Feb 13, 2009
Governor Bobby Jindal Announces Rep. Jim Morris as Chair of the Interstate 49 North Extension Feasibility and Funding Task Force

BATON ROUGE – Today, Governor Bobby Jindal announced Rep. Jim Morris as chair of the Interstate 49 North Extension Feasibility and Funding Task Force.

The Interstate 49 North Extension Feasibility and Funding Task Force serves to identify funding sources for the Interstate 49 north extension to the Louisiana-Arkansas border, assess the benefits and support of the potential project, and evaluate the impact that such an extension would have on Louisiana and its citizens.

According to executive order BJ 08-44, the task force is comprised of a maximum of twenty-three members, including the following:

• The governor or their designee; 
• The secretary of the Department of Transportation and Development, or their designee;
• The Commissioner of Administration, or their designee;
• The chair of the House Committee on Transportation, Highways, and Public Works, or their designee;
• The chair of the Senate Committee on Transportation, Highways, and Public Works, or their designee;
• The chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, or their designee;
• The chair of the House Committee on Commerce, or their designee;
• The Federal Highway Administrator for the state of Louisiana, or their designee;
• A member of the Louisiana State Senate representing the northwest region of the state of Louisiana, designated by the president of the Senate;
• A member of the Louisiana House of Representatives representing the northwest region of the state of Louisiana, designated by the speaker of the House of Representatives;
• A individual(s) who resides in a community in the northwest region of the state of Louisiana appointed by the governor; and
• A representative(s) of businesses and/or industries located in the northwest region of the state of Louisiana appointed by the governor. 

The chair of the task force is appointed by the governor from the membership of the task force. All other officers, if any, will be elected by the members of the task force from its membership.

Rep. Jim Morris, of Oil City, is a member of the House of Representatives representing the 1st District and will serve as chair of the task force. Morris was designated by the speaker of the House of Representatives to serve as a Representative representing the northwestern region of the state, as required by executive order.

###