental players in the Stop the Tolls, set out to15
educate the New Orleans metropolitan area on the history of the Crescent City Connection16
Bridge and the tolls; and17
WHEREAS, while the efforts of Stop the Tolls and many others prevented an18
outright extension of the tolls, Act No. 865 of the 2012 Regular Session of the Legislature19 HLS 13RS-3405 ORIGINAL
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called for an election to be held to determine whether or not tolls would be extended on the1
Crescent City Connection Bridge; and2
WHEREAS, pursuant to Act No. 865 of the 2012 Regular Session of the Legislature,3
the governor called an election in the parishes of Jefferson, Orleans, and Plaquemines to4
determine whether tolls would be collected, beginning January 1, 2013, and ending on5
December 31, 2033, on the Crescent City Connection Bridge at the rate provided by law; and6
WHEREAS, despite the Herculean efforts of Stop the Tolls, the final election results7
showed that the proposition passed by a narrow margin and that tolls would continue to be8
collected on the Crescent City Connection Bridge until the year 2033; and9
WHEREAS, in December of 2012, "Michael J. Teachworth v. Bobby Jindal, in his10
official capacity as Governor of Louisiana, and Tom Schedler, in his official capacity as the11
Louisiana Secretary of State" was filed by attorney Patrick Hand III; and12
WHEREAS, the petition sought, among other things, to contest the results of the13
election held on November 6, 2012, to obtain declaratory relief nullifying the vote certified14
by the secretary of state which extended the tolls on the bridge, and to obtain any other relief15
allowed under the law; and16
WHEREAS, a trial on the merits was held on March 4, 2013, and the trial concluded17
on March 5, 2013, with the Honorable William A. Morvant declaring the election on18
November 6, 2012, void, only insofar as the results of the Greater New Orleans Crescent19
City Connection Toll Proposition; and20
WHEREAS, the Honorable William A. Morvant ordered that a new election be held21
on May 4, 2013, in the parishes of Jefferson, Orleans, and Plaquemines to determine whether22
or not tolls would be renewed and/or extended as proposed in Act No. 865 of the 201223
Regular Session of the Legislature; and24
WHEREAS, never wavering, Stop the Tolls engaged in a grassroots campaign to put25
an end to what the organization touted as an unfair tax on the citizens of the west bank; and26
WHEREAS, Stop the Tolls used social media, traditional media routes, town hall27
style meetings, and old-fashioned word of mouth to convince the voters of the parishes of28
Jefferson, Orleans, and Plaquemines that they were offered another chance to end the tolls;29
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WHEREAS, on March 4, 2013, the voters of the parishes of Jefferson, Orleans, and1
Plaquemines came out in force to finally put an end to the tolls; and2
WHEREAS, on May 8, 2013, election officials in Jefferson, Orleans, and3
Plaquemines parishes certified that seventy-seven percent of the voters in those parishes cast4
"no" votes on the Crescent City Connection Bridge election proposition; and5
WHEREAS, as a result of the vote ending tolls on the Crescent City Connection6
Bridge, the Department of Transportation and Development began the process to7
decommission the toll plaza the evening of Wednesday, May 8, 2013; and8
WHEREAS, the May 4, 2013, election results and the decommissioning of the toll9
plaza would not have been possible without the passion and hard work of the members of10
the Stop the Tolls organization; and11
WHEREAS, Stop the Tolls is the perfect example of how the will of the people can12
still ultimately prevail in the face of incredibly unfavorable odds and that favorable results13
can still be obtained when citizens band together.14
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby15
commend the Stop the Tolls organization for their efforts in educating the people of16
Jefferson, Orleans, and Plaquemines parishes on the need to end the tolls on the Crescent17
City Connection Bridge and their May 4, 2013, election victory.18
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of this Resolution be transmitted19
to Michael Teachworth and Patrick Hand III, of the Stop the Tolls organization.20
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)]
Connick HCR No. 149
Commends the Stop the Tolls organization for their efforts in educating the public about the
need to eliminate the tolls on the Crescent City Connection Bridge.