News

Americans for Prosperity building La. chapter

by Walter Pierce

Because the Pelican State isn't conservative enough.

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A national tea party-allied group is setting up a local chapter in Louisiana.

Americans for Prosperity announced the creation of a Louisiana-specific effort Thursday, with the launch of a TV ad criticizing Democratic U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu for her support of the federal health care law.

Phillip Joffrion, director of the state chapter, said Americans for Prosperity expects to hire more local staff members and to build a network of donors in Louisiana.

He said the group's work will extend beyond this year's Senate race. Joffrion said the organization will get involved in policy discussions with state lawmakers and issue scorecards grading their work.

"Americans for Prosperity in Louisiana isn't just about Obamacare and Sen. Landrieu's support of it. We will be engaged on the state level," Joffrion said.

Americans for Prosperity is a conservative anti-tax and anti-regulation group founded with the support of billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch.

The group says it has more than 2.3 million members across the country, with more than 23,000 members in Louisiana. It has state-based chapters in three dozen states.