Cleo Fields

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Honorable Foster L. Campbell, Jr. on the occasion of 50 years of continuous elective service to the people of Louisiana, first as a state senator and currently as Public Service Commissioner. Born on January 6, 1947, in Shreveport and raised in Bossier Parish, Foster developed a deep connection to rural communities that would shape his public career. He graduated from Bossier High School, attended Louisiana State University, and earned a bachelor's degree in business and economics from Northwestern State University. Before entering public office, he taught at Plain Dealing High School and Haughton High School in Bossier Parish while also selling agricultural products to support his young family.

In 1975, at the age of 28, Foster qualified for the open seat in Senate District 36. He led a crowded field in the primary and then defeated former Speaker of the House John Sidney Garrett in the runoff, becoming one of the youngest state senators in Louisiana history. His 1975 campaign slogan, ``Works hard, talks straight, makes sense,'' has epitomized his life of public service ever since. Sworn into office on May 10, 1976, he began a distinguished 27-year tenure representing Senate District 36. He served multiple terms as chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Forestry, Aquaculture, and Rural Development, served multiple terms on the Senate Committee on Finance, and chaired select committees on rural electric cooperatives and consumer affairs.

During his Senate service, Foster championed legislation regulating rural electric cooperatives, resulting in lower utility rates for approximately one million Louisiana residents. He authored the legislation creating the Bossier Education Excellence Fund, a permanent trust fund supported by gaming revenue that has provided millions of dollars for public education in Bossier Parish. He authored Louisiana's ``Do Not Call'' law, one of the state's most significant consumer- protection measures, which shields residents from unwanted telemarketing. He also authored the ``Save the Louisiana Black Bear'' license plate legislation, which raised funds and provided state support for programs that helped the Louisiana Black Bear recover and be removed from the federal Endangered Species List.

Though not a prolific bill filer, he authored impactful legislation on railroad-crossing safety, the regulation of payday lenders, the Catahoula Cur as the state dog, billboards along rural portions of Interstate 49, Youth Hunting Days, and the Educational Excellence Fund created from tobacco settlement proceeds. He is also best known for his proposed oil and gas processing tax, which he argued could provide enough revenue to eliminate the state income tax while increasing funding for education and infrastructure. Colleagues will long remember his unmatched oratory and his call, ``Come on home, y'all, it's suppertime.''

In 2002, after a hard-fought campaign against a popular 18-year incumbent, Foster was elected to the Louisiana Public Service Commission, where he has served for more than two decades, representing almost one million Louisianians across 24 parishes in North Louisiana. Upon taking office on January 1, 2003, he urged his fellow commissioners to adopt long-overdue reforms, including holding meetings around the state, prohibiting commissioners' relatives from representing regulated utilities, and ending the practice of utility lobbyists providing free meals and gifts to commissioners and staff. After several years of debate, he convinced the commission to abolish the anti-competitive 19th-century rule known as ``public convenience and necessity,'' which had allowed existing trucking companies to dictate the terms under which potential competitors could haul regulated waste.

On the Commission, Foster fought on behalf of the relatives of Louisiana inmates to reduce the cost of prison telephone calls, which were among the highest in the Nation. He led the effort to bring telephone service to the remote community of Mink, Louisiana, ending its residents' decades of isolation. Following Hurricane Katrina, he reached out personally to the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission and secured 39 million dollars in federal funding to provide free cell phones to evacuees, so displaced residents could communicate with family, employers, and relief agencies. He has also advocated for policies protecting vulnerable residents, including measures to prevent utility disconnections during extreme weather and to waive utility deposits for survivors of domestic violence.

