BATON ROUGE – This morning, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) visited Prairieville High School, where he taught 11th-grade students about how Congress and the President work together to create laws and govern our country.
“Had fun with Prairieville High students passing a law to decide what to have for lunch and who pays for it,” said Dr. Cassidy. “One of these students may be our Senator one day, and it’s partly thanks to the amazing commitment Ascension makes to help them meet their potential.”
Senator Cassidy spoke to a group of 20 students in Ms. Jill Sandridge’s U.S. history classroom and ran them through an exercise where they pretended to be Senators and Representatives, with one student taking on the role of President of the United States. He then asked them to pass a bill into law that fictionally decides what they will eat for lunch that day and who will pay for it. The exercise is designed to show the challenges that Members of Congress face when trying to pass bills that affect our daily lives.
Prairieville High School is Ascension Parish’s newest high school and had its ribbon-cutting ceremony on July 18 of this year. Mr. Randall Loving, the new principal of Prairieville High, thanked Cassidy for visiting his school.
“On behalf of Prairieville High School, I would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Senator Bill Cassidy for taking the time to visit and share his valuable insights into the governmental process with our U.S. history students,” said Mr. Loving. “His first-hand knowledge and experience have greatly enriched their understanding of how our democracy functions, and we are truly appreciative of this civic engagement experience for students.”
Earlier, Cassidy spoke to a gathering of multiple Rotary Clubs in Ascension Parish to talk about the work he’s doing to protect them from flooding and reduce traffic congestion throughout the parish.
“The bipartisan infrastructure bill is bringing benefits to our whole state, and Ascension Parish, which has had incredible growth, is a great example,” said Dr. Cassidy. “We are decreasing their risk of flooding, building roads and bridges, and expanding broadband internet.”
Last week, he announced that over $3.49 million will come to the parish from his Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to elevate properties vulnerable to flooding in the parish. This follows a similar announcement last August of $3 million for the parish. Additionally, the IIJA has provided millions for local road and bridge projects, including nearly $8.3 million for LA 30 roundabouts at Tanger Mall and I-10, and over $4.3 million for the LA 30: Veterans Boulevard-US 61 project.
The gathering was organized by Mr. Mert Smiley, the Assessor for Ascension Parish, who welcomed Cassidy to the event.
“Senator Cassidy is a champion for Ascension Parish, whether it’s securing millions of dollars to elevate homes and prevent communities from being flooded, or protecting energy and manufacturing jobs that keep thousands of our neighbors employed,” said Mr. Smiley. “We appreciate him visiting with Rotarians in our parish, and look forward to the work he will continue to do on our behalf in Washington.”
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