Plaquemine, La. — Sen. Robert "Rob" Marionneaux, Jr., (D-Grosse Tete) received the Louisiana Family Forum Action's highest honor, the Life and Liberty Award, for his exemplary efforts in supporting education and hard-working families throughout the state.

"Louisiana is a better place because of Sen. Marionneaux's honorable service to the good people of this state. Well done in the 2011 Louisiana Legislative Session," LFFA President Gene Mills said.

The Life and Liberty award is given each year to a state legislator for contributions made in support of Louisiana families. Sen. Marionneaux was cited for legislation he sponsored for parents and guardians to receive a personal state income tax deduction each year for tuition and fees paid to a non-public elementary, secondary, or public elementary school or secondary lab school operated by a public college or university.

In the 2011 Legislative Session, SB 13 by Marionneaux, removed the cap of the income tax deduction from fifty percent of the tuition and fees paid to the full amount of tuition and fees up to $5,000 per child paid to a non-public elementary, secondary, or public elementary school or secondary lab school operated by a public college or university.

Marionneaux's first attempt at the school tuition income tax deduction started in the 2007 Legislative Session with SB 45, which Gov. Blanco vetoed. In the 2008 Second Extraordinary Session, SB 5, which Gov. Jindal signed into law and became Act 8, granted a fifty percent income tax deduction on tuition, fees, and other school expenses for home-schooled students and non-public elementary, secondary, or public elementary school or secondary lab school operated by a public college or university. In the 2009 Legislative Session, SB163, which became Act 451, deleted the requirement that payment must be made to public schools for expenses, uniforms, materials, and school supplies, and it also required actual payment to obtain the deduction, and limited the deduction to $5,000 per student.

Finally this year, Marionneaux pushed SB 13, which was signed into law and became Act 121, effective for all tax years beginning on January 1, 2011, which removed the fifty percent cap on tuition and fees to the full amount of tuition and fees able to be deducted from personal income tax up to $5,000 per child.

“Education and standing up for working-class families have always been number one priorities for me while in office, and I will continue the fight to ensure our children get a good education in Louisiana,” Marionneaux said. “Our state depends on it."

The Louisiana Family Forum Action is a non-profit organization that supports and defends family values around the state. To find more information about this award and the LFFA, please visit www.lafamilyforum.org.

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