HCR 124 STATE REPRESENTATIVE LARRY SELDERS HELPING THE PEOPLE

HCR 124 - To urge and request the Legislative Budgetary Control Council to study the feasibility of creating a disaster and assistance relief fund administered by the legislature.

In the last few years there has been countless severe weather episodes that inflicted hardship on families but did not meet the federal disaster declaration threshold. Over the last 20 years Louisiana has seen the nation’s costliest storms. Until we reduce our risk to all-hazards across the State of Louisiana, we need the disaster and assistance relief fund to help our people.

In 2004, a tornado struck Olla, LA and moved Northeast into Caldwell Parish. In the damage path were hardworking people that never ask for anything. The threshold to trigger the FEMA Individual Assistance was not met. I vividly remember the Caldwell Police Jury President telling his congressman, “You got money to help people in other countries, you got money to help Caldwell Parish.” I never forgot that meeting. Dale Powell was the Homeland Security Director. He did an awesome job.

A few weeks later a tornado touch down in Southern Arkansas just across the Louisiana border. There was at least one fatality and injuries. Within days Governor Huckaby could be seen helping his people with monetary assistance. The State of Arkansas has a State Disaster Relief Fund. Due to the number of tornadoes and flash floods, Arkansas needed the fund to help its citizenry in cases where the threshold for federal assistance is not met.

In Louisiana we are so fortunate to have volunteer organizations like the United Way, Salvation Army and American Red Cross. They are always there to help us. These awesome organizations do not relieve the State of Louisiana of its responsibilities to help our people.

Until Louisiana reduces its risk to all-hazards across the State, we need to establish the disaster and assistance relief fund to help our people.

Thank you, Representative Larry Selders for caring about Louisiana.

Source: Louisiana Legislative website, FEMA, NOAA and local knowledge.

Tom M.