Summit seen as boon to N.O.

• By MARSHA SHULER
• Advocate Capitol News Bureau
• Published: Jul 22, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

• Print
• Email
• Save
• Reprints
• Twitter
• Share

• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• Facebook
• Reddit
• 

About three-fourths of Louisiana’s legislators and most of their staffs are in New Orleans this week playing host to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The annual convention of state legislators and staffs from across the nation opens today and runs through Saturday at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. The convention is expected to draw more than 6,000 participants.

The summit is expected to be a $10 million to $12 million boon for the New Orleans economy, according to statistics released by event sponsors.

State taxpayers put up $1.3 million to help underwrite the conference, and 62 other groups are listed as financial contributors. The largest contributor is AT&T Inc. which gave at least $50,000.

Senate President Joel Chaisson II, D-Destrehan, and House Speaker Jim Tucker, R-Terrytown, said the state’s investment is worth the return.

“It’s a very significant economic impact to the city, right in the middle of summer when there’s a tourism slump,” Chaisson said.

The summit will also give delegates a chance to see how much has happened in hurricane recovery, especially with tourism, but also educate attendees how much remains to be done in the New Orleans area and along the coast.

Tucker said the economic boost from conventioneers in New Orleans is one thing, but it’s more than that.

“It’s the 6,000 movers and shakers in their communities,” Tucker said. “It’s the benefit of having these people come in to see that south Louisiana is back open for business.”

New Orleans was selected as the host city for the conference back in 2001 — long before Hurricane Katrina of 2005.

After the storm, NCSL was one of the first groups saying they were willing to come back to the city, Chaisson said.

 “A lot of hard work has gone into making this a reality,” Chaisson said. “Failure was not an option.”

Of 142 sitting Louisiana legislators, 104 are attending all or part of the conference, according to information provided by the House and Senate.