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Edna Babineaux, 89, a native of Morgan City, Louisiana and resident of Thibodaux, Louisiana passed away on Wednesday, May 9, 2018.
A memorial visitation will be held in her honor on Friday, May 18, 2018 at Thibodaux Funeral Home, Thibodaux, Louisiana from 1:00 p.m. until the Memorial Service at 3:30 p.m.
She is survived by her sons, Robert Guillory and wife, Jackie, and Jerry Guillory and wife, Cathy; grandchildren, Leah Lirette (Mark), Brett Guillory (Emily), Kyle Guillory, Kristine Colomb, Karen Hebert (Neil), and Kady Guillory; several great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; and siblings, Yvonne Norris, Pat Coffman, Dolores Lajaunie and Jennie Mire.
She was preceded in death by her daughter, Paula Guillory; great-granddaughter, Sydney Colomb; parents, William and Velma Verrett; and sister, Elise Vaughn.
Online condolences can be given at www.thibodauxfuneralhome.com.
Thibodaux Funeral Home Inc. is in charge of arrangements.

A few months ago, a special session was called by the governor to raise new taxes that would have replaced expiring taxes. It ended without resolution. This week, the regular session begins to show signs of wrapping up to leave ample time for a second special session to try it all over again.
The new fiscal year begins July 1, and for the second year in a row, there are more questions than answers at this point on what will be taxed, funded, cut and reformed in this year’s budget. The five special sessions over the last two years focused on taxes and spending have come and gone, with many of the same options as the only ones on the table.
There is a large coalition supporting legislation to call for a constitutional convention to help bring sanity to this process. It would create a framework to put people across Louisiana in charge of reviewing our constitution, recommending changes and sending that document straight to the people for an up or down vote. It died this week on the floor of the House of Representatives, yet another victory for those who benefit most from the top-heavy governing system we have had since the 1920s. The main argument against a constitutional convention is that it is just too risky.
Too risky? How can it be riskier than what we have done in Louisiana for generations?
Many of the challenges and proposed “solutions” faced by Louisiana have been around for as long as any of us can remember. Check some of the old editorials from your local paper and reports from the Public Affairs Research Council, and you will see that many substantive debates of the past are the same ones taking place today.
In Louisiana, it seems the players change from time to time, but the game remains the same. Once again, we’re faced with a budget locked up by dedications and obligatory spending, restricting our ability to use current dollars for priorities like education and health care. However, bills attempting to undedicate many of these funds and make existing dollars open to annual oversight get gutted and killed every year.
We know our legal climate is one of the worst in the country. In fact, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Legal Reform ranked it 51st in the country this year (even behind the District of Columbia). Experts repeatedly note our legal climate contributes to high insurance rates and discourages certain industries from investing here. However, legislation to reform our legal system is mis-characterized and shelved each year.
Very few people in this state like our tax code. The collection of sales taxes is complicated, and many exemptions and credits have been applied over the years to gloss over the negative economic impact of an uncompetitive tax code. Louisiana’s system forces taxpayers to send most of their hard-earned dollars to the same Capitol that has struggled to balance its books for decades rather than keep more of these dollars locally, like Southern peers such as Texas, Florida and Tennessee. Those states do not have an income tax but somehow have more stable economies, better infrastructure and higher achievement from educational systems. It seems a new approach more dependent on local control and less dependent on state subsidies is at least worth considering.
Louisiana’s government pension plans are in obvious need of modernization. They are just not working for today’s workforce, and they are proving costly for taxpayers. One of the pension systems even took the lead in suggesting a new hybrid approach this year, one to provide security for employees and a modern plan for new workers that better met their needs. It was a good compromise backed by a diverse coalition. It died in the Senate after the governor came out against it.
There are repeated examples of worthwhile reforms being killed this session quietly. Ride-sharing has become a national phenomenon, changing the way people travel in their communities. Legislation was offered to create a statewide network for companies like Uber and Lyft to expand in Louisiana; it was halted in the Senate. Another bill to create an online database, known as the “LouisianaCheckbook.com,” that would easily show government spending at all levels is also stuck in a Senate Committee.
Louisiana’s problems are complex, as are the solutions we must consider. Holistically reforming our state’s governing system is not an option, it is an absolute necessity. Anyone who disagrees with this statement is simply not paying attention or is trying to maintain a status quo that works for the chosen few at the expense of the many.
Much has been written about the spending and tax debates that dominate our attention, but the sheer number of policy reforms killed this year is probably a better example of just how broken the state Capitol really is.
The annual death of legislation to unlock dedicated funds, simplify the tax code, and reform entitlement programs is no longer a surprise. Unfortunately, you can now add the killing of sensible bills to make government spending more transparent, government pensions more sustainable, insurance more affordable, ridesharing more available and small business licensing more attainable to that list of failed legislation.
While there are plenty of good people trying their best in government, the facts are clear. Louisiana’s system of government is woefully outdated and needs to be changed. We think a constitutional convention is the best way to get there. For those who don’t, it’s time for them to put their big plan on the table. Because the absence of a specific plan is an endorsement of what we have today.
Stephen Waguespack is president of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry.

