The East Baton Rouge Parish Metropolitan Council will be holding its election in October, and Brett Jackson, Student Government senator for the College of Arts & Sciences, will be the youngest person in the race.
Jackson, a 20-year-old finance senior, is running for the District 12 seat on the Metro Council. Incumbent Councilman Mickey Skyring is in his first term on the Metro Council.
He will not be running for re-election, according to Deanna Goux, Skyring’s legislative assistant. Jackson said the upcoming election is important for the future of Baton Rouge.
“It’s the first one since [Hurricane] Katrina,” Jackson said. “That changed the city a whole lot. [Katrina] gave [Baton Rouge] its population boom.”
He said the Metro Council needs new people to get change in Baton Rouge.
“It’s just been the same people doing the same thing for the last 12 years,” Jackson said.
Jackson does not think his age will be a big factor in the election.
“Different parts of the voter district will think different things,” Jackson said.
District 12 includes the neighborhoods around Tiger Land, Burbank Drive between Gourrier Avenue and Lee Drive and Lee Drive from Nicholson Drive to Interstate 10.
Jackson said because District 12 has many young people, he is going to push to get voters registered.
He said if he wins the seat in the Metro Council, he will not run for SG in the fall.
SG President Colorado Robertson said it is good that someone is interested in government and wants to serve in a public position.
“It’s good to see a student trying to represent the LSU community,” Robertson said. “It will bring a fresh perspective, [and] Brett will represent the students well.”
Robertson worked with Jackson on several occasions in SG.
“I wish him the best of luck, and I hope he gets his ideas and issues out there,” Robertson said. “I encourage students to register to vote in East Baton Rouge Parish so they can vote in the Metro Council races.”
Jackson’s platform includes several things that might appeal to students and younger voters.
Jackson supports the One Baton Rouge proposal, a resolution that seeks the acceptance and integration of people of all colors, religions, sexual orientations and nationalities into the Baton Rouge community.
One Baton Rouge was voted down by the Metro Council in October 2007.
“The One Baton Rouge proposal is one of the first things – if I do get elected – [I want] to get passed,” Jackson said.
Jackson said he will work to help students save money when buying textbooks. He said if the local sales tax is removed, students will save about $45 to every $500 they spend on textbooks.
Another issue on Jackson’s platform is to repeal all of Baton Rouge’s “blue laws.” These laws include the closing of bars at 2 a.m. and prohibiting the sale of alcohol after 2 a.m.
“I know a lot of people think it’s just a college thing and want to party all the time,” Jackson said. “If you think about it, if people want to drink, they’ll want to go to another parish and build up [another parish’s] sales tax.”
Jackson said he wants whoever wins the seat to focus their concerns on traffic.
He said the District includes high-congestion streets such as Lee and Burbank drives and Perkins and Highland roads.
“They need to take a good look at the infrastructure of the city and public transportation and find better options,” Jackson said.
—-Contact J.J. Alcantara at [email protected]