Ervin, 20, is a graduate of Pope John Paul II High School and is completing his junior year at Tulane. He is the son of Sidney and Jessica Ervin of Lacombe.

Ervin was selected by a citizen committee appointed by Rep. Hollis in February and consisting of Carlo Hernandez, Joy Velez, Dale Neale and Gwen Aucoin. At its first meeting, the Scholarship Committee decided to award the scholarship to a student from District 104. Ervin completed a written application and interview process, rising to the top of the applicant pool.

Maintaining a 3.7 GPA, Ervin is majoring in anthropology, English, and gender and sexuality studies and minoring in psychology. He has also been extensively involved in campus life, working as a Resident Adviser and serving as Historian of the Student Alumni Ambassadors, and as a Class Representative within the Tulane-Newcomb Student Art Association. He has organized and participated in campus-wide recycling initiatives, and was part of a successful student-led movement to bring more vegan/vegetarian dining options to campus. He is a member of the Tulane Executive Media Council, President of the Tulane Literary Society, Treasurer of the Newcomb Sexuality and Gender Alliance, and Art Editor of The Tulane Review, for which he was recently selected to be editor-in-chief. Upon graduation in 2013, he plans to attend law school.

“Jason’s impressive academic record and obvious interest in improving the lives of others make him an ideal recipient of this scholarship, and I’m very pleased with the Committee’s selection,” Hollis said. “He is the kind of leader who can go on to great things and, moreover, is already an inspiration to many others. I’m proud to award Jason my Legislative Scholarship for the 2012-13 academic year.”

Students who have been accepted to Tulane University are eligible for the Legislative Scholarship. Because Ervin will graduate in 2013, Hollis’ scholarship will be available again next year. Interested students who reside in District 104 can call Hollis’ District Office at 985-871-4680, and should sign up at www.PaulHollis.com for email alerts about the scholarship process next year.

2012 Louisiana Hurricane Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday
Saturday, May 26 & Sunday, May 27

Louisiana Revised Statute 47:305.58 provides for an annual state sales tax holiday on sales of hurricane-preparedness items or supplies made on the last Saturday and Sunday of each May. During the two-day annual holiday, tax-free purchases are authorized on the first $1,500 of the sales price of each of the following items:

• portable self-powered light source;
• portable self-powered radio, two-way radio, or weather band radio;
• tarpaulin or other flexible waterproof sheeting;
• any ground anchor system or tie-down kit;
• any gas or diesel fuel tank;
• any package of AAA-cell, AA-cell, C-cell, D-cell, 6-volt, or 9-volt batteries, excluding automobile and boat batteries;
• any cellular phone battery and any cellular phone charger;
• any non-electric food storage cooler;
• any portable generator used to provide light or communications or preserve food in the event of a power outage;
• any “storm shutter device,” as defined in the Act;
• any carbon monoxide detector; and
• any blue ice product.

La. R.S. 47:301(10)(ee), and 301(18)(o), as enacted by Act 462 of the 2007 Regular Session, provide a permanent state sales and use tax exclusion for storm shutter devices. La. R.S. 47:337.10(m) authorizes, but does not require, political subdivisions of the state to provide a similar exclusion from their sales and use taxes. Accordingly, the state sales tax exemption on storm shutter devices is not limited to the two days of the sales tax holiday. The term “storm shutter device” is defined for purposes of both the holiday and the permanent exclusion as materials and products manufactured, rated, and marketed specifically for the purposes of preventing window damage from storms.

Conditions for Exemption

The following activities will be eligible during the two days of each annual holiday for the sales tax exemption:

• buying and accepting delivery of eligible hurricane-preparedness items or supplies;
• placing eligible items or supplies on layaway;
• making final payment on and withdrawing eligible items or supplies previously placed on layaway; or
• ordering an eligible item for immediate delivery, even if delivery must be delayed, provided that the customer has not requested delayed shipment.

