Sen. David Vitter, R-La., introduced legislation last week that he says would make freight rail travel more competitive.

Currently, four railroads control 90 percent of the rail lines, resulting in a monopoly, say critics such as Vitter.

The bill would prevent rail customers from being charged exorbitant rates where there is little or no rail freight competition.

The measure would force the Surface Transportation Board, the federal agency that oversees the railroads, to give equal consideration to rail line owners and freight customers.

Lafayette electric customers pay $5 million to $6 million more a year, Vitter said, because there is only one 19-mile rail line into the city for coal.

"That absolutely and directly produces $5 million to $6 million more annually in rates for the city of Lafayette, and that's wrong," Vitter said.

Dan Borne, president of the Louisiana Chemical Association, last week joined about 300 supporters of the legislation in Washington.

"It's critical to all rail shippers in Louisiana, whether they ship chemicals or agricultural products," Borne said.

Landrieu recognized

U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., was honored last week by the South West Transit Association. The group picked her as its 2007 legislator of the year for helping public transit agencies recover from hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Landrieu made sure the agencies were not forgotten in the recovery process, SWTA President Patrick Judge said. The agency covers seven states.

"Sen. Landrieu and her staff worked tirelessly to make certain transit systems affected by the hurricanes would have a chance to recover," Judge said in a statement. "The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority, as well as other affected Louisiana transit systems, are extremely grateful for those efforts."

Money cleared for park

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has given final clearance to $300,000 available for the East Baton Rouge Parish Recreation and Park Commission to move forward on a pocket park at the Seventh and Convention streets in downtown Baton Rouge.

The Omnibus Appropriations Act signed by President Bush in 2004 included language provided by U.S. Rep. Richard Baker, R-Baton Rouge, to purchase the vacant Main Postal Office Carrier Annex and transfer the facility to BREC.

Baker later pushed for the $300,000 needed for the demolition of the old property and building of the pocket park.

"With the transfer of these funds, the federal government is making good on its promise to Baton Rouge and making it possible to move ahead with fulfilling the plans for essential downtown park space," Baker said in a statement.

Jindal, Melancon back bill

U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal, R-Kenner, and U.S. Rep. Charles "Charlie" Melancon, D-Napoleonville, both backed new catastrophic insurance legislation last week they say will lower premiums.

The congressmen are supporting national risk catastrophe legislation. The bill would establish a layer-based reinsurance system, which would allow the private sector to take the lead on property insurance. The government would provide a federal backstop in cases when a natural catastrophe reached a level beyond private market capacity.

"We must lower insurance premiums in Louisiana, and this bill would do exactly that," Jindal said in a statement.

Melancon called the legislation necessary.

"The widespread devastation caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita has caused an insurance crisis all along the Gulf Coast, from Texas to Florida," he said.

Jindal wants separate vote

Jindal last week asked House leadership for a separate vote on hurricane relief funding that is to be included in President Bush's war supplemental spending bill.

The Gulf Coast is expected to get about $2.9 billion from the legislation. But Jindal expressed concern that the hurricane funding would get caught up in political jostling.

The House Appropriations Committee approved a $124 billion war funding bill that contains timelines for removing most U.S. troops from Iraq.

"Too many people along the Gulf Coast are still struggling to recover from the hurricanes of 2005 for political games to be played with recovery dollars," Jindal said in a statement.