State Rep. Phillip DeVillier, R-Eunice, is recognized by two business organziations for his pro-business voting record in the 2018 sessions.
DeVillier received a 100 percent rating from the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry and the National Federation of Independent Business.
LABI named DeVillier one of 24 Most Valuable Policymakers in its 20th edition of ratings released Aug. 21.
LABI’s Scorecard details the votes taken on 27 measures that would affect the state’s economy, employers and business climate.
DeVillier owns two businesses and admits it is easy for him to see the value of fostering business.
The state may fully fund education and TOPS, but there must be jobs for the graduates, he said.
DeVillier pointed out he also achieved a 100 percent voting record from the NFIB — National Federation of Independent Business — on small-business issues in the 2018 legislative session. He was one of 26 Louisiana legislators with the 100 percent NFIB rating.
DeVillier represents District 41, which includes Eunice and most of rural Acadia Parsh.
Stephen Waguespack, LABI president and CEO, said, “Some may find the legislation prioritized in our Scorecard surprising, given the overwhelming focus solely on the fiscal cliff narrative during the marathon of sessions this year.”
He added in the news release announcing the scores, “We were promoting a broader pro-growth agenda and remain focused on long-term solutions to our problems rather than short-term Band-Aids. Yet the issues our team tackled at the Legislature have one thing in common: they profoundly impact the ability of Louisiana employers to create jobs.”
Rankings of other area House members includes: John Stefanski, 100 percent; Julie Emerson, 100 percent; Nancy Landry, 100 percent; Blake Miguez, 100 percent; Stuart Bishop, 97 percent; Taylor Barras, 94 percent; Jean-Paul Coussan, 93 percent; Mike Huval, 93 percent; Bob Hensgens, 65 percent; Dustin Miller, 33 percent; Terry Landry, 27 percent; Cecil LeBas, 27 percent; and Vincent Pierre, 25 percent.
Rankings of Acadiana senators includes: Jonathan Perry, 84 percent; Page Cortez, 74 percent; Fred Mills, 66 percent; Eric Lafleur, 24 percent; and Gerald Boudreaux, 20 percent.
Each year LABI works with its membership to determine the issues most important to Louisiana’s economy and subsequently develop an annual Program of Work that guides policy development and advocacy efforts in Baton Rouge. The criteria outlined in the Program of Work determines the weight each piece of legislation carries throughout the session and guides the final votes selected for the annual analysis.
In 2018, LABI urged lawmakers to consider the economy as they debated solutions to the state’s fiscal challenges. In addition to tax policy, consistent with the priorities laid out in the Program of Work, LABI championed bills in 2018 to provide greater transparency on state spending through the creation of Louisiana Checkbook, improve the cost and performance of legacy state pension systems and bring more accountability to Medicaid spending.
LABI urged legislators to eliminate overly burdensome regulations that hinder job opportunities, limit frivolous lawsuits and lower auto insurance rates by allowing evidence of seat belt use in civil trials and promote entrepreneurship and affordable ridesharing statewide, the news release stated. LABI also joined a bipartisan coalition to call a limited Constitutional Convention to rewrite the governing document to better reflect the needs and vision of today’s taxpayers.
More than 2,500 bills and resolutions were filled during four legislative sessions this year, and LABI’s analysis included 27 key votes in the House and Senate indicative of pro-business stances.
The LABI rankings are available at labi.org/score-card.
