Ligi, now chair of Republican Legislative Delegation, would have to resign his seat to take the job.
Louisiana state Rep. Tony Ligi has been tapped to lead the Jefferson Business Council and is in the last stages of negotiating over the specifics of the position, the Metairie Republican confirmed Tuesday. Ligi, who co-chairs the Republican Legislative Delegation, said he and the economic development organization have not yet finalized the details of the offer, which would require he resign from the Legislature.
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State Rep. Tony Ligi, R-Metairie
"This is probably the toughest decision I'll have to make," Ligi said. "I love being in Baton Rouge and it's hard to walk away from it but its a career decision that I've had to make."
Ligi, an attorney, applied for the job last month after last month's announcement that Executive Director David Andignac would be leaving his post. He would serve as both executive director and chief legal counsel for the organization, a non-profit focused on economic development and public policy.
A state representative since 2007, Ligi now serves in a leadership role for the Legislature's Republican delegation and holds a seat on the influential House Appropriations Committee.
He is also the author of the constitutional amendment passed by voters earlier this month that will allow judges to strip public servants convicted of felonies of pension benefits.
To take the job, Ligi would have to leave the Legislature both because of potential conflicts between his public office and his job and because the Jefferson Business Council wants him to work there full time, he said.
Ligi said he will tender his resignation from the Legislature to House Speaker Chuck Kleckley once the details of the job with the Jefferson Business Council are finalized. Once that happens, voters will choose his replacement in a special election.
