Blueprint Louisiana Plan Meeting With Legislative Success
by Debbie Glover - St. Tammany News (excerpt)

Blueprint Louisiana, a citizen-driven coalition formed to help reform the state, has had success getting legislation passed during the special sessions and the first regular session of the new administration, according to SSA Consultants president and Blueprint founder Bill Slaughter.

Six areas targeted before the Legislature took office included ethics reform, pre-k through 12th grade education, health care, transportation infrastructure, workforce development and coastal wetlands/hurricane preparations.

Slaughter said Blueprint is happy at the progress made thus far. The branding of “Blueprint Louisiana” has been enormously successful on both the regional and national level in making the public aware of the citizen’s desire for reform in Louisiana.

“We are in a marathon; not a sprint” in the process of making meaningful changes in the state,” he said.

Jimmy Maurin, a Northshore Blueprint regional board member, said the group is self-supporting and doing its work purely from private contributions. Slaughter added the group has been offered funding from groups and industries but has refused in order to accomplish goals set by individuals and not fulfill an industry’s agenda.