BATON ROUGE, La. -- Against the backdrop of an environmental disaster, a Lousiana state senator tried to gut the state's only environmental law clinic at the state capitol today.
At the clinic students and professors sue companies and local governments to enforce environmental protection laws.
"When I came here today, I didn't realize Tulane University would be on trial,” said Tulane President Scott Cowen.
Cowen defends his school's environmental law clinic, a branch of the law school where students file lawsuits to require enforcement of environmental laws and regulations on behalf of indigent plaintiffs.
"This bill creates a black eye for any industry that supports it because it leaves the distinct impression that these industries want to thwart anyone who dares to challenge them and they'll go to any means to do it,” continued Cowen.
The Senate Commerce Committee overflowed with people hoping to speak at the hearing, most in opposition to a bill that would cut the state's environmental law clinics at schools that receive state funding off at the knees. The only one in the state is at Tulane.
The bill's sponsor, state Sen. Robert Adley from north Louisiana, calls it a job killer. And so do the lobbyists for the oil and gas industries who pushed the move.
"The mission seems to be to attack business and business advancement and industrial development in the state,” said Dan Borne, president of the Louisiana Chemical Association.
"I'm not going to be in favor of using tax money going to advance any social issue that they might have," said Adley.
Both Loyola and Tulane fought vigorously against the bill since both schools get state funds. But the administrators said none of that money pays for their law clinics.
"I see a very serious ethical issue before us," said Adley.
President of Loyola University, Kevin Wildes, commented that all the talk of ethics at the hearing was, “pretty shallow and inappropriate.”
Tulane's environmental clinic has filed more than a hundred lawsuits, and supporters of the bill say some frivolously cost businesses and local governments unnecessary money.
But Wednesday’s debate takes place in an air conditioned room, miles away from the battle lines of an environmental disaster.
State. Sen. Karen Carter Peterson, D-New Orleans, questioned whether this bill was aimed at keeping the clinic from suing BP.
Even though some senators clearly opposed some of what the clinic does, they voted unanimously to defer or kill the bill after more than two hours of intense debate.
