Bobby Jindal

Piyush "Bobby" Jindal (pronounced as "Jin-thuhl") (born June 10, 1971) is the Governor of Louisiana and a member of the Republican Party. 
On October 20, 2007, Jindal was elected governor of Louisiana, winning a four-way race with 54.2% of the vote. At age 36, Jindal became the youngest current governor in the United States. He is the first elected non-white Governor of Louisiana and the first American governor of Indian American descent.Michelle Millhollon, “Jindal apparent winner *** Main foes concede election,” The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.), October 21, 2007. In 2008, Governor Jindal was ranked one of the nation's most popular governors with an approval rating of 77%.http://www.jenningsdailynews.net/arch_news.php?id=1137http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/elections2/election_20082/2008_senate_elections/louisiana/election_2008_louisiana_senate
Before Jindal's election as governor, he was a member of Congress for Louisiana's 1st congressional district, elected in 2004. Jindal was re-elected to the House in the 2006 election with 88 percent of the vote. As of today he is the second Indian American elected to Congress.Gerard Shields, “New La. congressmen catching up fast,” The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.), December 19, 2004. The first Indian-American elected to Congress was Dalip Singh Saund, a California Democrat, serving from 1957 to 1963.
==Early life and education==
Piyush Jindal was born on June 10, 1971, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to Indian immigrants Amar and Raj Jindal, who had arrived to attend graduate school at Louisiana State University. 
He attended a public magnet school at Baton Rouge Magnet High School and graduated in 1988. Jindal was considered a star pupil and "He always had his eye on, first of all, where he wanted to go, and second, how he was going to get there," says a former teacher. As a youngster, Bobby competed in tennis tournaments; started a computer newsletter, a retail candy business, and a mail-order software company; and spent his free time working at the concession stands during LSU football games.http://www.esquire.com/features/bobby-jindal-all-american-1008-2 After high school, Jindal was one of 50 students nationwide granted admission to the elite PLME program at Brown University, guaranteeing him a place in medical school prior to his matriculation into college. Jindal's main passion was in public policy but, moved by a profound sense of indebtedness to his father, who overcame abject poverty in his native India and thus set high expectations for his eldest son to become a doctor, he decided to complete a second major in biology too, eventually graduating with high honors in both disciplines in 1991, at just 20 years of age.http://www.esquire.com/features/bobby-jindal-all-american-1008-3http://www.bobbyjindal.com/index.php/meet-bobby/early-life 
Jindal was named a member of the prestigious 1992 USA Today All-USA Academic Team. Jindal got accepted to both Harvard Medical School and Yale Law School but later declined to study at New College, Oxford, as a Rhodes Scholar and received an M.Litt. degree in political science with an emphasis in health policy from the University of Oxford in 1994 for a thesis on "A needs-based approach to health care". Later that year, he was given the option of returning to Oxford for a D.Phil. in politics."Beating a Demon: Physical Dimensions of Spiritual Warfare" by Bobby Jindal However, after Oxford, he joined the consulting firm McKinsey & Company, where he advised Fortune 500 companies.
==Personal Life and Family==
Jindal was raised in a Hindu household, but converted to Christianity during high school; and during his first year at Brown University, he was baptized Roman Catholic. The Jindal family attends weekly Mass at Saint Aloysius Parish in Baton Rouge. Jindal's Catholic faith includes a solidarity with other Christian denominations; he has given speeches and offered religious testimony before Baptist and Pentecostal congregations. 
Jindals father, Amar, left Punjab in India and his ancestral family village of Khanpura, Malerkotla in 1970. Amar was the first person in Jindal's paternal family to attend school past the fifth grade and to graduate from high school. Amar has a degree in civil engineering.http://www.esquire.com/features/bobby-jindal-all-american-1008-2?src=del His mother, Raj, is an information technology director for the Louisiana Department of Labor and served as assistant secretary to former state labor secretary Garey Forster during the administration of Governor Murphy J. "Mike" Foster, Jr.
 Jindal also has a younger brother named Nikesh, who is a registered Republican and has supported his elder brother's campaign for Governor.http://www.nndb.com/people/139/000086878/http://www.campaignmoney.com/political/contributions/nikesh-jindal.asp?cycle=04 Nikesh went to both Dartmouth College and Yale Law School, where he graduated with honors, and is now a lawyer in Washington, D. C.. Jindal's self-adopted nickname, "Bobby", dates to his childhood and his identification with the sitcom character Bobby Brady. According to Jindal, "Every day after school, I'd come home and I'd watch The Brady Bunch. And I identified with Bobby, you know? He was about my age, and 'Bobby' stuck." He has been known by his choice of nickname ever since—as a civil servant, politician, student, and writer—but his legal name remains Piyush Jindal.
In 1997 Jindal married Supriya Jolly (born 1972). The two attended the same high school and were acquaintances but, because Supriya's family moved from Baton Rouge to New Orleans after her freshmen year, did not begin dating each other until their mid-20s, when Jindal called to invite her to a Mardi Gras party after another date cancelled at the spur of the moment. Supriya earned a bachelor's degree at Tulane University in chemical engineering.http://www.nola.com/living/index.ssf/2008/01/suddenly_supriya_louisianas_ne.html She also has an M.B.A. degree from Tulane University, and has finished most of her coursework for a Ph.D. in marketing at Louisiana State University, with only the dissertation project remaining.http://www.parenting.com/article/Mom/Work--Family/Mom-Congress-Supriya-Jindal-Bio Her stated academic hobby to keep her mind sharp is performing complex calculus problems. She launched The Supriya Jindal Foundation for Louisiana's Children, a non-profit organization aimed at improving math and science grade school education.Jindal Foundation home page The couple have three children: Selia Elizabeth, Shaan Robert, and Slade Ryan. Shaan was born with a congenital heart defect and had surgery as an infant. Following this personal event, the Jindals have been outspoken advocates for children with congenital defects, particularly those who lack insurance. In 2006, Jindal and his wife delivered their third child at home. Barely able to call 911 before the delivery, Jindal received medical coaching by phone to deliver the eight-pound, 2.5 ounce boy. Just as he was completing the umbilical cord procedure with a shoestring, paramedics arrived.http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/campaign-2008/2008/05/22/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-bobby-jindal.html
==Government service==
In 1993 Republican U.S. Representative Jim McCrery (for whom Jindal had once worked as a summer intern) introduced Jindal to Republican Governor Mike Foster. In 1996 Foster appointed Jindal to be secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, an agency that then represented about 40 percent of the state budget and employed over 12,000 people. Jindal was the youngest ever appointed Secretary of the DHH at the age of 25.http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/world-news/bobby-jindal-set-to-enjoy-his-big-gop-moment-in-us-congress_100158595.html During his tenure as secretary, Louisiana's Medicaid program went from bankruptcy with a $400 million deficit into three years of surpluses totaling $220 million.http://www.zimbio.com/Congressman+Bobby+Jindal/articles/15/Rush+Limbaugh+defends+Bobby+Jindal Jindal was criticized during the 2007 campaign by the Louisiana AFL-CIO for having closed some local clinics to balance the budget, but was widely praised by others for his efforts to eliminate the deficit. In 1998, Jindal was appointed executive director of the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare, a 17-member panel charged with devising plans to reform Medicare.
In 1999, at the request of the Louisiana Governor's Office and the Louisiana State Legislature, Jindal volunteered his time to study how Louisiana might use its $4.4 billion share of the tobacco settlement. In that same year, at only 28 years of age, Jindal was appointed to become the youngest-ever president of the University of Louisiana System, the nation's 16th largest system of higher education with over 80,000 students per year. In March 2001 he was nominated by President George W. Bush to be Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for Planning and Evaluation., U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, c. 2001. Accessed 25 October 2007. He was later unanimously confirmed by a vote of the United States Senate and began serving on July 9, 2001. In that position, he served as the principal policy advisor to the Secretary of Health and Human Services. He resigned from that post on February 21, 2003, to return to Louisiana and run for governor.
===2003 campaign for Governor===
Jindal came to national prominence during the 2003 election for Louisiana governor.
In what Louisianans call an "open primary" (but which is technically a nonpartisan blanket primary), Jindal finished first with 33 percent of the vote. He received endorsements from the largest paper in Louisiana, the New Orleans' Times-Picayune; the newly elected Democratic mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin; and the outgoing Republican governor, Mike Foster. In the second balloting, Jindal faced the outgoing lieutenant governor, Kathleen Babineaux Blanco of Lafayette, a Democrat. Despite winning in Blanco's hometown, he lost many normally conservative parishes in north Louisiana, and Blanco prevailed with 52 percent of the popular vote.
Political analysts have speculated on myriad explanations for his loss. Some have blamed Jindal for his refusal to answer questions targeted at his religion and ethnic background brought up in several Democratic advertisements,http://www.catholicculture.org/news/features/index.cfm?recnum=53061 which the Jindal Campaign called "negative attack ads." Others note that a significant number of conservative Louisianans remain more comfortable voting for a conservative Democrat, than for a Republican. Still others maintain that his defeat in typically conservative parishes in the northern portion of the state as evidence of racial prejudice against the Indian-American Jindal.
Despite his losing the election in 2003, the run for governor made Jindal a well-known figure on the state's political scene and a rising star within the Republican party.
===Congressman of the first district===
A few weeks after the 2003 gubernatorial runoff, Jindal decided to run for Louisiana's 1st congressional district. The incumbent, David Vitter, was running for the Senate seat being vacated by John Breaux. The Louisiana Republican Party endorsed him in the primary although Mike Rogers, also a Republican, was running for the same seat. The 1st District has been in Republican hands since a 1977 special election and is widely considered to be staunchly conservative. Jindal also had an advantage because his campaign was able to raise over $1 million very early in the campaign, making it harder for other candidates to effectively raise funds to oppose him. He won the 2004 Election with 78 percent of the vote. Jindal secured reelection in 2006 with an overwhelming 88 percent of the vote. 
He was appointed to the House Committee on Homeland Security, the House Committee on Resources, and the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. He was made Vice-Chairman of the House Subcommittee on the Prevention of Nuclear and Biological Attacks. Jindal served as President of the incoming Freshman class of congressmen in 2004. He was elected to the position of House Assistant Majority Whip, a senior leadership role; he served in this capacity from 2004-2006.http://www.esquire.com/features/bobby-jindal-all-american-1008
===2007 campaign for Governor===
On January 22, 2007, Jindal announced his candidacy for governor. Polling data showed him with an early lead in the race, and he remained the favorite throughout the campaign. He defeated eleven opponents in the nonpartisan blanket primary held on October 20, including two prominent Democrats, State Senator Walter Boasso of Chalmette and Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell of Bossier City, and an independent, New Orleans businessman John Georges.
Jindal finished with 699,672 votes (54 percent). Boasso ran second with 226,364 votes (17 percent). Georges finished with 186,800 (14 percent), and Campbell, who is also a former state senator, ran fourth with 161,425 (12 percent). The remaining candidates collectively polled three percent of the vote. Jindal polled pluralities or majorities in 60 of the state's 64 parishes (equivalent to counties in other states). He lost narrowly to Georges in Orleans Parish, to Boasso in St. Bernard Parish (which Boasso represented in the Legislature), and in the two neighboring north Louisiana parishes of Red River and Bienville located south of Shreveport, both of which are historically Democratic and supported Campbell. In the 2003 contest with Blanco, Jindal had lost most of the northern parishes. This marked the first time that a non-incumbent candidate for governor was elected without a runoff under the Louisiana election system.http://www.bobbyjindal.com/index.php/meet-bobby/leadership
As governor-elect Jindal named a new ethics team, with Democratic Shreveport businesswoman Virginia Kilpatrick Shehee, the first woman to have served in the state senate, as the vice chairman of the panel. Jindal assumed the position of governor when he took the oath of office on January 14, 2008. At thirty-six, he became the youngest sitting governor in the United States. He is also Louisiana's first non-white governor since P. B. S. Pinchback served for thirty-five days during Reconstruction, and the first non-white governor to be elected (Pinchback succeeded to the position of Lieutenant Governor on the death of Oscar Dunn, then to Governor upon the impeachment of Henry Clay Warmoth).
In a salute to the 2007 LSU Tigers football national championship team during his January 14, 2008 inauguration speech, Jindal stated in part "...They revere our athletes. Go Tigers...."
On May 3, 2008 a special election was held to determine Jindal's replacement in the 1st Congressional District. Steve Scalise, a state legislator, was elected with 75 percent of the vote over University of New Orleans professor Dr. Gilda Reed.
On June 27, 2008, Louisiana's Secretary of State confirmed that a recall petition had been filed against Governor Jindal in response to Jindal's refusal to veto a bill that would more than double the current state legislative pay. During his campaign for Governor, Jindal had pledged to prevent legislative pay raises that would take effect during the current term. Jindal responded by saying that he is opposed to the pay increase but that he had pledged to let the legislature govern themselves. On June 30, 2008, Governor Jindal reversed his earlier position by vetoing the pay raise legislation, stating that he made a mistake by staying out of the pay raise issue. In response, the petitioners dropped their recall effort. 
The Standard and Poors raised Louisiana's bond rating and credit outlook from stable to positive in 2009. In announcing this change, the organization gave credit to the state's strong management and “commitment to streamlining its government functions.”http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/63908172.html Jindal met with President Barack Obama in October 2009 where the governor pushed for increased federal dollars to cover rising Medicaid costs, speeding the construction of hurricane-protection barriers, and financing the proposed Louisiana State University teaching hospital. During a town hall meeting, Obama praised Jindal as a "hard working man who is doing a good job" for the State, and expressed support for the Governor's overhaul of the State's educational system in the area of increased charter schools.http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2009/10/68501045/1 
Louisiana state government watchdog C.B. Forgotston, former counsel to the House Appropriations Committee who supported Jindal's election in 2007, has expressed disappointment with the governor in regard to the legislative pay raise and other fiscal issues. Forgotston, said he would grade Jindal an A+ in public relations and a D in fiscal performance in office.
Jindal negotiated an agreement whereby Foster Farms, a private chicken processor, would receive $50 million in taxpayer funds to purchase a chicken processing plant owned by bankrupt Pilgrim's Pride.http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20090507/NEWS05/90507035 Some have argued that there is a conflict of interest in that Pilgrim's Pride founder Lonnie "Bo Pilgrim contributed $2500 to Jindal's campaign in 2007.http://bestofneworleans.com/gyrobase/PrintFriendly?oid=oid%3A53436 Other contributors to Jindal's campaign who benefited from economic development spending include Albemarle and Edison Chouest Offshore. Jindal however released a statement saying that this legislation saved over 1,000 jobs, serves as a stimulus to Louisiana's economy, and had wide bipartisan support.http://www.bobbyjindal.com/index.php/blog/Creating-and-Protecting-Jobs.html 
====Hurricane Gustav====
Jindal oversaw one of the largest evacuations in U.S. history (nearly two million people) in late August 2008 prior to the Louisiana landfall of Hurricane Gustav. He issued mandatory evacuation orders for the state's coastal areas and activated 3,000 National Guardsman to aid in the exodus. He also ordered the state to purchase generators to provide needed power to hospitals and nursing homes without power. Government officials vacated hospitals and nursing homes and put the poor, the ill, and the elderly on buses and trains out of town. The evacuation was credited as one reason that Gustav only resulted in 16 deaths in the U.S. The state's successful response to Hurricane Gustav was in stark contrast to the failed hurricane response system for Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Jindal received bipartisan praise for his leadership during Gustav.http://www.siliconindia.com/shownews/Bobby_Jindals_hurricane_handling_comes_in_for_more_praise-nid-46427.html Jindal had been scheduled to address the Republican National Convention, but cancelled his plans to focus on Louisiana's needs during the storm.
====Speculation over vice presidential nomination====
On February 8, 2008, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh mentioned on his syndicated show that Jindal could be a possible choice for the Republican vice presidential nomination in 2008. He said that Jindal might be perceived as an asset to John McCain's campaign because he has wide support in the conservative and moderate wings of the Republican Party and his youth offsets McCain's age. If McCain had won the presidency, he would have been the oldest president ever inaugurated to a first term. Heightening the speculation, McCain invited Jindal, Gov. Charlie Crist of Florida, Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota and McCain's former rivals Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee to meet at McCain's home in Arizona on May 23, 2008, according to a Republican familiar with the decision; Romney, Huckabee, and Pawlenty, all of whom were already well acquainted with McCain, declined because of prior commitments. The meeting may have served a different purpose, such as consideration of Jindal for the opportunity to speak at the 2008 Republican National Convention, in a similar fashion to Barack Obama at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, cementing a place for him in the party and opening the gate for a future run for the presidency. Speculation was fueled by simultaneous July 21, 2008, reports that McCain was making a sudden visit to Louisiana to again meet with Jindal and that McCain was readying to name his running mate within a week. However, on July 23, 2008, Jindal said he would not be the Republican vice presidential nominee in 2008. Jindal added that he "never talked to the senator [McCain] about the vice presidency or his thoughts on selecting the vice president." Ultimately, on August 29, 2008, McCain chose then-Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin as his running mate. While Jindal was given a prime time speech slot at the party convention, he was not offered the prominence of delivering a keynote speech. During the presidential campaign, Jindal has expressed admiration for both Senators McCain and Obama, and maintained that both have made positive contributions to the nation.http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2009/03/bobby_jindal_obama_greatest_sp.html
====Republican response to President Obama's address to Congress====
On February 24, 2009, Jindal delivered the official Republican response to President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress. Jindal called the president's economic stimulus plan “irresponsible” and argued against government intervention. He used Hurricane Katrina to warn against government solutions to the economic crisis. "Today in Washington, some are promising that government will rescue us from the economic storms raging all around us," Jindal said. "Those of us who lived through Hurricane Katrina, we have our doubts." He praised the late sheriff Harry Lee for standing up to the government during Katrina.
 David Johnson, a Republican political strategist criticized Jindal's mention of Hurricane Katrina stating "“The one thing Republicans want to forget is Katrina.” Jindal's speech was poorly received by many Democrats and some Republicans, while others argued that the speech should be judged on substance rather than delivery style. Some conservative commentators were among his harshest critics, with one calling his speech "a disaster for the Republican Party". CNN political Analyst Candy Crowley said that "Politicians often come back from moments such as these...there is a lot of time left for rehabilitation."http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/25/jindal.reaction/index.html
Jindal's story of meeting Lee in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was questioned following the speech, as Jindal was not in New Orleans at the time. On February 27, 2009, a spokesman for Jindal clarified the timing of the meeting, stating that the story took place days after the storm.http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0209/Jindal_aide_Story_was_set_after_Katrina.html?showall Some have questioned Jindal's inclusion of Lee in his speech; as Lee died in 2007 and there were no possibilities of proving Jindal's account of the events.
====Use of taxpayer-funded helicopters====
In mid-2009, The Advocate newspaper in Baton Rouge reviewed helicopter records obtained through public information requested and verified that from March 2, 2009 to July 20, 2009, Jindal used taxpayer funded helicopter and State Police pilots to travel to various parts of the state to attend church services and meet with community officials. A total of 14 trips were taken with a cost of $1,200 per hour to operate, about $45,000 in total. Jindal states that the Sunday services are not based on politics and he is invited to meet with rural worshipers. He argues that these events are valuable to "hear what the people have to say." In addition, after the church services, Jindal scheduled meetings with local officials who showed him schools, roads, and factories and shared with him their concerns. State Sen. Joe McPherson, D-Woodworth, said Jindal is a very accessible governor and that these Sunday trips provide an opportunity to reach out to the community.
====Jindal appointments====
Governor Jindal appointed both Democrats and Republicans to prominent state posts. He named outgoing Republican State Senator Gerald Theunissen of Jennings to his education transition advisory council. He retained 23 appointees of former governor Kathleen Blanco. One of Jindal's first high-profile appointments was former Republican State Senator Robert J. Barham of Morehouse Parish as secretary of the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Another term-limited representative, Joseph F. Toomy of Gretna in Jefferson Parish, was named to the five-member New Orleans Port Authority.
Former Republican State Representative Henry "Tank" Powell of Ponchatoula in Tangipahoa Parish (1996-2008) along with former Democratic Sheriff Leonard "Pop" Hataway of Grant Parish (1976-2008) were appointed to the influential Louisiana Board of Pardons. Democrats Sydnie Mae Durand and Chris Ullo were appointed to the state Pharmacy Board and the Crescent City Connection board, respectively. Jindal also re-appointed Democratic Community and Technical College members Michael Murphy of Bogalusa and Stephen Toups of Baton Rouge.http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/politics/19754239.html Jindal and Speaker Jim Tucker named the Democrat James R. Fannin of Jonesboro as chairman of the critical House Appropriations Committee.
====Speculations about political future====
Jindal has been mentioned as a potential candidate for the 2012 presidential election. On December 10, 2008, Jindal indicated that he would not run for president in 2012, saying he will focus on his reelection in 2011 and that this would make transitioning to a national campaign difficult, though he later attempted to leave himself the opportunity to change his mind in the future. He however has not ruled out a possible 2012 Presidential bid.
Speculation increased when Republicans chose Jindal to rebut President Obama's first address to Congress. 
The Jindal for President Draft Council Inc., PAC has been formed to raise funds for a future presidential run. Jindal claims to have no involvement with the PAC.
==Positions on selected social and political issues==
===Abortion and stem cell research===
Jindal has a 100% pro-life voting record according to the National Right to Life Committee. In accordance with his Catholic faith, he personally opposes abortions without exception, but does not condemn medical procedures aimed at saving the life of the mother that indirectly result in the loss of the unborn child.
Walls, Seth Colter, "Who Is Bobby Jindal? The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly", Huffington Post, 2008-05-30GOP Looks to Louisiana's Governor", The Washington Post, 2008-11-30Romano, Andrew, "Their Own Obama", Newsweek, 2008-12-22 In 2003, Jindal stated that he does not object to the use of emergency contraception in the case of rape if the victim requests it. While in the House of Representatives, he supported two bills to prohibit transporting minors across state lines to obtain an abortion; the bills aimed to prevent doctors and others from helping a minor avoid parental notification laws in their home state by procuring an abortion in another state. He opposes and has voted against expanding public funding of embryonic stem cell research.
===Same-sex marriage===
Jindal opposes the legalization of same-sex marriage. He has voted for the Federal Marriage Amendment to restrict marriage to a union between one man and one woman. In December 2008, Jindal announced the formation of the Louisiana Commission on Marriage and Family,Louisiana Gov. Jindal picks Louisiana Commission on Marriage and Family on BayouBuzz.com. including individuals representing organizations that oppose same-sex marriage.
===Government ethics and corruption===
Governor Jindal has voted to mandate lobbyist disclosure of bundled donations and has supported legislation to protect whistleblowers from employer recrimination. He has vetoed state legislation to increase pay for state legislatures.http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/06/jindal_vetoes_legislative_rais.htmlhttp://www.ontheissues.org/House/Bobby_Jindal.htm Governor Jindal has voted to restrict no-bid defense contracts in the military. He has signed legislation requiring financial disclosure for officials, prohibiting conflicts of interests, closing loopholes on free tickets, ending lobbyist-funded lavish meals, and the establishment of the Inspector General Office as an independent body to root out corruption in government. Due to these efforts, the Better Government Association ranked Louisiana fifth in its state Integrity Index in 2008, moving it 41 places up from its 2002 ranking of 46th.www.intertechsciencepark.com/.../LA%20Ethics%20Ranking.pdf
===Second Amendment rights===
Jindal has stated his support of the Second Amendment's right to bear arms. He has opposed efforts to restrict gun rights and has received an endorsement from the National Rifle Association.http://www.mixx.com/stories/6467968/louisiana_governor_bobby_jindal_speaks_at_the_nra_annual_meetings Jindal has an A rating from Gun Owners of America.
===Tax policy===
As a private citizen, Jindal voted in 2002 for the Louisiana constitutional amendment known as the Stelly Plan, named for its author, State Representative Vic Stelly, a Lake Charles Republican,
 which swapped some sales taxes for higher income taxes. As governor, Jindal initially opposed reforms to the Stelly plan that would have resulted in over $300 million in tax cuts, on the basis of budget concerns. He later agreed to the tax cut after the legislature appeared headed to eliminating the entire personal income tax, which Jindal also opposed.
Since taking office, Governor Jindal has cut taxes a total of six times, which included the largest income tax cut in the Louisiana's history - giving back $1.1 billion over five years, along with accelerating the elimination of the tax on business investments.
===Education===
Jindal has promoted private-parochial scholarships as part of a statewide bid to increase educational access and choice. He has signed into law a $10 million scholarship fund to increase educational opportunities for inner city students; in addition, he has increased the number of charter schools in the state from 42 to over 100, which has drawn praise from President Barack Obama et al.http://www.bobbyjindal.com/index.php/blog/Improving-our-Kids-Educational-Opportunities.html He has also supported increasing GED scholarships for state residents. Jindal has promoted performance-based initiatives for teachers and supports tax deductions for tuition and other qualified educational experiences. He has also signed legislation increasing teachers' salaries by over $1,000 per annum. The Governor led the passage of a "Teacher's Bill of Rights,” which supports teachers in keeping their classrooms a safe learning environment for children, without destructive student behavior. Governor Jindal has increased funding for the Fast Start Program and Workplace Training Rapid Response Fund which are targeted towards cultivating a positive Louisiana business environment. He has also partnered with the state's community and technology college system to promote a "Day One Guarantee" for employers, to provide additional training at no cost to graduates who do not demonstrate reasonable standards of performance on the job.http://connect.in.com/louisiana/play-video-louisiana-governor-bobby-jindal-and-lctcs-president-joe-may-day-one-guarantee-press-conference-027474bac94debc8e7877338d12d330e78518666.html
===Civil liberties===
Jindal opposes race based preferences and quotas in admissions to higher education. He also opposes the Fairness Doctrine. Jindal voted to extend the PATRIOT Act, voted in favor of the Military Commissions Act of 2006, supported a constitutional amendment banning flag burning, and voted for the Real ID Act of 2005.
|> In the 2009 legislative session, Jindal expressed support for a bill by State Representative James H. "Jim" Morris of Oil City, which would permit motorcyclists to choose whether or not to wear a helmet. Morris' bill easily passed the House but was blocked in the 
Senate Health Committee.
===Illegal immigration===
As a son of immigrants, Jindal has stated that legal immigration brings many benefits to the United States. He has, however, criticized illegal immigration as a drain on the economy, as well as being unfair to those who entered the country by legal means. He has voted to build a fence along the Mexican border and opposes granting amnesty for illegal aliens.http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/24/us/politics/24jindal-text.html
===Health care===
Jindal supports increased health insurance portability, laws promoting coverage of pre-existing medical conditions, a cap on malpractice lawsuits, the implementation of a streamlined electronic medical records system, an emphasis on preventative care rather than emergency room care, and tax benefits aimed at making health insurance more affordable for the uninsured and targeted to promote universal access. Since Governor Jindal has taken office, over 11,000 uninsured children have been added to the State's Children's Health Insurance Program. He opposes a federal government run, single-payer system, but supports state efforts to reduce the uninsured population.http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,557283,00.html He has also supported expanding services for autistic children, and has promoted a national childhood cancer database. In collaboration with Health Secretary Alan Levine, Governor Jindal has drafted the Louisiana Health First Initiative. This plan focuses on expanding health insurance coverage for the state's indigent population, increasing Medicaid choice, reducing fraud, authorizing funding of a new charity hospital, and increasing transparency in Medicaid by making performance measures available over the internet.http://www.dhh.louisiana.gov/offices/?ID=349 Jindal supports co-payments in Medicaid.Bobby Jindal 2004 Congressional Campaign Website
===Environmental issues and offshore drilling ===
Governor Jindal has promoted nuclear and renewable energy such as wind, solar, and hydroelectric. He has issued an executive order increasing office recycling programs, reducing solid waste and promoting paperless practices, offering tax credit for hybrid fuel vehicles, increasing average fuel economy goals by 2010, as well as increasing energy efficiency goals and standards for the state.http://www.allamericanpatriots.com/48741848_louisiana-governor-bobby-jindal-announces-executiv He has stated his opposition to and voted against the formation of oil cartels such as OPEC. As a representative in the House, he supported a $300 million bill to fund Louisiana coastal restoration. In addition, he was the chief sponsor of successful legislation to expand the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park by over 3,000 acres.http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1229502721.html Jindal has pledged state support for the development of economically friendly cars in northeastern Louisiana in conjunction with alternative energy advocate T. Boone Pickens.http://www.autoobserver.com/2009/06/miata-designer-matano-t-boone-pickens-part-of-start-up-car-company.html Jindal voted to censure a website which promoted the controversial Yucca Mountain nuclear waste dump site. 
In 2006, Jindal sponsored the Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act (H.R. 4761), a bill to eliminate the moratorium on offshore oil and gas drilling over the U.S. outer continental shelf. A poll taken while the bill was being debated, showed that 73% of the U.S. public supported the measure. Jindal argues that 30-40% of oil reserves of the United States are near the Louisiana coast and increased drilling would reduce American dependence on foreign oil.http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Environment/Developmental-Issues/Bush-lifts-offshore-drilling-ban/articleshow/3236372.cms This prompted the watchdog groups, Republicans for Environmental Protection as well as the nonpartisan League of Conservation Voters to rate him among the lowest in Congress in 2006.[League of Conservation Voters 2006 National Environmental Scorecard] H.R. 4761 was replaced by S 3711 (known as the Domenici-Landrieu Fair Share Plan) which was passed by both houses of Congress and signed by President George W. Bush.
===Earmarks===
In 2007, Jindal led the Louisiana House delegation and ranked 14th among House members in requested earmark funding at nearly $97 million (however in over 99% of these requests, Jindal was a co-sponsor and not the primary initiator of the earmark legislation).http://blog.buzzflash.com/alerts/610 $5 million of Jindal's earmark requests were for state defense and indigent healthcare related expenditures, another $50 million was for increasing the safety of Louisiana's waterways and levees after breaches resulting from Hurricane Katrina, and the remainder was targeted towards coastal restoration and alternative energy research.http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/earmarks.php?fy=FY08&cid=N00026786&cycle=2008http://earmarkwatch.org/2008-house-defense/sponsor/295/ As Governor in 2008, Jindal used his line item veto to strike $16 million in earmarks from the state budget but declined to veto $30 million in legislator-added spending. Jindal vetoed over 250 earmarks in the 2008 state budget, twice the total number of such vetoes by previous governors in the preceding twelve years.
===Intelligent design===
Jindal signed a law that permits teachers to supplement standard evolutionary theory with analysis and critiques that may include the theory of intelligent design. The law however explicitly forbids "the promotion of any religious doctrine and will not discriminate against religion or non-religion." Louisiana ACLU Director Marjorie Esman says that if the act is utilized as written, it is on firm constitutional footing, but there is the potential for abuse.http://www.wwltv.com/local/stories/wwl062408tpscienceact.37767059.html"The evidence at trial demonstrates that ID is nothing less than the progeny of creationism" (page 31) in "Judgement" of Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District in public schools.
 Despite calls for a veto from groups such as the National Review, and Jindal's own biology professors at Brown University,
 Jindal signed the Louisiana Academic Freedom Act which passed overwhelmingly with bipartisan support with a vote of 94-3 in the State House and 35-0 in the State Senate in 2008. As a result of this, the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology rejected New Orleans as a site for their 2010 meeting and the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology will not conduct future meetings in Louisiana..
===Crime and punishment===
On June 25, 2008, Jindal signed the bipartisan Sex Offender Chemical Castration Bill authorizing the chemical castration of those convicted of repeat violent sex offenses. He also provided additional funding for State Police in order to place new troopers on the roads. 
He has voted to expand services to facilitate offender re-entry and rehabilitation into society. As governor, he signed legislation providing additional infrastructure for criminal investigations, including $1.8 million for the state's DNA Unit and Physical Evidence Unit, to promote more timely and accurate identification of criminals. This law was hailed by defendant rights advocates as a safeguard against errors in sentencing.
Jindal has voted against giving the federal government jurisdiction to help local law enforcement with hate crimes based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender and disability. He argues that this is an issue that is best handled at the state level.
===Opposition to 2009 stimulus money===
Jindal has been an opponent to the 2009 Stimulus Plan on the basis that it is not accompanied by revenue increases and that it will further exacerbate the burgeoning national debt. Citing concerns that the augmentation of unemployment insurance may obligate the state to raise taxes on businesses, Jindal had indicated his intention to forgo federal stimulus plan funds ($98 million) aimed at increasing unemployment insurance for Louisiana. Louisiana was set to receive about $3.8 billion overall. Jindal intends to accept at least $2.4 billion from the stimulus package. He called parts the plan "irresponsible", saying that "the way to lead is not to raise taxes and put more money and power in hands of Washington politicians." Ben Pershing, "Obama Emphasizes Reform, Offers Hope Amid Economic Crisis." The Washington Post, February 24, 2009. Retrieved July 14, 2009
Some have criticized Jindal for publicly issuing funds from the governor's office for "jobs, jobs, and jobs" in Louisiana, half of which is from the stimulus package.
==Writings==
A list of Jindal's published writings up to 2001 can be found in the hearing report for his 2001 U.S. Senate confirmation.“Nominatons of Claude Allen, Thomas Scully, Piyush Jindal, Linnet F. Deily, Peter Allgeier, Peter R. Fisher, and James Gurule”, U.S. Senate Hearing 107-130, 107th Congress, 1st Session, pages 95-97 (2001-05-16). They include newspaper columns, law review articles, and first authorships in several scientific and policy articles that have appeared in the prominent Journal of the American Medical Association, Journal of the Louisiana State Medical Association, and Hospital Outlook.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez
Additionally, Jindal's pre-2001 writings include several articles in the New Oxford Review, one of which later made news during Jindal's 2003 gubernatorial race. In that 1994 article, "Beating a Demon: Physical Dimensions of Spiritual Warfare" in the New Oxford Review, Jindal described witnessing a friend seemingly being possessed by a demon, but concluded "Did I witness spiritual warfare? I do not have the answers.""BEATING A DEMON: Physical Dimensions of Spiritual Warfare," New Oxford Review, December 1994: "I began to think that the demon would only attack me if I tried to pray or fight back....Did I witness spiritual warfare? I do not have the answers..."
==Electoral history==
;Governor of Louisiana, 2003
:Threshold > 50%
:First Ballot, October 4, 2003
Candidate 	Affiliation	Support 	Outcome
Bobby Jindal 	Republican 	443,389 (33%)	Runoff
Kathleen Blanco 	Democratic 	250,136 (18%)	Runoff
Richard Ieyoub 	Democratic 	223,513 (16%)	Defeated
Claude "Buddy" Leach	Democratic 	187,872 (14%)	Defeated
Others 	n.a. 	257,614 (19%)	Defeated
:Second Ballot, November 15, 2003
Candidate 	Affiliation	Support 	Outcome
Kathleen Blanco	Democratic 	731,358 (52%)	Elected
Bobby Jindal 	Republican 	676,484 (48%)	Defeated
;U. S. Representative, 1st Congressional District, 2004
:Threshold > 50%
:First Ballot, November 2, 2004
Candidate 	Affiliation	Support 	Outcome
Bobby Jindal 	Republican 	225,708 (78%)	Elected
Roy Armstrong	Democratic 	19,266 (7%) 	Defeated
Others 	n.a. 	42,923 (15%) 	Defeated
;U. S. Representative, 1st Congressional District, 2006
:Threshold > 50%
:First Ballot, November 7, 2006
Candidate 	Affiliation	Support 	Outcome
Bobby Jindal 	Republican 	130,508 (88%)	Elected
David Gereighty	Democratic 	10,919 (7%) 	Defeated
Others 	n.a. 	6,701 (5%) 	Defeated
;Governor of Louisiana, 2007
:Threshold > 50%
:First Ballot, October 20, 2007
Candidate 	Affiliation	Support 	Outcome
Bobby Jindal 	Republican 	699,672 (54%)	Elected
Walter Boasso 	Democratic 	226,364 (17%)	Defeated
John Georges 	Independent	186,800 (14%)	Defeated
Foster Campbell	Democratic 	161,425 (12%)	Defeated
Others 	n.a. 	23,682 (3%) 	Defeated
==References==
==External links==
;Governor
*Official state site
*Collected reports on Jindal from SAJAforum.org
**Hurricane Gustav: Jindal's first big test from SAJAforum.org
*Complete text, audio, video of Bobby Jindal's gubernatorial election victory address
*Complete text, audio, video of Bobby Jindal's gubernatorial inaugural address
*Jindal, Bobby Fiscal Conservatism Helped Louisiana Beat Katrina Wall Street Journal, August 29, 2008
*Jindal, Bobby Beating a Demon: Physical Dimensions of Spiritual Warfare New Oxford Review, December 1994
;Congress
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ar:بوبي جندال
de:Bobby Jindal
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