NAME: Jean-Paul (JP) Jude Morrell
CONTACT INFORMATION FOR PUBLICATION:
Address: 1660 Treasure Street; New Orleans, LA 70119
Phone: (504) 943-6520
FAX: (504) 944-0798
Email: jpmorrellforrep@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.jpmorrell.com
PARTY AFFILIATION: Democrat
PROFESSION: Attorney
PRESENT EMPLOYER/POSITION (if self-employed, what type of business)
Law Partner, Morrell & Morrell, L.L.C.
HIGHEST LEVEL OF EDUCATION (include graduation date):
Juris Doctorate, Tulane Law (2004)
APPLICABLE TRAINING:
Tulane Law School, Legislative Advocacy Clinic (2003)
Staff Intern, Senator John Breaux, United States Senate (2001)
Public Defender, Office of Indigent Public Defender (2004)
CIVIC EXPERIENCE:
Member, Board of Directors, DesireNOLA (http://www.desirenola.org) (2005-Present)
Creative Writing Teachers, Art Without A Roof (AWAR), New Orleans Public Schools; Homeless Education Program (Summer 1998-Summer 2000)
Pontilly Collaborative Visioning Charrette, Organization and Planning Committee (2005)
Advocacy Attorney, Gentilly Civic Improvement Association (GCIA) (2005-Present)
POLITICAL EXPERIENCE AND POLITICAL ORGANIZATION MEMBERSHIPS:
Member, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (N.A.A.C.P.); New Orleans Branch
1. What are your top three priorities for this office?
First, I will protect the rights of homeowners, ensuring that our fundamental rights are not compromised in the rush to rebuild. Second, we must promote law and order, so that the state lives up to it's obligation to fund our criminal justice system to effectively reduce crime. Lastly, we must create coalitions within the legislature, beyond party and geographical lines, to make sure important local bills become law.
2. What will you do to implement your priorities?
In regards to my first priority, I will ensure that land use decisions are retained largely by individuals and local government, I do not believe that it serves our interest to have the Louisiana legislature regulate development in the city whose representatives make up a minority of a larger body. Additionally, there has been a troubling trend around the country, where privately owned property is being seized by state and local government on behalf of land developers. I will ensure that homeowners are not forced out of their homes for strip malls.
Regarding my second priority, I will ensure that our courts are adequately funded; especially the Office of the District Attorney as well as the Orleans Public Defenders, so the accused can be processed swiftly and fairly. Furthermore, I will seek additional pay raises for our firemen, police officers and EMTs as they are some of the lowest paid metropolitan emergency personnel in the region.
My last priority is very unique to the legislative process. In order to be an effective legislator you have to be able to create coalitions and relationships within the legislature to get the 51% necessary to pass legislation. I have the knowledge, experience and determination to bring home results at the Louisiana Legislature.
3. What kind of legislation would you propose to promote economic recovery in the 97th District?
First, and foremost, I would push legislation to provide additional funding to help our Public, Recovery and Charter schools succeed in New Orleans. Almost every function of our society that challenges business in our community, Crime, Lack of Employees and Cost of Doing Business is directly aggravated by the lack of affordable education in this city. Kids who don't go to school become criminals. An uneducated populace doesn't have enough skilled workers to attract major companies. Private tuition, when factored into an employment package, makes relocating ideal employees problematic, if not impossible. I would support education in every way possible and, in doing so, promote economic recovery in District 97. Common sense would also dictate that residents will not return, as a whole, until the educational crisis is resolved and without a populace to provide employees and customers, businesses cannot function.
I would also work to create additional tax incentives for larger businesses and promote legislation to instruct small businesses as to how they can apply for the various federal and private grants available for the costly rebuilding process.
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