"Senate panel backs Louisiana cargo airport"

Monday, August 20, 2007

Senate panel backs airport 
Supporters tout potential of economic development project 
BY WILL SENTELL
The Baton Rouge (LA) Advocate 


Despite lingering criticism of a secrecy provision, a Senate panel Thursday
approved a bill aimed at improving chances for construction of a cargo
airport near Donaldsonville.

The measure, House Bill 841, next faces action in the full Senate. The
legislation has already passed the House.

The proposal revamps some of the powers of the Louisiana Airport Authority,
which is leading the push for the airport, and would expand the panel from
27 to 30 members.

The bill stems from the longtime push to build a $4.4 billion cargo airport
that spans parts of Iberville, Ascension and Assumption parishes.

Backers say it could be the biggest economic development project in state
history. Opponents contend the plan enjoys little support and has failed to
attract private dollars needed to make it happen.

The legislation triggered heavy criticism in the Senate Transportation
Committee last week, including charges that it would put too much
information off limits to the public.

The bill passed the House with a provision that would allow state records
that deal with negotiations on land acquisition, planning, design,
construction and leasing to remain secret until talks are concluded.

Most of that language was stripped from the bill.

However, the committee approved a new section sought by the authority that
would permit an exception to the state's public records law.

It would allow the identity of a firm involved in negotiations related to
airport construction, and that firm's trade secrets, to be put off limits to
the public.

LAA officials said the exception is needed to prevent a company from having
key information exposed to competitors in the course of talks on the
Louisiana project.

Rep. Roy Quezaire, D-Donaldsonville and sponsor of the bill, said he was
willing to drop most of the earlier secrecy provisions in the measure.

"We don't see any problems with it," Quezaire said of the latest version.

John Evans, president of Citizens Against Land Grabbers, asked the committee
to shelve the measure.

"I believe this is just bad legislation," Evans said. "Even amended, even
run through the washing machine, we think the entire bill should be done
away with."

Carl Redman, executive editor of The Advocate newspaper, also criticized the
revamped bill.

"We still don't like the idea of the secrecy," said Redman, who also
represented the Louisiana Press Association.

Redman said language in the bill aimed at helping companies protect trade
secrets needs more work. He said it could be interpreted to mean that the
firms do not have to be identified.

 Do you have an opinion about this story?
Share it with other readers in our CAA Discussion Forums

http://www.californiaaviation.org/dcfp/dcboard.php


*****************************************