Special Provisions

The Act provides that:

• The exemption is allowed on both inputs to and withdrawals from layaway.
• Purchases of eligible items or supplies during the holiday with “rain checks” issued before the holiday are eligible for exemption, but purchases after the holiday with “rain checks” issued during the holiday are not eligible for exemption;
• Orders for immediate shipment are eligible for exemption even if the shipment is after the holiday, provided that the customer does not request delayed shipment;
• The post-holiday exchange of merchandise to effectuate changes in size, color, or correction of defects does not create a tax liability, but exchanges after the holiday for dissimilar items will be considered the purchase of new property on which the sales tax will be payable;
• For a 60-day period after the holiday, dealers who issue refund or credit for the return of merchandise that was eligible for sales tax exemption during the holiday can issue refund or credit for the state sales tax on that returned merchandise only if the customers returning the property have receipts showing that the tax was actually paid on the original purchases, or the dealers are otherwise able to document that the state sales tax was paid on the original purchases.

The sales tax holiday does not extend to hurricane-preparedness items or supplies purchased at any airport, public lodging establishment or hotel, convenience store, or entertainment complex. Since these terms are not defined by La. R.S. 47:305.58 the department has published a rule, LAC 61:I.4423, to define the terms.

The 2012 sales tax holiday will begin at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, May 26 and conclude at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, May 27.

Return Filing Procedures 

Retailers should report exempt sales on Line 24 of the Sales Tax Return (R-1029).

No taxpayer dollars were used in the creation or distribution of this message.

BATON ROUGE — Lawmakers will convene Monday in the Capitol to begin a legislative session to consider what Gov. Bobby Jindal described Friday as “a very aggressive agenda” that includes overhauling the state’s education and pension systems and approving a state budget. Lawmakers have filed more than 1,500 bills to consider during the session, which starts at noon and, by law, must end by 6 p.m. on June 4.

While Jindal’s proposals will generate the most intense attention, a panoply of other bills could surface as lightning rods, from a measure that would allow the governor to send the National Guard to New Orleans when the murder rate spikes, to proposals to increase the fines for texting while driving and to more strictly regulate traffic cameras.

Other bills less likely to stir the public imagination, but with the potential to have lasting impacts, include those that force lawmakers to wait two years before taking a government job, term limits for all statewide officials and propose a constitutional amendment to largely take redistricting out of the hands of the Legislature.

For lawmakers, the first battles of the session will likely be over Jindal’s education package. Before they even have time to warm their seats, the House Education committee will take up the three bills that make up the plan Wednesday.

Jindal has for months traveled the state hailing his schools agenda as a way to remake education and improve student performance through two principles: better teachers and more empowered parents. His opponents, Jindal said, represent “the coalition of the status quo that has failed our children.”

“It’s not about the next election,” Jindal said. “It’s about the next generation.”

Besides expressing doubts about the legality of Jindal’s approach, Louisiana Federation of Teachers President Steve Monaghan said the governor’s agenda is logically inconsistent, because tenure changes are tired to high-stakes testing for students, while vouchers would allow students to take public money to private schools where teachers and students are not evaluated the same way.

“Teachers are professionals who want to be accountable to students and to the public,” Monaghan said. “But we want to be involved in the process.”

Politically speaking, Jindal ally Conrad Appel, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, said the session represents “a perfect political storm” for Jindal to succeed: a popular governor was re-elected; he’s joined by a friendly Legislature; and he’s attacking a system the public deems a failure

The state teachers unions — the Louisiana Federation of Teachers and the Louisiana Association of Educators — have drawn a line in the sand on the voucher proposals in particular. The groups say that it is an unconstitutional overreach to route the Minimum Foundation Program financing formula to private schools and for the Legislature effectively to override local tax earmarks that direct revenue streams to public schools through the MFP formula.

The unions, however, face diminished influence in a Legislature now controlled by Republicans and even some Democrats who have lined up largely behind the governor’s strategy, even if debate remains over some of the details. That could make the unions a bigger player in a future court challenge than they may end up being in the session.

The unions have thus far not focused their public ire on Jindal’s tenure changes, which allow the firing of any teacher — tenured or otherwise — the first year that they rank “ineffective” on their evaluations.

Besides the union concerns, lawmakers are certain to hear from local school board members who do not want to lose funding to private schools through the voucher programs. John White, the new state superintendent of education, has downplayed the effects of the voucher program. Jindal’s proposed eligibility standards could affect as many as 380,000 students, but White has said that only a 2,000 spots are likely to be available in private schools.

Other lobbying interests from the business community and network of nonpartisan government watchdog organizations have praised the governor’s plans while critics and others have questioned why the public school testing and accountability measures are not being applied to private and charter schools that get public money.

