ENROLLED
2015 Regular Session
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 173
BY REPRESENTATIVES ORTEGO, BARRAS, BERTHELOT, FRANKLIN, GUILLORY,
HARRISON, ROBERT JOHNSON, TERRY LANDRY, MIGUEZ, MONTOUCET,
PIERRE, PRICE, SCHEXNAYDER, AND ST. GERMAIN AND SENATORS
CORTEZ, LAFLEUR, MORRISH, AND PERRY
A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
To designate May 26, 2015, as CODOFIL Day at the state capitol.
WHEREAS, the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL)
was created in 1968 to oversee the development and expansion of the state's economic
development and tourism activities designed to promote Louisiana's native francophone
culture, heritage, and language; and
WHEREAS, the Louisiana brand is greatly enhanced by its Louisiana French and
Creole culture, heritage, and languages; and
WHEREAS, the efforts to sustain this brand and assure its vibrancy for future
economic growth are predicated on a robust bilingual educational system and continued
relations with Louisiana's international partners, France, Belgium, and Quebec; and
WHEREAS, CODOFIL has had a long-standing relationship with France, and today,
present in this chamber are industry representatives from some of the twenty-six French
companies operating in Louisiana; and
WHEREAS, globally, more than thirteen thousand jobs have been created through
French-Louisiana trade and investment; Louisiana exports $2.4 billion in products and
services to France; and ninety thousand French visitors came to Louisiana in 2014; and
WHEREAS, France has been instrumental in collaborating with Louisiana's
preeminent French Immersion program, in which nearly five thousand students are
linguistically trained for the Louisiana jobs of the 21st century; and
WHEREAS, CODOFIL, as Louisiana's state agency for francophone affairs,
continues to nurture and grow international partnerships similar to that with France, and
these partnerships result in economic growth for Louisiana well beyond the cultural
economy.
Page 1 of 2 HCR NO. 173 ENROLLED
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
designate May 26, 2015, as CODOFIL Day at the state capitol and, together with the
fortunate citizens of this state, does hereby recognize the manifold contributions CODOFIL
makes to the cultural and economic growth of the great state of Louisiana.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that suitable copies of this Resolution be transmitted
to Charles Larroque, executive director of CODOFIL; Lieutenant Governor Jay Dardenne;
and William Arceneaux, president of CODOFIL.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
Page 2 of 2