EDITORIAL: Why Not Be Best?
News Star (excerpt)

Gov. Bobby Jindal's "victory tour" — it included a Wednesday stop in Monroe — may well be deserved.

After all, the new governor campaigned successfully in the 2007 gubernatorial race on ethics reform, presented an ambitious agenda for a special legislative session on the issue, then worked with key leaders in both houses to pass much of what he proposed. If he never achieves another thing in four years (oh, we suspect he will), he may have accomplished more good in a month than many governors do in a term.

That's why the governor is entitled to celebrate. Others among his supporters may watch warily to see how the bills will work in practice, but so far, it looks so good.

The governor's belief and the people's fervent hope is that the successful legislative package will elevate Louisiana among the nation's elite states for clean government. The Center for Public Integrity quickly gave the new laws high grades, best in the nation in public disclosure for legislators.

Jindal said Wednesday the legislation that increased mandated disclosure for elected officials and lobbyists and bars lawmakers from doing business with the state sets the stage for everything else he wishes to accomplish.