Sen. Ben Nevers, D-Bagolusa, is sponsoring bills that would impose those accountability standards and also limit the voucher scholarship to the state portion of the per-pupil spending, thus allowing public systems to keep all local tax revenues. Jindal, joined by the Louisiana Family Forum, has said that only the voucher students should be tested, with the participating private schools not assigned a public accountability letter grade like their public counterparts. That’s the same tact Jindal used in the 2008 legislative fight to win approval for the Orleans pilot scholarship program.

Education may have generated the most discussion prior to the session, but Jindal’s proposed pension overhaul is the issue giving lawmakers heartburn. Jindal’s plan calls for raising the retirement age for state employees, some of whom would now be eligible to retire at 55, to 67; increasing employee contributions to their pension plans from 8 percent to 11 percent; and placing new employees in a “cash balance plan” similar to a 401(k) but that would protect them from market downturns.

Teachers and hazardous duty employees have been exempted from the adjustments.

The changes, which are opposed by the boards of the Louisiana State Employees Retirement System and Teacher’s Retirement System of Louisiana, are aimed at immediate budget savings and eventually reducing the $18.5 billion gap between the amount of money in the four retirement systems that cover state employees and the amount actuaries predict is necessary to cover retirement costs. About half that gap, known as the “unfunded accrued liability,” is due to underfunding of the systems by previous legislatures and most of the balance is due to poor market performance in recent years. The state is now constitutionally mandated to pay off its debt by 2029.

But without adjustments, Jindal said Friday that the scheduled payments could eventually “crowd out” other priorities such as education and health care.

Administration officials have projected the changes could save the state $450 million in the first year, money that is largely being funneled into balancing the budget.

Lawmakers across the state say they have been swamped with calls from employees and their relatives opposing the pension plan. One of the top concerns is whether it is fair to change the terms of retirement for employees who are already in the system and whether, if such a plan is enacted, it would lead to a mass exodus of state workers.

Some legislators also have questioned whether Jindal’s plan runs afoul of constitutional provisions that protect retirement benefits and that the changes could lead to lawsuits. Administration officials have said they believe their plan is constitutional.

“It is a heated argument,” House Retirement Committee Chairman Keven Pearson, R-Slidell, said. “I’ve got to say the proposals are bold and need to be discussed and everything needs to be considered.”

Casting its shadow over all the issues of the session will be House Bill 1, which establishes the state budget for the next year. Jindal’s $25.5 billion proposal would cut about 6,370 state jobs, 2,720 of which are filled, and calls for privatizing portions of state government.

Top on the privatization list are the Avoyelles Correctional Center in Cottonport and the J. Levy Dabadie Correctional Center in Pineville, which would be combined and sold to a private firm. The plan also calls for closing mental health facilities in Tangipahoa and Shreveport and outsourcing a portion of the office that oversees benefits for state employees.

Higher education funding would remain stable in the budget and the Department of Health and Hospitals would see an increase, paid for in part by one-time money, that would be used to tap additional Medicaid money that is available from the federal government.

The plan also anticipates the expiration of tolls on the Crescent City Connection, the privatization of the Algiers, Gretna and Chalmette ferries and the elimination of ferries Reserve and White Castle.

But because much of the budget depends on the passage of the pension bills, lawmakers may find themselves crunched if those plans do not come to fruition.

“I think they are playing Russian roulette,” Pearson said of building the budget around the pension bills.

The La. Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LYAC) is seeking to honor some of the state’s great young leaders. Nomination forms are now available for the youth council’s second year of Leadership Awards. The award was designed by the members of LYAC to recognize young leaders who serve as a positive example to other teens, achieve a significant civic accomplishment at school or in the community, demonstrate outstanding youth leadership, and promote responsible citizenship. The award is a unique peer-to-peer honor, whereby certificates of recognition will be presented by the youth of LYAC to a young leader from each congressional district in the state and one statewide winner.

Nominees must be a high school student,14 to 19 years of age and a Louisiana resident. Anyone, except a LYAC member or his/her immediate family, may nominate a teen.

LYAC MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION (deadline is March 15, 2012):

The Louisiana Legislative Youth Advisory Council (LYAC) is now accepting applications for Membership from high school students who have an interest in representing the voices of other young people around the state. LYAC is a yearly-appointed body composed entirely of students that addresses issues affecting the youth of Louisiana.

