NEW ORLEANS — During an impromptu meeting with reporters after his appearance at a March 7 Jefferson Chamber of Commerce event, business lobbyist Stephen Waguespack hinted at something he confirmed later in the week by entering the race for Louisiana governor.
The president and CEO of the Louisiana Association of Business & Industry said he’s throwing his hat in the ring because of encouragement from friends and supporters.
“There’s been a ton of positive reinforcement and calls coming in,” Waguespack said. “I think this is one of the most important elections in generations.”
The race has gained a business-friendly candidate with years of experience lobbying the Louisiana Legislature. Before that, he served as former Gov. Bobby Jindal’s chief of staff (a fact that his opponents will no doubt use against him, considering the infamous budget deficit Jindal left in his wake).
Since 2013, Waguespack has led LABI, which is one of the state’s most powerful business groups. He said his current job has helped him understand the priorities of Louisiana business owners and citizens.
In other other news, the Associated Press reported that California cannot ban the importation and sale of crocodile and alligator products after a ruling from a federal judge. It’s a victory for the state of Louisiana, which challenged the ban along with businesses in multiple states. Federal law controls trade in those products and preempts California from barring trade in them, Chief U.S. District Judge Kimberly Mueller in Sacramento, California, wrote in a ruling dated Tuesday.
And McCord Butchery celebrated its grand opening on March 9 at 210 Veterans Boulevard. Representatives of the Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission, Jefferson Parish Council and Jefferson Chamber of Commerce attended the festivities. Chef Sam McCord and his wife, Jacqueline, said they have created a “classic European butcher shop environment to sell restaurant-quality meat, seafood and provisions for preparing at home.”
Other business news headlines from the week:
