Mayor Ray Nagin

“Our focus this coming sessions—and it’s been our focus in the past—is going to continue to be on criminal justice, health care, economic and workforce development and government reform,” Mayor Nagin said during a news conference at the New Orleans Police Dept. headquarters.

Banning assault weapons and ensuring more job training opportunities for ex-offenders are among other legislative priorities, Mr. Nagin outlined for sessions that began April 2 and could last until late June. His administration wants to develop more incentives to attract health-related industries to New Orleans and secure state dollars to cover the costs associated with the previously approved consolidation of the city’s criminal and civil courts.

Mr. Nagin was joined at the press conference by Police Superintendent Warren Riley, state Rep. Cedric Richmond and city council members Jackie Clarkson and James Carter. Two of the most important criminal justice reforms on the city’s legislative agenda are proposals designed to lower the recidivism rates of ex-offenders and get guns out of dangerous people’s hands.

Rep. Richmond said the state workforce development program for inmates must be revamped to make sure ex-offenders have the tools necessary to survive when back on the street. “They don’t have the state paying for their meals, for their housing. So the question becomes: Do they leave prison with a skill they can use, or do they leave prison with no skill, only becoming a better criminal to prey on society?” said the state lawmaker.

Mr. Nagin said his top priority is more beds for in-patient mental health care and plans for a new teaching hospital to replace storm-battered Charity Hospital. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal has proposed putting more than $89 million into mental health care programs around the state, which Mr. Nagin said he is happy about.

He has also officially endorsed the proposed “Nicola’s law,” which would allow a court to compel certain patients into outpatient mental health treatment. The law is named in honor of a police officer, who was gunned down by a man whose family said he had been denied adequate mental health assistance.

The mayor expressed concern about Gov. Jindal’s proposal to shift $10 million toward private school tuition assistance to children presently attending public schools in Orleans Parish. “I’m generally in favor of more choice, particularly for parents in failing schools. But the idea of scholarships goes a little farther than I am comfortable with,” said Mayor Nagin.

To tackle the issue of assault weapons, Mayor Nagin wants to team-up with Rep. Richmond and the National Rifle Association to lay out a “workable compromise.” The NRA has been a formidable opponent against any proposed state gun laws.

Malcolm Suber, founder of the New Orleans-based People’s Hurricane Relief Fund, is skeptical of Mayor Nagin’s prospects for success.

“He has done nothing for our people after Blacks re-elected him. Nothing will come out of these sessions whether they are open or closed because he doesn’t even have a good relationship with the legislative body. He has a very weak position,” said Mr. Suber to The Final Call. “He isn’t really outlining anything that will benefit the poor people. He has no game plan and I think it is just for show and not about substance.”

Mr. Suber pointed to the destruction of public housing in the city as another Nagin failure. “There is no money guaranteed as of yet to replace the projects that are being knocked down. Nagin hasn’t said anything about it because he is now embarrassed by the fact that he endorsed HUD and (recently resigned HUD Secretary Alphonso) Jackson even though Jackson is a known thief and HUD never had our best interest at heart. So it has made us question if Nagin has ever had our best interest at heart from the start,” he said.

The People’s Hurricane Relief Fund and a host of grassroots groups are preparing to give President George Bush a “warm” welcome during his upcoming April 21-22 visit to meet with leaders from Canada and Mexico. The purpose of the meeting is to expand the North American Free Trade Agreement and negotiate additional “Security, Prosperity and Partnership” agreements.

A counter “People’s Summit” will be held at a local community center by Mr. Suber’s organization, the Millions More Movement, SCLC, NAACP, Operation PUSH, the Anti-War Coalition, the Southern Organizing Committee and other activist organizations.