St. Mary Parish Foundation will host its St. Mary Parish Leaders in Philanthropy and Role Models Awards Gala at 7 p.m. Friday at the Petroleum Club of Morgan City.

The foundation is an affiliate of Community Foundation of Acadiana and recognizes individuals and couples who have made significant contributions of their resources and time to help nonprofit organizations, churches and schools throughout St. Mary Parish, a news release said.

The event will include an awards ceremony, formal dinner and wine.

The 2018 St. Mary Parish Leaders in Philanthropy honorees are Alice and William Pecoraro of Morgan City. The 2018 St. Mary Parish Role Models being honored are Nancy Boudreaux, Mason Carbonell and Jonathan Scully, Mark Chauvin, Danika Foley, Lauren Hebert and Roye Pontiff.

Alice and William “Bill” Pecoraro have been active community members since establishing their home in the Tri-City area over 50 years ago. They have been committed to their church, schools, both private and public, universities and local charities. The St. Mary Community Foundation held its inaugural event at their home nearly 10 years ago. They participated in the initial fundraising to establish the affiliate and have attended every sponsored event since its inception.

Bill Pecoraro was active in the early years in the Knights of Columbus and in later years in the Boy Scouts and the Morgan City port commission and wharf committee. Alice Pecoraro served for many years on the board of the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, Keep Morgan City Beautiful and Keep St. Mary Beautiful. She was also a member of the historic commission and the image commission of Morgan City.

She served on the boards of the Community Foundation of Acadiana and St. Mary Community Foundation.

The couple is humbled and honored to join the past distinguished St. Mary philanthropists, all of whom they know and admire.

Nancy Boudreaux is a former business owner for over 20 years. Boudreaux created a Teen Board, an organization who helped focus on improving the self-esteem and health of teenaged girls.

Boudreaux hosted an annual fashion show to benefit the Girl Scouts of America, Special Education and many more organizations. Each Thanksgiving, the Teen Board would sponsor “Fill the Truck” food drive to benefit St. Mary Outreach.

She served on the Holy Cross School board for one year. Also, she was instrumental in starting the “Good Deeds Club” at Holy Cross Elementary. Members of the club would visit nursing homes and hospital patients. For the past 27 years, she donated Christmas baskets to the elderly in need.

Boudreaux is most known for creating “Ladies’ Night Out,” a fundraiser for breast cancer patients in which proceeds are donated to local women to help with expenses associated with breast cancer.

This event is held every other year and has been held for more than 20 years. Boudreaux is a current board member for St. Mary Outreach where she has organized the “Motivation for Life” event. Past guest speakers were former LSU basketball coach Dale Brown and baseball coach Skip Bertman.

The next Motivation for Life event will be held July 31 with guest speaker, current LSU basketball coach Will Wade. Boudreaux has organized the annual Tour of Homes fund raisers for St. Mary Outreach. She has been married to Peter Boudreaux for 36 years. They have two children, Zach and Ben.

Mark Chauvin is the owner and manager of Bayou Sale Cane Co. Inc., a sugarcane farming operation located in Centerville, which he began in 1990. He has been the president of the St. Mary Parish Farm Bureau for 20 years and is currently serving on the board of directors for the Louisiana Farm Bureau.

Chauvin is a member of the American Sugarcane League and enjoys participating in the Washington, D.C. fly-ins to meet and discuss matters with legislators that directly affect the sugarcane industry on a state and national level. He is a member of the Church of the Assumption and the Knights of Columbus. In his spare time, he enjoys fishing, cooking and spending time with family and friends.

Jonathan Scully and Mason Carbonell opened Pelican Contractors of La LLC on April 4, 2016. Within a few months of operation, the Baton Rouge area flooded, and Pelican Contractors helped with rescuing efforts, donations and food for flood victims.

