IN THE NEWS
METRO COUNCILWOMAN LAURIE WHITE ADAMS: BUSINESS LEADER, EDUCATION LEADER, BATON ROUGE LEADER by: Team Pelican
March 18, 2023 via Louisiana Illuminator
BEFORE THEY WERE STATE LEADERS, THEY WERE STUDENT LEADERS
March 7, 2023 via Press Release
METRO COUNCILMEMBER LAURIE ADAMS ANNOUNCES CANDIDACY FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE
Republican Metro Councilmember, Laurie Adams, announced her candidacy for State Representative for House District 68 surrounded by family, friends and supporters at a campaign kickoff event at the home of Shannon and Tommy Dewey, a former candidate for the District 68 seat in 2019.
Tommy Dewey and Adams faced each other as opponents in the prior election. “My husband, Johnny, and I met Tommy and Shannon when they knocked on our door during the campaign. We stood for hours in our front yard talking about Louisiana’s problems and possible solutions and have been friends ever since,” Laurie Adams said.
“Nobody is holding Louisiana back, we are holding ourselves back,” Adams commented.
“It’s time to stop fighting over crumbs, begin to think strategically and start demanding fundamental and serious change and major improvement about growing our businesses, building and training a ready workforce, fostering communities to invest in their streets and neighborhoods and infrastructure, promote and support families, and promote and ensure school choice,” Adams argued in announcing her candidacy.
“These kinds of major improvements demand that we fundamentally change the way state government operates, change that is dramatic and sweeping and ensures efficiency, transparency, responsiveness; in short, change that takes state government from the 1970s and puts it in the 21st century,” Adams said.
“While the South is experiencing rapid population growth and unprecedented economic expansion, Louisiana is the only southern state losing population and is not a destination for business like Texas, Florida, and even Mississippi,” Adams commented. “Louisiana is standing still at best, and, if you are standing still in the 21st century, you are losing and Louisiana’s loss is our young, our educated and our talented people leaving for better opportunities in other places,” Adams continued.
Among the changes Adams cited, unlocking dedicated funds, dramatically reducing regulations, simplifying Louisiana’s tax code, and becoming aggressive about maintaining local business and attracting major national business investment into the state were tops on her priority list. “Doing these things demands we change the way the state bureaucracy operates and the timely and rapid building of major state infrastructure projects like roads and bridges,” Adams continued.
While serving on the Metro Council, Adams has been a fierce advocate for infrastructure projects and maintenance in District 11.
Adams has also been an outspoken leader on the Metro Council about the crime problems in Baton Rouge having passed legislation to address a recent rash of crimes at hotels, camping in public right of ways, and the lack of access to good and services due to pandemic closures.
“If Baton Rouge as a community and Louisiana as a state do not aggressively and forcefully attack the out of control crime problems we face, Louisiana will not be an attractive place for the businesses and citizens of the future to call home,” Adams opined. “I will not relent in my fight to ensure safety and security for the people of District 68,” Adams, who serves on the Metro Council Crime Committee, said.
Laurie Adams spent much of her career working in private schools in admission, fund development, and strategic planning, and communications. She is Vice-Chair of the EBR Parish Republican Executive Committee, Corresponding Secretary of the EBR Parish Republican Women, former deacon of First Presbyterian Church, and a volunteer with several litter clean-up organizations. A member of the Tri Delta sorority, Adams was named Outstanding Philanthropy Alumni Volunteer in 2018. She also serves on the Baton Rouge Film Commission, the CATS Investigative Committee, and the Stormwater Advisory Council.
Adams, a resident of District 68, until the family’s home was drawn into District 69 due to reapportionment in the last legislative session, noted she and her husband are currently house hunting within the new boundaries of District 68. According to state law, Adams has one year post-election to relocate inside the new boundaries.
“Given Louisiana’s enormous challenges, I will approach my legislative job as a full-time job because we will not make the strides we must make as a state by addressing our problems on a part-time basis,” Adams said. “I raised my children before I entered into public service, and, as a result, I can give working for people and dramatic change my full-time attention,” Adams continued.
“We have a simple choice in Louisiana: do we continue along making small and insignificant improvements in our state or do we aggressively work for dramatic and fundamental change in state governance and public services?” Adams asked. “I chose the big and fundamental change and that’s why I want to be your state representative,” Adams concluded.
September 22, 2020 via Facebook
TALK 107.3 INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN HALDANE
Always a pleasure to visit with Brian Haldane. Thank you for the opportunity to talk about my candidacy for EBR Metro Council #11!