Foster is an inductee of the Louisiana Political Hall of Fame and a recipient of the Louisiana Democratic Party's Lifetime Achievement Award. Having been sworn in as a state senator in the Nation's Bicentennial year of 1976, and due only to term limits leaving the Public Service Commission at the end of this Semiquincentennial year, he will have served in elected public office for a full 20 percent of America's history. Throughout those 50 years, he has been recognized for his steadfast advocacy for rural communities, his commitment to consumer fairness, and his dedication to improving the quality of life for Louisiana citizens.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the Honorable Foster L. Campbell, Jr. for 50 years of exceptional longevity, public commitment, and unwavering service to the people of Louisiana. May he be remembered for his plainspoken advocacy, and may his example continue to inspire those who serve the people of our state.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Community Chapel Church of God in Christ of Opelousas, Louisiana, which has spent 38 years in worship, evangelistic outreach, and service to the people of its community. The church was organized in July 1988 by Reverend Frank Ford, family, and friends, who found a building at 770 S. Oak Street in Opelousas suitable for worship. The congregation held its first worship experience there in August 1988, and in September 1988, Reverend Ford was appointed pastor of Community Chapel Church of God in Christ.

With the approval and favor of God, the church's growth was encouraging and inspiring. The congregation worshiped at 770 S. Oak Street until April 1991, when it purchased a worship center at 1606 College Avenue in Opelousas. In that new home, continued growth has inspired and encouraged the congregation to worship God and carry on its evangelistic outreach, bringing more families into the life of the church and adding to the strength of the faith community of Opelousas.

Over 38 years, the Community Chapel family has built a family life center and purchased properties in the area. These investments reflect a church that has put down roots in Opelousas and has planned for the future, giving the congregation more space to gather, worship, and serve.

The church's motto, ``people helping people,'' captures its approach to ministry and its history of service. In 38 years, Community Chapel has touched the lives of many people, both in the city of Opelousas and beyond it. A church that lives out that motto strengthens families, supports its neighbors, and encourages other believers by example, and it has become an important part of the faith community of Opelousas.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Community Chapel Church of God in Christ and its congregation for 38 years of faith, outreach, and service to the people of Opelousas. The church continues to grow and to experience the blessings of God, and I wish it many more years of ministry and community service.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Salem Baptist Church of Bunkie, Louisiana, which marks its 120th anniversary this year. The church was founded on March 6, 1906, by Reverend Albert Luther Hayward, Sr., with four members gathered in his home. The congregation purchased property later that year and constructed its first house of worship in 1910. Throughout its 120-year history, Salem has contributed significantly to the spiritual, educational, and social development of Bunkie's African American community, and it has been a steady presence in the faith community of Bunkie from its earliest days.

During segregation, Salem served as a location for public school classes, as documented in the history of Bunkie Colored-Carver High School. By opening its doors to students, the church helped make education possible for the children of its community. Salem also hosted a community meeting organized by Principal Forest Paul Augustine during his 1945 to 1956 administration, which led to the establishment of the Community School Club. The club's efforts raised more than $1,700 toward the construction of a school auditorium, showing how the church served as a gathering place where neighbors came together to improve their schools.

In February 1942, Salem organized and sponsored Boy Scout Troop No. 106 under Scoutmaster A.J. Fisher, providing leadership and citizenship opportunities for African American boys. This service to young people reflects the church's belief that its ministry extends beyond Sunday worship to the development of future community leaders.

Salem's commitment to community advancement continued through the expansion of its educational and outreach ministries, including the construction of an educational facility in 1981. During the pastorate of Reverend James L. Sampson, the Albert L. Hayward Community Development Corporation was established to promote community improvement and development, carrying the name of the church's founder into the work of community building.

Under the leadership of Reverend Greg Jackson, pastor since 2006, Salem continues its mission of Christian education, youth development, community outreach, and spiritual service. Today, the church remains an enduring institution in the religious and community life of Bunkie, and its history of service continues to strengthen the families and congregations around it.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Salem Baptist Church and its congregation on 120 years of faith, education, and service to the people of Bunkie. May Salem continue to strengthen the faith community of Bunkie for generations to come.