Lawmakers file financial disclosures

By The Associated Press | The Natchez Democrat

Published Sunday, July 6, 2008

BATON ROUGE (AP) — Louisiana lawmakers have filed their required 2007 financial disclosure forms, the last time they report income from just two sectors: governments and gambling interests.

Beginning in May 2009, they will be required to report far more personal financial information: salaries, investments, debts and real estate. Pushed by Gov. Bobby Jindal, legislators early this year imposed the new requirements on themselves, top executive branch officials and members of large state boards and commissions.

A majority of the 2007 reports show no proceeds from gambling firms or government, but 62 reported various levels of income they or their spouses received, including salaries from local school boards, proceeds from video poker machines and a multimillion dollar state contract.

Another new ethics law will prohibit state government contracts of the sort reported by Sen. Jack Donahue, R-Mandeville, whose contracting firm won a nearly $7 million competitively bid contract with the Louisiana National Guard.

Most legislators who reported 2007 government income did business with local governments. Donahue’s firm won a $4 million contract with the Plaquemines Parish School Board — allowable for a lawmaker under the new rules.

Others reporting local government contracts included:

4Sen. Dale Erdey, R-Livingston, whose insurance company had over $94,225 in income from various Livingston Parish governments.

4Rep. Austin Badon, D-New Orleans, $36,538 in salary from Southern University of New Orleans.

4Freshman lawmakers including Rep. Nickie Monica, R-LaPlace, who had been local elected officials before winning seats in the Legislature. Monica had $81,267 in salary for serving as St. John the Baptist Parish president. Democratic Rep. Robert Billiot received $54,796 as mayor of Westwego.

4Rep. Jim Fannin, D-Jonesboro, whose farm supply business received $7,934 from Jackson Parish governments and high schools.

4Sen. Ben Nevers, D-Bogalusa, whose utility company received $73,371 from government entities including LSU’s Bogalusa hospital and the Washington Parish Department of Public Works.

Some had income from governments and from gambling companies.

Rep. Jerry Gisclair, D-Larose, who runs radio stations, reported $23,609 in advertising revenue from government operations including the St. Charles Parish Hospital. His company’s advertising revenue from gambling companies included $16,040 from Harrah’s Operating Co., plus other proceeds from truck stops.

Others reporting gambling revenue included:

4Rep. Gordon Dove, R-Houma, whose restaurant received $23,329 from a video poker company.

4Rep. Ernest Wooton, R-Belle Chasse, $16,000 from video poker firms. Wooton is chair of the House committee that oversees gambling laws.

4The husband of Sen. Ann Duplessis, D-New Orleans, was paid $43,500 by Churchill Downs Louisiana Horse Racing Co.

All 142 members of the Legislature submitted the disclosure forms by the July 1 deadline.