Caddo Parish lobbyist opposed bill without commission approval

(The Center Square) – A lobbyist hired by Caddo Parish testified against legislation affecting Shreveport and Bossier City, yet it remains unclear who within the administration or commission authorized the move.

Rep. Danny McCormick, R-Oil City, wrote House Bill 713, legislation curtailing the salary of the Caddo-Bossier Parishes Port Commission director so it cannot exceed the statewide average compensation of the state’s top 10 port directors.

Lawmakers rejected it this month. Port director Eric England earns approximately $474,000 annually, the highest among Louisiana’s port directors, according to a state report. McCormick told The Center Square in an earlier interview that England’s salary is excessive.

The Caddo Parish Commission did not take an official position. Their lobbyist helped derail it without the consent of the full governing body.

At a transportation hearing in Baton Rouge, where the bill died, Markey Pierré, acting as a lobbyist for the parish, said, “I represen...