MS. LANDRIEU: THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT --
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE CHAIR WOULD NOTE THAT WE ARE IN A
           QUORUM CALL.
           

           MS. LANDRIEU: I CAME TO THE FLOOR FOR A MOMENT TO RISE FOR
           PERSONAL PRIFER. BEFORE I GET INTO THE ESSENCE --
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: DOES THE SENATOR SEEK CONSENT TO
           TERMINATE THE QUORUM CALL?
           
           

           MS. LANDRIEU: YES, I SEEK CONSENT AND ASK FOR TEN MINUTES.
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: WITHOUT OBJECTION.
           

           MS. LANDRIEU: THANK YOU. I CAME TO THE FLOOR FOR A MOMENT TO
           SPEAK FOR PERSONAL PRIVILEGE, BUT I HEARD MY COLLEAGUE FROM
           NEVADA SPEAK ABOUT THE NEED FOR A VISITORS' CENTER, AND I JUST
           WOULD LIKE TO ADD MY SUPPORT FOR HIS CALLING FOR US TO RESOLVE
           WHATEVER DIFFICULTIES THERE MAY BE AND TRY TO GET THIS
           VISITORS' CENTER CONSTRUCTED FOR ALL OF THE GOOD REASONS THAT
           HE OUTLINED. THERE ARE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF YOUNG PEOPLE
           AND ADULTS THAT COME TO THIS BEAUTIFUL BUILDING. THIS REALLY IS
           THE PEOPLE'S HOUSE, AND THERE REALLY IS NO PLACE FOR THEM TO

           REST AND HAVE A REFRESHMENT AND TO GET SOME PLACE AWAY FROM THE
           HOT SUN. THE LINES ARE QUITE LONG. SO FOR ALL THE REASONS THAT
           HE ASKED FOR AND LAID OUT IN HIS JUST FEW MINUTES, I WOULD LIKE
           TO ADD MY VOICE TO HOW IMPORTANT I THINK IT IS FOR US TO GET ON
           WITH THE BUSINESS OF A VISITORS' CENTER FOR THIS CAPITOL. MR.
           PRESIDENT, I CAME TO THE FLOOR TODAY TO RISE FOR A MOMENT OF
           PERSONAL PRIVILEGE ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AND SENATOR JOHN BREAUX,

           TO NOTE WITH GREAT SADNESS THE PASSING OF A LEADING CITIZEN OF
           MY HOMETOWN -- NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA -- OUR STATE
           REPRESENTATIVE, REVEREND AVERY C., ALEXANDER, A COMMUNITY AND
           CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER FOR MANY DECADES, WHO PASSED AWAY IN NEW
           ORLEANS LAST FRIDAY AT THE AGE OF 88. REVEREND ALEXANDER OR
           "THE REV" AS HE WAS REFERRED TO BY ALL OF HIS MANY, MANY, MANY
           FRIENDS, WAS THE SON OF A SHARECROPPER FROM HOMER, LOUISIANA,

           AND ROSE TO PROMINENCE IN THE 1960'S CIVIL RIGHTS STRUGGLE.
           FROM THE STREETS OF NEW ORLEANS, WHERE HE SHOUTED OUT FOR THE
           VOICELESS, TO THE HALLS OF BATON ROUGE, WHERE HE FOUGHT FOR
           BETTER SCHOOLS, CIVIL RIGHTS AND A MORE INCLUSIVE ECONOMY, "THE
           REV" STOOD TALL. WHEN I WAS CONSIDERING RUNNING FOR THE
           LEGISLATURE MANY, MANY YEARS AGO AT THE RIPE OLD AGE OF 23, MY
           FATHER RIGHTFULLY ADVISED ME TO MEET WITH A SMALL GROUP OF
           LEADERS TO ASK FOR THEIR INPUT AND THEIR IDEAS AND THEIR
           COUNSEL. THE FIRST PERSON TO SHOW UP AT OUR HOME ON THAT DAY

           WAS "THE REV." ONCE I WAS ELECTED TO THE LEGISLATURE AND GOT
           THERE, HE HELPED ME UNDERSTAND THE POLITICAL PROCESS FROM THE
           INSIDE AS WELL AS THE OUT. I'LL ALWAYS BE GRATEFUL FOR HIS
           EARLY ADVICE AND COUNSEL, AND SO WILL THE THOUSANDS OF OTHERS
           WHO HAVE BENEFITED FROM HIS ENCOURAGING WORDS, HIS FIGHTING
           SPIRIT AND DETERMINATION TO MAKE THIS WORLD A BETTER PLACE FOR
           ALL. REVEREND ALEXANDER WAS A PERSON WHO ALWAYS MANAGED SOMEHOW