September 21, 2020 via The Freeman Report
THE FREEMAN REPORT WITH J. KENNETH FREEMAN
September 19, 2019 via LSU Reveille
LSU VOTER REGISTRATION DAY PUT ON BY GEAUX VOTE LSU
Geaux Vote LSU held LSU Voter Registration Day on Thursday on campus to give University students the opportunity to register to vote.
Members of Geaux Vote LSU were in Free Speech Alley and in front of Middleton Library from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. registering students to vote through TurboVote, an online program that simplifies the registration process. The organization wanted to offer students the opportunity to register before the registration deadline on Sept. 21.
Geaux Vote is a non-partisan organization that works to promote the importance of civic engagement, as well as educate students about the political process.
At the event, members of the organization educated students about the importance of registering and participating in elections, as well as helped students register.
Geaux Vote member and political communication sophomore Drake Brignac explained his thoughts about just how important it is to vote.
“Being college students, one of the most important reasons to vote is that we don’t have a lot voice because we are underrepresented,” Brignac said. “Being able to impact policy that affects our institution directly is really important.”
Biology freshman Aaliyah Robinson registered to vote at the event. Upon being asked about what drew her to register, she expressed her concern about the state that the U.S. is currently in.
“It’s important to put a voice out there and be able to vote on issues that are important to you,” Robinson said.
English and political communication senior and Geaux Vote LSU Vice President Zack Roubein offered multiple ways for people to take initiative and engage in state or national politics.
According to Roubein, a plethora of nonpartisan sources offer knowledge about candidates and bills. He included that louisiana.gov offers multiple voter’s rights guides, and many other impartial organizations post issue guides on the internet before elections.
He added that University students can get involved on campus with local Democrat or Republican chapters, Geaux Vote or Student Government.
“There’s a lot of small things that can communally add up to change,” Roubein said.
Political communication senior and Geaux Vote LSU Co-President Claire Hadlock added that students can also get involved with BR Votes, a local organization aimed at making sure Baton Rouge citizens have access to local voting information. The organization also has a Facebook group that people may join for updates.
Multiple political figures that are running for different local elections came to the event to promote student engagement. Steve Carter, Gwen Collins Greenup, Regina Barrow, Tara Branson and Laurie White Adams were among the candidates that came to the event.
“Being able to directly interact with your legislators and hold them responsible because you chose them or didn’t choose them is really important,” Brignac said regarding the importance of voting.
“The fact that we have had such a troubled history with voting in the country, if you aren’t registered to vote, I would say that you’re wasting people’s lives and time and energy that they dedicated a century ago and fifty years ago,” Brignac said.
June 28, 2019
LAURIE WHITE ADAMS ANNOUNCES
CANDIDACY FOR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, DISTRICT 68
Baton Rouge, LA — Laurie White Adams today officially announced her candidacy for State Representative to serve the people of District 68. Adams, a Republican, is a first-time candidate.
Adams came to Baton Rouge to attend LSU in 1988 and made it her home. She and her husband, Johnny, have two children who themselves now attend. With her children grown, the conservative business women and leader wants to be a part of crafting solutions that will move Baton Rouge and the State of Louisiana forward.
“It’s time for rational, principled individuals who owe nothing to special interests to work on behalf of our citizens to get our State back on track. Families in District 68 need a representative who will always serve people over politics and who will seek creative solutions to focus on priorities that will secure future opportunities for our State. I have the passion, determination, and the life experience to represent this district in the legislature the way our people deserve,” said Adams.
Adams told friends and supporters that she is focused on a variety of critical issues aimed at making life better for residents in Baton Rouge and throughout Louisiana and more attractive to business and industry. These issues include budget reform, education, infrastructure and legal & regulatory reform.
“As a long-time Louisiana resident, I know it is time to break-up constitutionally dedicated funding so Louisiana can make wise budgetary decisions. Imagine if your family or company budget was set in stone 30 or 40 years ago? Would that budget make sense for your family or business today? Of course not!” she said.
Adams is Director of Advancement & Enrollment Management at Parkview Baptist School. She is a member of First Presbyterian Church where she has served has a deacon, small group leaders, Sunday School teacher, and in the worship team. She is currently Vice President of Education for the Association of Fundraising Professionals and served at the AFP National Philanthropy Day Chairman in 2018. Her community service includes: Baton Rouge High School Foundation Board, Elan Cotillion Board, and the Arden O. French Leadership Academy Board. She is a member of Tri Delta Sorority and is active in the Baton Rouge Alumnae Chapter.