BATON ROUGE, La. (KLFY) -- A freshman state representative from New Iberia will be heading the Acadiana Legislative Delegation (ALD) this year, after being voted in unanimously this week.
Dist. 48 State Rep. Gerald "Beau" Beaullieu serves parts of Iberia, Lafayette, and St. Martin parishes. He also serves as vice-chair of the Ways and Means Committee and also serves on the House and Governmental Affairs Committee.
“We’re facing a lot of issues in Acadiana that can be addressed by the Legislature – the Highway Priority Program, coastal erosion and hurricane protection and cleanup,” Beaullieu said. “These are big priorities for us. With the recent hurricanes, there’s still a lot of work to be done.”
Other projects are also important to the region, he said.
“Completing the I-49 Corridor is huge, as is the Morganza to the Gulf flood protection program that runs right through Acadiana," said Beaullieu. “The people of Acadiana are the happiest and hardest working people in our nation. It’s an honor to serve our people back home.”
Beaullieu replaces five-time (ALD) leader State Rep. Mike Huval, who will now serve as the delegation's vice-chair. State Rep. Marcus Bryant, D-New Iberia, was elected as secretary-treasurer.
Beaullieu appointed six members to serve on the Executive Committee, including: Representatives Vincent Pierre, D-Lafayette; Jonathan Goudeau, R-Lafayette; and Rhonda Butler, R-Ville Platte; and Senators Jeremy Stine, R-Lake Charles; Heather Cloud, R-Ville Platte; and Gerald Boudreaux, D-Lafayette.
Formed in 1979, the Acadiana Delegation consists of 36 House members and 13 Senate members elected from the 22 parishes recognized by the state as the Acadiana Region.
