La. Gov. Jindal pitches expansion for GM plant

BATON ROUGE, La. - Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal says he told General Motors Corp. leaders that the state is willing to help convert the Shreveport assembly plant to keep it running. Jindal, his economic development chief and northwest Louisiana officials met with GM North America president Troy Clarke on Friday in Detroit. Jindal says Clarke told him GM doesn't plan more cuts in Shreveport and still intends to make the new Hummer H3T pickup truck there. But it still plans to cut the plant's second shift on Sept. 29, eliminating nearly 800 jobs. Conversations about expanding the plant and altering its production to more fuel-efficient vehicles will continue. The governor offered state incentives to help such a conversion. Those could include tax breaks, cash to improve the factory, training help or other... [read full story]