Passing the torch: Exiting Louisiana House Speaker Jim Tucker is advising rookie House members to avoid the pitfalls of partisan politics. Tucker’s advice came Tuesday in the opening of a legislative orientation session. Tucker told incoming lawmakers, “You don’t move the state forward through partisanship. There are ways to make it work with the other side.” The Republican from Terrytown—who was a vocal and often-partisan critic of former Gov. Kathleen Blanco when he was chairman of the House Republican delegation—says he has realized all points of view are important and should be accommodated. He also advised new members not to hold grudges and to always keep the voters at home in mind. Tucker’s term ends Jan. 9.
By design: The Baton Rouge Area Chamber today announced it has received an American Graphic Design award and a silver award in the Creativity International Awards competition for its 2010 annual report. Catalyst, BRAC’s quarterly publication on the Creative Capital Agenda, also received an American Graphic Design award. The annual report and quarterly Catalyst are produced in partnership with Object 9, a marketing and graphic design firm based in the Baton Rouge area. The American Graphic Design awards are given annually by the editors of Graphic Design USA. The 40-year-old competition honors exceptional new work in a variety of categories and is open to anyone in the graphic design industry. There are 23 categories available for submission.
Making them whole: A Chinese drywall manufacturer has agreed to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to settle court claims by thousands of Gulf Coast property owners who blame the product for damaging their homes. A settlement announced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Eldon Fallon calls for Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin Co. to create an uncapped fund to pay for repairs in an estimated 4,500 homes, mostly in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Russ Herman, lead attorney for the plaintiffs, says the estimated value of the settlement is between $800 million and $1 billion. Herman says 55% of the people who would benefit from the settlement live in Florida and 35% in Louisiana. Fallon must sign off on the settlement before any money is distributed.
