New state law closes Allen Parish Tourist Commission, displaces veteran portraits
ALLEN PARISH, La. (KPLC) - A new state law has abolished the Allen Parish Tourist Commission, and with it, two of the parish’s cultural landmarks have gone dark.
Act 398 redirects funding from the Allen Parish Tourist Commission to a newly created Allen Parish Economic Development District. As a result, the Allen Parish Cultural Center in Kinder and the Leatherwood Museum in Oakdale have both closed.
For years, the first thing visitors saw when they walked into the Allen Parish Cultural Center was the Wall of Honor, a collection of portraits of local veterans drawn by Kinder artist and Vietnam veteran Gary Nupp.
Over more than two decades, Nupp drew over 200 portraits of Allen Parish veterans, all at no cost to families, and displayed them at the cultural center’s Wall of Honor.
Laura Hall, President of the Allen Genealogical and Historical Society, says the loss of the cultural center and the Wall of Honor is deeply felt.
“The first thing anyone sees when they walk into the cultural center just couldn’t help but be the Wall of Honor,” Hall said. “Someone took the time to lend their talent and time to, as the artist originally stated, immortalizing and keeping the memory of these veterans alive.”
State Rep. Dewith Carrier (R-Oakdale) authored the legislation. He says the tourist commission had been struggling financially in part due to reduced revenue from the Coushatta Tribe’s gaming compact.
“Our tourist commission got a big hit from our Coushatta Indians on the compact that took a lot of money from them. So they really can’t do what they’re supposed to do,” Carrier said during a House committee hearing.
Parish Administrator and Engineer Jacob Dillehay told lawmakers Allen Parish brings in $22 million a year in property taxes split between roughly 30 sub-districts.
“Fundamentally, we need to improve our tax base and not increase our tax rates. This is the very foundational step in that direction to create a district that reinvests those funds into growing the workforce and tax base of Allen Parish,” Dillehay said.
Under Act 398, all remaining funds and property of the tourist commission must be transferred to the new Allen Parish Economic Development District. Tourism dollars will be held in a separate account and can only be used to attract visitors and conventions to the area.
The bill passed the Louisiana House 78-6, the Senate 35-2, and received unanimous final concurrence of 100-0. It became law without Gov. Jeff Landry’s signature on May 27, 2026.
For families in Allen Parish, the cost of the decision is measured not in dollars but in history.
Hall and the Allen Genealogical and Historical Society, along with local VFW and American Legion members, have been working since early 2026 to reunite the veteran portraits with families. Dozens of volunteers have been involved in the effort, using Facebook posts and genealogy research to track down relatives.
Hall says the response from families has been overwhelming.
“‘I never thought I would actually be able to hold this in my hand, much less bring it home with me and own it,’” Hall recalled one family member telling her.
Among the portraits still unclaimed is one with no name or photo attached, an unknown veteran whose identity remains a mystery.
“We have one here that sadly did not have a photo or a name associated with it. We would love to identify him to know where we might be able to place him. Even if we never know his name,” Hall said.
Hall warns that without community intervention, these artifacts could have been lost forever.
“We do run the risk of seeing these precious artifacts cast aside,” she said. “It’s something that only happened once, and sadly I don’t believe it will ever happen again and is irreplaceable.”
KPLC reached out to Rep. Carrier and the Allen Parish Police Jury for comment. Carrier did not return our calls. The Police Jury said its administrator would not be available until next week.
The new law takes effect Aug. 1, 2026.
The Allen Genealogical and Historical Society will wrap up its portrait reunification effort at its July 7 meeting. It will be held at 10 a.m. at the Kinder Library. Families may pick up portraits in person at that time. The Society is also willing to deliver portraits to families who cannot attend.
Any portraits not claimed will be given a home on the walls of a local restaurant so that, as Hall put it, “maybe one day someone will walk in and say, I know that guy.”
