[Kreweoftruth] To a Great 2021 from Rep. Matthew Willard

[kreweoftruth at kreweoftruth.net]

  Looking back on 2020, looking forward to 2021  
|  
|  
| 
|  
|    |

  |


|  
|  Hello Friends,

I hope that all of you are enjoying this holiday season and that you and your families are staying safe and remaining healthy. 2020 has been a year for the record books, and I certainly never thought that my first year as an elected official would occur during a global pandemic. I decided to run for office in 2019 to give our working families, small businesses, and children a strong voice in Baton Rouge. However, this year provided new opportunities for service, beyond the traditional roles of a legislator. 

I am very proud of the work my Legislative Assistant, Courtney Moran, and I have put forth in 2020. We helped more than fifty individuals secure unemployment benefits, assisted many families with Sewerage and Water Board billing and drainage issues, provided the community with thousands of masks and bottles of hand sanitizer, stood up nearly a dozen food pantries, facilitated sandbag giveaways during hurricane season, and organized a holiday toy drive and giveaway. 

As a freshman legislator, I already have one Regular Session and two Extraordinary Sessions under my belt. I had bills go all the way through the process and get signed into law by the Governor, and I also had a few bills that died in committee. There is more information about my legislative accomplishments and work in the community below. Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office if we can ever assist you.  |

  |

 |

  |
|  
| 
|  
|    |

  |


|  
|  
Legislative Spotlight
  |

  |


|  
|    |

  |


|  
|  To provide the families of Louisiana the protections they deserve, I authored HB 832, HB 576, and HB 93. HB 832 would have provided five days of paid sick leave to most Louisiana workers. HB 576 would have enacted five new rules to help people feel more secure about their personal voter registration status and alleviate public concerns about voter purging. HB 93 would have created a workshare unemployment program to save jobs when the economy or industry sectors begin to plummet. This year proved beyond a doubt that measures like these are absolutely necessary, but HB 832 and HB 576 were blocked in committee. HB 93 passed the House unanimously, but was later blocked by the Senate and also failed to pass.

One of my most rewarding legislative accomplishments this year was the opportunity to work directly with a constituent of District 97 who reached out after his father passed away from COVID-19 in a VA nursing home. We partnered with the Alzheimer’s Association, and I authored HR 19, which passed the House unanimously. HR 19 helped protect the most vulnerable Louisiana citizens by directing LDH and the Department of Veterans Affairs to implement policies for the health and safety of long-term care facility residents. You can read the full resolution here.

HB 514 became my first bill signed into law by Governor Edwards. It provided a necessary framework for local governments to regulate the popular electric bikes enjoyed by many across our State.

If you know me, you know that I love to discuss innovation, economic diversity, and making investments in Louisiana to better position us for the jobs of the future. Thus, I wanted to tell you about a couple of Senate bills that passed this year. One is SB 4 which extended the R&D tax credit to 2025, and the other is SB 24. This bill created a new program within the Angel Investor tax credit that applies to Angel investments made in Opportunity Zones, and it extended the sunset to 2025. These bills will continue to help foster innovation and spur Louisiana entrepreneurship.  

In a legislative session shortened by a pandemic that limited the people’s ability to voice their concerns and priorities, Democrats stood up for the working families and small businesses of Louisiana. Thanks to the House Democratic Caucus, HB 70 by Rep. Jenkins granted essential workers on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic a $250 bonus as a sign of our gratitude.  |

  |


|  
|    |

  |


|  
|  
Community Service
  |

  |


|  
|    |

  |


|  
|  
|  2020 was a tough year for everyone, which is why I organized several drive-through food pantries to help those in need. Members of the community showed up each time to volunteer, and together, we distributed thousands of meals to families. I want to extend a special thanks to Second Harvest Food Bank for making the food pantries possible and for all they do to keep South Louisiana fed.  |

  |

  |


|  
|    |

  |


|  
|    |

  |


|  
|  
|  We also held a few sandbag giveaways for anyone seeking additional protection for their homes as we faced a record-breaking five named storms in south Louisiana this year.  |

  |

  |


|  
|    |

  |


|  
|    |

  |


|  
|  
|  Due to an overwhelming response from the community, I held a successful Christmas Toy Giveaway, and every child received at least one toy! Once again, New Orleanians showed up and brightened this Christmas for hundreds of children.  |

  |

  |


|  
|    |

  |


|  
|    |

  |


|  
|  
|  I had so many incredible opportunities to be of service this year, in District 97 and beyond. I started off the year by visiting the amazing children at KIPP Believe. I spent several weekends in Lake Charles helping in the recovery effort after the havoc wreaked by Hurricane Laura. I participated in a clean-up event at the Sankofa Wetland Park in the 9th Ward, and I donated blood when The Blood Center's supply was dangerously low due to the pandemic.   |

  |

  |


|  
|    |

  |


|  
|  
Closing Thoughts
  |

  |


|  
|  
|  To our frontline workers who continue to show up day after day to save us, protect us, and keep our communities going, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You sacrificed so much this year, and it did not go unnoticed.  

I also want to send a special thanks to my pastor, Father Anthony Bozeman, SSJ, at St. Raymond/St. Leo the Great Catholic Church, whose council, spiritual guidance, and altruism have been essential, especially during this year. I wish Father Bozeman many blessings as he heads to California next month to lead a new congregation. He will certainly be missed!

Finally, I would like to take a moment to remember Louisiana State Representative, Reggie Bagala, a fellow freshman legislator who lost his life to COVID-19. Especially during this holiday season, please continue to protect yourself and your loved ones by wearing a mask and social distancing.

It has been an honor to serve as your State Representative this year. Fighting for you in Baton Rouge, celebrating your successes in the community, showing up to help when disaster struck, advocating for causes in which our community believes, handling more than 100 constituent requests – every bit of it was a privilege. I look forward to continuing this work for you next year and for many to come!  |

  |

  |


|  
|  
|  Sincerely,

Matthew Willard
LA State Representative, District 97  |

  |

  |

 |

  |
|  
| 
|  
|  
|  
|  
|  
|  
|    |

  |

  |

 
|  
|  
|    |

  |

  |

 
|  
|  
|    |

  |

  |

 
|  
|  
|    |

  |

  |

 
|  
|  
|    |

  |

  |

  |

  |

  |

  |


|  
|    |

  |


|  
|  Copyright © 2020 Matthew Willard Campaign, All rights reserved. |

  |

 |

  |

  |

  
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://pairlist9.pair.net/pipermail/kreweoftruth/attachments/20201230/fc8c3f30/attachment-0001.html>