Ala., Miss., La. Black Lawmakers Mull Hurricane Recovery Policy

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Black lawmakers from Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama say the three states should work together – rather than against each other – on issues such as hurricane recovery.

“We can all empathize with each other,” Louisiana Rep. Arthur A. Morrell, D-New Orleans, said Tuesday at the Mississippi Capitol.

Seven members of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus and at least one from Alabama were in Jackson on the opening day of the 2006 Mississippi legislative session.

All three states were hit hard by Hurricane Katrina, which swept ashore Aug. 29. The storm killed more than 1,300 people, most in Louisiana. It also left tens of thousands of people homeless and destroyed hundreds of businesses.

Mississippi state Rep. Mary Coleman, D-Jackson, is president of the National Caucus of Black State Legislators. She told The Associated Press that lawmakers from the three states will discuss bills that could be introduced discussed in each states’ Legislature. No details were available Tuesday.

The chairman of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus – Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-New Orleans – said Katrina “highlighted and magnified” some of the issues black lawmakers deal with in all three states. He said among those are education, health care, poverty and education.

Alabama state Sen. Bobby Singleton, D-Greensboro, said the three states are in a “hurricane or tornado alley.”

“We are in need of help in these areas,” Singleton said. “We want to make sure that we are giving the least among us the opportunity to be safe.”