Anyone who believes they can identify the unknown veteran portrait is urged to contact the Allen Genealogical and Historical Society.
Dillehay provided the following answers to our questions:
When does the Allen Parsh Economic Development District expect to be fully operational?
Act 398 goes into effect on August 1st, 2026. So, the board will legally exist as of that date. Becoming “fully operational” is a harder timeline to estimate, as with any new organization, several formational decisions need to be made, bylaws need to be created and adopted by the board, tax ID numbers, state registrations, etc. before operations begin.
When will the board be selected?
The board makeup is predetermined in Act 398 and will consist of:
- The president of the Allen Parish Industrial Development Board.
- The president of the Oakdale Chamber of Commerce.
- The president of the Kinder Chamber of Commerce.
- The president of the governing authority of the parish of Allen (i.e., Police Jury President).
- The member of the Louisiana House of Representatives whose district encompasses all or the greater portion of the area of the district, or his designee.
How much money transferred from the Tourist Commission?
No funds will be transferred until August 1st, 2026, as the EDD doesn’t exist yet. However, the current Tourism Commission checking account balance as of the May 2026 statement is $4,973.12, which will be transferred once the Board is formed.
What role will the Allen Parish Police Jury play?
The Police Jury president (who is elected by the Police Jurors every two years) will serve as a voting member on the board.
Further, the Act specifically states “The board shall not exercise any power, except the power to levy a occupancy tax as authorized in this Section, without the approval of the governing authority of the parish of Allen”.
What happens to the Cultural Center and Leatherwood buildings and the history that was in them?
This decision will ultimately be decided by the new board, once it is formed and operational. It is my understanding that many of the historical items that were in place have already been claimed by their owners.
It is important to note that the Act addresses these questions and explicitly states two things concerning Tourism in Allen Parish and the Tourism Commission’s prior assets, to quote the Act:
- “The district is created to provide for cooperative economic and community development among the district, the parish, the state, and the owners of property in the district; to provide for tourism-related initiatives; to enhance the development of and improvement to the property within the area of the district; to develop stable and more extensive employment opportunities; to improve infrastructure; and to promote the overall welfare of the citizens of the district.”
- “All remaining funds and property of the Allen Parish Tourist Commission shall be transferred to the Allen Parish Economic Development District. The funds shall be held in a separate account and shall be used for the purpose of attracting conventions and tourists into the area and former jurisdiction of the commission.”
It is my interpretation of these Sections of the Act is that “Tourism-related initiatives” will remain a key part of Economic Development in Allen Parish. Regarding the remaining history, though I cannot speak on behalf of the new board, I will say that the board is made up of caring, local, and deeply community minded individuals from throughout Allen Parish, and I have no doubt that any historical items remaining will be either used for their intended purpose or returned to their rightful owners.
How many people actually visited those buildings?
This is not a number that the Police Jury would have and we are unsure if records on this were kept.
How much revenue had the tourist commission already lost before Act 398/ HB 398 was proposed?
I do not know an exact number, but it is my understanding, based on 2023 correspondence with the Tourism Commission President, that after the Best Western Hotel was placed in trust, the Commission lost approximately 50% of its revenue.
Economic Development District Future Funding and plans moving forward.
Regarding Economic Development District Funding, the board will ultimately make that decision. According to the Act, “the district may levy and collect a tax upon the paid occupancy on hotel rooms and overnight camping facilities located within the district. The occupancy tax shall not exceed three percent of the rent or fee charged for such occupancy.” This is the same tax previously applied by the Tourism Commission.
Regarding the plan moving forward, the board, again, will ultimately choose its path forward. It is my opinion that the best plan forward will be one that, first and foremost, starts with the involvement and input of every community in Allen Parish. Then, it takes this input and uses it as the foundation for a plan that shapes the Economic Development future of Allen Parish, in the eyes of its communities. In my opinion, this direct engagement with the communities of Allen Parish will be key to the district’s future success.
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