SLS 17RS-1046 ORIGINAL 2017 Regular Session SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 69 BY SENATOR CORTEZ LEGIS POWERS/FUNCTIONS. To recognize Tuesday, May 9, 2017, as Ports Day at the state capitol. 1 A RESOLUTION 2 To recognize Tuesday, May 9, 2017, as Ports Day at the state capitol. 3 WHEREAS, Louisiana has an abundant and robust port system ranging from ports 4 along the Mississippi, Calcasieu, Red, Atchafalaya, and Ouachita rivers, the Louisiana coast, 5 and inland waterways extending to all areas of the state; and 6 WHEREAS, Louisiana ports support domestic and international trade, carry 7 twenty-five percent of United States waterborne commerce, support nearly twenty percent 8 of oil and gas service and exploration and commercial fishing industries, and provide 9 specific services to the communities in which the ports are located; and 10 WHEREAS, services provided at Louisiana ports help sustain local, regional, and 11 statewide economies; and 12 WHEREAS, Louisiana ports are also points of connection between producers of 13 products in the state and buyers of products throughout the country and the world; and 14 WHEREAS, each port offers unique advantages and helps to encourage industrial 15 development, directly and indirectly providing jobs to local citizens and revenues to local 16 governments; and 17 WHEREAS, Louisiana's agricultural, petrochemical, food, paper, wood, and 18 fabricated metal products industries rely on Louisiana ports to move their goods in national Page 1 of 2 SR NO. 69 SLS 17RS-1046 ORIGINAL 1 and global trade, and are dependent on and supported by Louisiana ports that support five 2 hundred twenty-five thousand Louisiana jobs, or one in five Louisiana jobs, produce 3 thirty-three billion dollars in personal earnings, and four billion two hundred million dollars 4 in state and local tax revenue; and 5 WHEREAS, Louisiana's ports' assets have grown by almost six hundred million 6 dollars in the last decade, and ports' businesses and tenants serving port cargo, cruise, and 7 support operations have employed and supported seventy-seven thousand additional jobs, 8 and have produced more than four billion dollars in personal earnings, two hundred 9 ninety-eight million dollars in state taxes, and two hundred thirty-five million dollars in local 10 taxes; and 11 WHEREAS, the Port Construction and Development Priority Program has 12 significantly supported the building of port infrastructures, and for each one dollar of 13 funding to the program, Louisiana receives eight dollars in jobs, taxes, and economic 14 benefits; and 15 WHEREAS, despite uncertain funding, to remain competitive, Louisiana ports are 16 planning approximately ninety-two projects costing one billion eight hundred million dollars 17 over the next five years, which is supported by the 2015 Statewide Transportation Plan that 18 recommends the investment of seven billion six hundred million dollars in port 19 infrastructures and waterways. 20 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana 21 does hereby recognize Tuesday, May 9, 2017, as Ports Day at the state capitol and does 22 hereby express its appreciation of the economic importance of ports to Louisiana. 23 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the 24 Ports Association of Louisiana and to each port, harbor, and terminal district in the state. The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Sharon F. Lyles. DIGEST SR 69 Original 2017 Regular Session Cortez Recognizes Tuesday, May 9, 2017, as Ports Day at the state capitol. Page 2 of 2