           TO RISE ABOVE THE MAN-MADE LIMITATIONS PLACED ON HIM, AND HE
           SUCCEEDED TRIUMPHANTLY. PRAS MARGARET MEADE WHO SAID NEVER
           DOUBT THAT A SMALL GROUP OF DEDICATED INDIVIDUALS CAN CHANGE
           THE WORLD. IN FACT, SHE SAID, IT'S NEVER BEEN DONE ANY OTHER
           WAY "THE REV" KNEW THAT AND LIVED THAT UNTIL THE DAY HE PASSED.
           MANY TIMES HE ALONE WAS THAT SMALL GROUP, AND HE DID IN FACT
           CHANGE OUR WORLD FOR THE BETTER. HE WORKED AS A LABORER AND A
           LONG SHOREMAN BEFORE HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATURE, WHILE
           CONTINUING HIS EDUCATION AT NIGHT. WHEN HE WITNESSED THE UNFAIR

           TREATMENT OF DOCK WORKERS, HE BECAME ACTIVE IN THE LABOR
           MOVEMENT ON THE WATERFRONT IN NEW ORLEANS. AS A LIFELONG MEMBER
           OF THE NAACP, HE CHAMPIONED THE CAUSE OF ANTIDISCRIMINATION,
           VOTER REGISTRATION AND CITIZEN REVIEW OF POLICE BRUTALITY AND
           MISCONDUCT. HE PARTICIPATED IN THE FAMOUS -- NOW-FAMOUS MARCH
           FROM SELMA TO MONTGOMERY ALONGSIDE THE REVEREND MARTIN LUTHER
           KING JR. IN 19356 REVEREND ALEXANDER HIMSELF WAS ARRESTED,
           DRAGGED UP THE STEPS FROM THE BASEMENT OF CITY HALL WHILE HE

           WAS ATTEMPTING TO INTEGRATE THE PUBLIC CAFETERIA THERE IN THAT
           BUILDING. IN 1929 HE ESTABLISHED A NONDENOMINATIONAL MINISTRY
           FOUNDED ON THE PRINCIPLE OF -- QUOTE -- "HELPING ALL PEOPLE."
           REVEREND ALEXANDER WAS ELECTED TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
           IN 1975 AND REMAINED AN ACTIVE AND EFFECTIVE MEMBER UNTIL HIS
           RECENT DEATH. AS DEDICATED AS HE WAS TO ADVOCATING CIVIL RIGHTS
           FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS, HE WAS EQUALLY DEDICATED TO STANDING UP
           FOR THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN. HIS WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT THROUGHOUT

           THE YEARS WERE NO SMALL PART RESPONSIBLE FOR HELPING ME TO
           BECOME THE FIRST ELECTED WOMAN SENATOR FROM LOUISIANA. AS A
           STRONG BELIEVER IN HIGHER EDUCATION, HE CONTINUED HIS OWN
           PERSONAL EDUCATION AT SDAIFIER UNIVERSITY, SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY,
           TULANE UNIVERSITY AND THE UNION THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY AT THE
           UNIVERSITY OF NEW ORLEANS. REVEREND ALEXANDER ALSO SERVED AS
           CHAPLAIN FOR MANY YEARS OF THE LOUISIANA LEGISLATIVE BLACK
           CAUCUS, ON THE NATIONAL BOARD OF THE SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN
           LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE AND WAS A DELEGATE ON THREE SEPARATE

           OCCASIONS TO THE NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION. MR. PRESIDENT,
           THE CITIZENS OF NEW ORLEANS AND THE STATE OF LOUISIANA HAVE
           LOST A DEAR FRIEND. MANY YOUNG LEADERS IN OUR STATE AND
           THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY HAVE LOST A GREAT MENTOR. AND THE
           AMERICAN PEOPLE HAVE LOST A GREAT CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER. HE WILL
           BE MISSED. GOD BLESS HIS FAMILY, ESPECIALLY HIS DAUGHTER,
           CHERYL, HIS BROTHER, LEHMAN AND ALL THE GRANDCHILDREN AND
           GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN. AND WE TOOPED COMMEND HIM TO YOU, DEAR

           LORD, IN YOUR ETERNAL CARE. THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT. I YIELD
           BACK THE REMAINDER OF MY TIME AND CALL FOR A QUORUM CALL. I
           SUGGESTHE ABSENCE OF A QUORUM.
           

           THE PRESIDING OFFICER: THE CLERK WILL CALL THE ROLL.
           
           
           
           QUORUM CALL:
           
{END: 1999/03/15 TIME: 14-45 , Mon.  106TH SENATE, FIRST SESSION}