State lawmakers created the Legislative Youth Advisory Council in state law during the 2007 Regular Session.  Now in its fourth year, the purpose of the youth council is to facilitate the communication between youth and the legislature and to give students a unique opportunity to be involved in the workings of state government. The 21-member body studies and addresses issues of importance to young people, including education, community service, employment, strategies to increase youth participation in government, safe environments for youth, substance abuse, underage drinking, and youth health and physical fitness, as well as other issues.

Members of the council are selected from a wide pool of applicants from around the state who display a strong interest in civic involvement. Two student members are selected from each of the congressional districts and seven additional youth members are appointed to represent a school-sponsored or community service club or organization which has a civic mission. Members must be 14 to 19 years of age and enrolled in a public or private high school, a home school, or participating in a GED skills program during the 2012-2013 school year.

Applicants may apply online or complete the PDF application and mail to the address listed on the application. Both applications may be accessed at http://civiced.louisiana.gov. For additional information regarding the Council’s activities, call Sherri Breaux at (225) 342-6145.

Click here to download nomination form

Click here to download application

Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL — Paul Hollis feels like he is at the starting gate to a four year race.
Hollis was elected in October to become the District 104 state representative to the Louisiana Legislature, and is already off-and-running to serve for the first time in political office.Not that he doesn’t have some idea of what to expect, however, since his father was well known statewide as a Louisiana Senator. Ken Hollis served as a New Orleans area state rep before passing away in 2010 from cancer, but not before making a huge impact on his son. “My dad took me to the Senate chambers when I was a teen and it had a huge impact on me,” Hollis said. “I knew 15 years ago that I wanted to serve in public office.”

Hollis, 39, is a rare coins collector by trade and has been successful in that business, allowing him the freedom to serve as a state representative. “This is supposed to be a part-time job, but I know it can easily take up enough hours to be full-time, if you let it,” he said. “I want to serve as the front line connection for citizens to know they have a link to state government, and get help for the things they need. I want to be very responsive to my constituents when they contact me with problems or issues.” Hollis said he was affected so much by what he saw his father do that he wants to be the same kind of state lawmaker. “I was always so proud of my dad since I think he made a very positive impact on the world,” he said. “I see political service as a very honorable thing—to serve your fellow man.” Hollis has a political science degree, but said he got interested in collecting rare coins when he was young, after his grandmother gave him a Great Depression Peace Dollar coin that was made in 1923.

After graduating from LSU, he went to work for Blanchard & Company, a rare coins dealer, before stepping out with his own coin company in 2003, Paul Hollis Rare Coins. “When I got an interview with Blanchard & Company, I was told to be there at 6 a.m. for the job interview. I figured it was their way to weed out the bad employees since they must have thought that anyone who would show up in a suit at 6 a.m. must be willing to work,” he said. Hollis said he was asked “how much do you know about rare coins?” His response was “add up everything all your employees know and I probably know more than all of them.” He said the response was a bit of a joke, but not far off the truth since he had studied coins extensively since starting his own collection as a child.
He wants to bring the passion he has for rare coins into the state rep position, and still believes that public office can be seen in a positive light. “I know the bad politicians get the attention and headlines, but I believe there are so many more good people serving, even if they don’t get the attention,” he explained.

When he decided to run this past season, he said it was quickly confirmed that public office was right for him.
“I found that I loved being on the campaign trail, talking to people and giving them answers on issues,” he said. “I knew very quickly that I had the proper DNA to campaign.” While he admits he is still in the learning stage as a state lawmaker, he is adamant about government allowing business to do what it does best. “The number one issue to me is less government and no new taxes. Government needs to get out of the way and allow business to operate,” he said. “There are too many tedious regulations. I believe in the free enterprise system.” He has already met with other members of the St. Tammany state delegation and will be a part of a weekend retreat with all of them on January 20. “I still want to get the lay of the land, but ultimately, our job should be to make Louisiana as business friendly as possible,” he said. “This is a tough economy so we want to provide a framework so business can be successful.”

Hollis said he still starts each day having to pinch himself to realize he is now a state representative, like his father was.
“I think about it a lot,” he said. “And I still get a kick out of knowing I’m about to go to Baton Rouge as a state lawmaker when I’m just a normal guy like everyone else.”Hollis is married with an 8-year-old daughter.

January 6, 2012                  By John Maginnis

Hollis Follows Father to Legislature

   From when he was boy standing in the back of the Senate chamber, Paul Hollis knew he wanted to be a legislator like his father, late Sen. Ken Hollis.

