Louisiana Lawmakers Pass Bills To Promote French Roots

After Gov. Bobby Jindal struck funding for CODOFIL during last year's budget vetoes, French-speaking state lawmakers looked for new ways to celebrate Louisiana's Francophone heritage.

In the recently-ended legislative session, that bipartisan group of lawmakers won passage of bills that celebrate the state's Cajun culture and French roots.

The measures promote language immersion programs at public schools, drum up money for the (CODOFIL) Council for the Development of French in Louisiana and allow Cajuns to stamp their heritage on their license plates and driver's licenses.

Carencro Rep. Stephen Ortego says lawmakers generated the ideas after Jindal's veto of $100,000 for CODOFIL in 2012.  Governor Jindal signed the bills into law this week.