Pelican Contractors then participated in the Sheltered Home Program to help demolish and rebuild homes in the Baton Rouge area. Pelican Contractors also provided FEMA trained technicians for units used for safety purposes in temporary housing for displaced citizens.

Scully was then asked and honored to speak before legislators in Washington, D.C. on the disaster relief and recovery efforts needed in Louisiana after a catastrophic natural disaster. Pelican volunteered with sandbagging in Stephensville and contacted the town of Berwick when flooding was a risk.

Pelican Contractors has FEMA Certified RV inspectors and is providing disaster assistance in Virgin Islands. The company employs about 50 people. Pelican Contractors supports the Back the Blue initiatives in St. Mary Parish. They are members of numerous organizations such as Duck’s Unlimited, St. Mary Parish Delta Waterfowl Foundation, Gold Club of BHS and Rebuild SOS. Scully is a member of the krewes of Adonis, Hephaestus, Dionysus and Bridge St. Mary. Carbonell is a member of the Krewe of Hephaestus.

Danika Foley is the news director of KWBJ TV 22 where she hosts “The Voice of the Coast with Danika,” which serves nearly 45,000 homes and businesses in the area. She is an avid supporter of community-based activities, youth mentoring and advocate for the arts. She is also the founder of ibedamned-blog, a women’s empowerment blog, where she co-hosts the Facebook Live show, Carpool Conversations. Foley is also a graduate of Leadership St. Mary.

Lauren V. Hebert , certified public accountant and personal financial specialist, is a shareholder of Darnall, Sikes & Frederick, a corporation of CPAs, and financial advisor with DSF Wealth Management LLC.

She serves as vice-chairwoman of the Morgan City Main Street Board, treasurer of St. Mary One and a member of the Nicholls State University Accounting Advisory Board.

As chairwoman of the Main Street Board’s Design Committee, she spearheads Block 27 - the Lawrence Park Improvement Project. Within her office, she coordinates personnel as volunteers for the Morgan City Youth Center. She is also active as a member of Pharr Chapel United Methodist Church and with St. Mary Excel.

Roye Bell Pontiff is a teacher and coach at Hanson Memorial High School, her alma mater. She is a long-time resident of Franklin and has served as a teacher, coach, catechist, campus minister and director of the Touch service program at Hanson Memorial.

Pontiff has been an integral part of the sports programs at Hanson since 1980, coaching basketball, cross country, softball, track and even some football. She has spent countless summers as swim instructor and coach for the youth in the area. Pontiff continues to bring a faith-filled enthusiasm to the youth and adults in the area’s schools and community.

The following are the radio dispatch logs from the Morgan City Police Department. To report unlawful or suspicious activity, call the police department at 985-380-4605.

Wednesday, May 16

7:34 a.m. 300 block of Eighth Street; Vehicle burglary.

8:25 a.m. Glenwood Avenue; Building check.

8:28 a.m. 2400 block of Tiger Drive; Building check.

9:21 a.m. 3000 block of Allison Street; Complaint.

10:37 a.m. 300 block of Louisa Street; Assistance.

10:48 a.m. David Drive; Assistance.

11:16 a.m. 100 block of Poncio Street; Welfare check.

11:22 a.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Complaint.

1:32 p.m. Front Street and Brashear Avenue; Suspicious person.

1:49 p.m. 300 block of South Railroad Avenue; Assistance.

2:13 p.m. 300 block of Laurel Street; Residence burglary.

3:56 p.m. 1000 block of Eighth Street; Complaint.

4:09 p.m. Maple and Hickory streets; Patrol request.

4:42 p.m. 6000 block of La. 182; Suspicious vehicle.

4:44 p.m. 1000 block of Shaw Drive; Suspicious person.

4:59 p.m. 1100 block of Dora Street; Suspicious person.

5:19 p.m. 700 block of Levee Road; Assistance.

6:21 p.m. 1400 block of Federal Avenue; Animal complaint.

8:01 p.m. 500 block of Railroad Avenue; Disturbance.

8:17 p.m. 200 block of Robin Street; Medical.

8:19 p.m. 400 block of Halsey Street; Theft.

8:59 p.m. 1100 block of Levee Road; Suspicious subject.

10:06 p.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Arrest.

11:45 p.m. 200 block of Onstead Street; Suspicious subject.

Thursday, May 17

1:23 a.m. 1000 block of Missouri Street; Assistance.