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The 2019 legislative session has finally come to a close. For those that thought this would be a quick and uncontentious two-month session for lawmakers, boy were they wrong. This session, even without another budget crisis, did not run short on its list of roses or thorns.
There were a handful of bills that passed this session that enhanced the environment for the oil and gas sector. The oil and gas industry will be able to participate in carbon dioxide sequestration, thanks to Rep. Raymond Crews filing House Bill (HB) 163. This bill allows the Office of Conservation and the Commissioner to promulgate rules to permit carbon sequestration. This bill, now law, was a collaboration between industry, regulators, and lawmakers to provide another environmentally friendly way to deal with excess carbon while producing energy.
Additionally, LOGA worked hand in hand with Rep. Blake Miguez to provide some clarification to the tax code. Due to a “unique” interpretation of Louisiana tax codes, oil companies in three parishes have recently been assessed a property tax on goods that was previously not taxed. Thankfully, this measure passed and on the October ballot will be a constitutional amendment to provide for a property tax exemption for goods bound for the Outer Continental Shelf, providing needed clarity for Louisiana’s offshore operators.
Louisiana will also experience one of the largest infrastructure investments in decades. Thanks to the teamwork of Rep. Tanner Magee, Sen. Rick Ward, and a coalition of pro-industry and business groups, Louisiana is set to receive nearly a $700 million investment for transportation projects. The best part about this investment is we, the taxpayers, are not on the hook for the tab. Instead of using taxpayer dollars, HB 572 directs BP Deepwater settlement dollars to these infrastructure projects, like the LA1 Improvement Project that connects to Port Fourchon.
However, it was not all cheers this session. There were two bills that received approval from the House but failed to receive approval from the Senate Finance Committee. These bills, HB 188 and HB 256, looked to provide a severance tax exemption for stripper and incapable wells when the price of oil was under $75. We thank Rep. Jim Morris for his help with these bills and for his support of the oil and gas industry as he now completes his tenure as a Louisiana state representative.
Louisiana missed a huge opportunity to begin the process of cleaning up our legal system and to lower our auto insurance rates. The missed opportunity came in the defeat of HB 372, the Omnibus Premium Reduction Act of 2019 by Rep. Kirk Talbot. This piece of legislation looked to tackle our outrageous auto insurance rates by instituting common sense legal reforms. The legislation received overwhelming support in the House but would make it no further than the Senate Judiciary A committee, the “King’s Landing” of the Senate… where all tort reform measures are scorched.
Now that session has ended, we can take the time to reflect on what’s next. Louisiana ranks 50th in best states to do business and 50th in best states in the nation; those numbers are dismal. We have some of the highest auto insurance, sales tax and severance tax rates and unfortunately the oil and gas industry is all too familiar with the impact that unnecessary Legacy and Coastal lawsuits have had on our industry. It is clear that Louisiana is in need of a change in direction and in our great democracy there is no better way to make that change than by having your voice heard in the voting booth. Elections are right around the corner, now is the time to engage.

Gifford Briggs is President of the Louisiana Oil & Gas Association

ABBEVILLE – Funeral Services for Mrs. Florence Broussard Duhon, 92, will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, July 2, 2019 at David Funeral Home Chapel of Abbeville. Interment will follow at St. Mary Magdalen Cemetery.
Visitation will be held at David Funeral Home of Abbeville on Tuesday, July 2, 2019 from 9 a.m. until the time of the services with a recitation of the rosary at 11 a.m.
A native of Nunez and a resident of Abbeville, Mrs. Duhon died at 6:40 a.m. on Saturday, July 29, 2019 at Maison du Monde Nursing Home. She was the oldest of ten children and a great caregiver, a skill she learned helping her mother with her siblings. Mrs. Florence enjoyed flowers, scrapbooking, and visiting with family.
She is survived by a son, Clarence David Duhon and his wife Norma of Abbeville; a grandchild, Ashley Duhon; three great grandchildren, Mitchle, Fedor, and Leon; three brothers, Edwin Broussard, Robert Broussard, and Alcide Broussard; and three sisters, Helen Fontenot, Laura David, and Betty Wall.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Clarence Duhon; her parents, Alcide Broussard, Jr. and Eunice Hebert Broussard; a brother, George Broussard; and two sisters, Estelle Soileau and Grace Fleming.
Serving as pallbearers will be members of her friends and family.
You may sign the guest register book and/or send condolences at www.davidfuneralhhome.org
David Funeral Home of Abbeville at 2600 Charity St. (337)893-3777 will be handling the arrangements.

BREAUX BRIDGE – Shortly after 11 p.m. Thursday night, Troopers with Troop I began investigating a single-vehicle fatality crash on LA 349 near LA 347. The crash took the life of 53-year-old Shally LeBlanc.
The preliminary investigation revealed 48-year-old Johnny LeBlanc was traveling south on LA 349 in a 2010 Ford Taurus. For reasons still under investigation, LeBlanc ran off of the road to the right after he entered a left curve in the highway. His vehicle struck a ditch embankment and overturned. LeBlanc was wearing his seat belt and sustained moderate injuries. He was transported to Lafayette General Hospital by Acadian Ambulance Service. Shally LeBlanc was an unrestrained passenger in the vehicle and she sustained critical injuries. She was transported to Lafayette General Hospital by Acadian Ambulance Air Med Services where she would later succumb to her injuries. She was pronounced deceased by hospital staff.
Impairment is suspected to be a factor in this crash. A blood sample was obtained from Johnny LeBlanc and a standard toxicology test is pending through the State Police Crime Lab. Charges are also pending for LeBlanc as the investigation continues. There is no further information at this time.
Louisiana State Troopers wish to remind motorists that while not all crashes are survivable, statistics show that the chances of surviving a crash rise significantly when properly restrained. Making good choices while in motor vehicles such as never driving while impaired, always ensuring every occupant is properly restrained, and avoiding all distractions can often mean the difference between life and death.