Redistricting gave him the opportunity in the new St. Tammany Parish seat, District 104. “The second I found out about it I started running as hard as I could,” he said, eventually lending his campaign $180,000 and raising $61,000 more.

He won by beating fellow Republican Chris Trahan in the primary, 56-44 percent. The race was amiable (“At debates, I was clapping for the man,” he said) until Trahan attacked his position on the income tax repeal bill. Hollis said he supported an amendment by Sen. Jack Donahue to offset the repeal with specified spending cuts.

Hollis, 41, brings to public service a keen knowledge of money, the real thing, as a dealer in rare coins. His grandmother’s gift to him when he was 6 of a coin from the Depression was a “defining moment,” which led to his career after graduating from LSU. As part of the state’s bicentennial celebration later this year, he has arranged to borrow rare coins worth over $1 million to be displayed in the Old State Capitol.

As for committee assignments, he said, “I didn’t recognize how competitive it would be to be on Appropriations.” But he believes “a numbers guy like me” would be useful on Insurance or Retirement.

As you probably heard last night, we won with 56 percent of the vote!

I cannot thank you all enough for the support, encouragement and prayers that sustained me and our team during this difficult process. Taking on this challenge was about more than just winning; it has been my lifelong desire to serve Louisiana in elected office, and I am so humbled by the support of the voters.

To say I’m excited at this outcome would be an understatement. I’m thankful to God, to my family, and to all who believed in me – a political unknown with a deep desire to serve the people. I look forward to the coming weeks of transition and to beginning my work for the people of District 104.

As always, I am accessible to you. Your ideas, opinions and concerns matter to me, and I hope you will always feel free to reach out and let me know what’s on your mind. Please continue to keep us in your prayers as we move forward into the next Legislature and begin tackling the hefty issues that face our great state.

Sincerely,
Paul

Lacombe, LA – Citing common views on job creation and business development, SOUTHPAC, one of the four political action arms of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI) yesterday announced its support for Paul Hollis in his race for State Representative, District 104. Following this important endorsement, Paul Hollis issued the following statements:

“It is an honor to receive the strong support and endorsement of SOUTHPAC in the final weeks of my campaign for State Representative.

“As a small business owner, I see the impact the struggling economy has had on families in our state. We need to bring new jobs to Louisiana and keep the ones we have. As District 104′s next State Representative, I will work tirelessly in Baton Rouge to foster a pro-business, pro-jobs environment by reducing burdensome regulations and lowering taxes on both businesses and families.

“With the help of key pro-business organizations like the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, we can get Louisiana working again.”

SOUTHPAC is one of four geographically situated political action committees that serve as the political action arm of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI). They help elect conservative, pro-business candidates for legislative and other state offices.

For more information on Paul Hollis, visit www.PaulHollis.com, Facebook.com/ElectPaulHollis, or Twitter @VotePaulHollis.

House District 104 candidate Paul Hollis said the decision by the state Senate to order further study before initiating a phase-out of income taxes is a wise course, and the House should follow suit.

On Tuesday, the Senate passed SB 259, an instrument that would phase-out the state income tax on both individuals and corporations over a 10-year period, but not before adopting an amendment by Sen. Jack Donahue (R-Mandeville) that ensures spending will be trimmed to offset the lost revenue.

“I’m absolutely in favor of lowering the tax burden on Louisiana’s families and businesses,” said Hollis. “But to ensure our citizens get the essential services for which they’re already paying, we must guarantee spending will be cut appropriately to offset the change in the state revenue.”

Hollis said eliminating the income tax will stimulate job growth, the single-biggest issue facing Louisiana’s families, but should not be done at the expense of education, healthcare, flood protection and infrastructure funding, which are also essential.

“Louisianans have a reasonable expectation that both local public schools and universities will continue being funded,” he said. “We have a reasonable expectation that our healthcare system will continue functioning. And we have a reasonable expectation that state roads and highways will be improved – an expectation in which the state has consistently failed. We must cut taxes to stimulate job-growth, but we must also ensure that basic needs are being met.”

The House of Representatives will now consider the repeal, and Hollis said that Chamber should pass the bill but keep the Donahue Amendment intact.

“Next year, I will fight to pass this legislation with commensurate cuts in spending,” Hollis said. “The tax-cutting movement must move forward, and the tax-and-spend habits of state government must be curtailed.”