Edward J. Steimel

Edward J. Steimel (born 1922) of East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, is the retired founding executive director of the interest group, the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry. Steimel previously headed the nonpartisan think-tank, the Public Affairs Research Council, which had proposed various "good government" reforms during the administration of Governor John J. McKeithen.

In 1970, Steimel questioned why Louisiana voters "seem to have an unusually high tolerance for abuse of public office" as well as a proclivity toward gambling. Steimel specifically criticized the existence of pinball machines, which he said attract the young and the poor: "Very few rich people ever play the pinball machine."At the time, Steimel said that Louisiana had an "inadequate supply of highly skilled labor." He also questioned economic policies of the Louisiana legislature, which in 1970 raised sales taxes to fund increases in teacher pay.

Originally a Democrat, Steimel over the years moved steadily toward support of the more conservative candidates, often within the Republican Party. LABI and Steimel often sparred with the Democrat Victor Bussie, long-term president of the Louisiana AFL-CIO, who fought right-to-work legislation. In 1989, however, the pair united to support Republican John S. Treen, older brother of former Governor David C. Treen, in a special election for the District 81 seat in the Louisiana State House of Representatives, vacated by Charles Cusimano, who became a state district judge. Treen narrowly lost the race to David Duke, then of Jefferson Parish, a former figure in the Ku Klux Klan. Duke later ran for the U.S. Senate and for governor in consecutive years in races which seemed to hamper the growth of the state GOP.

In 1987, Steimel encouraged Democrat-turned-Republican Jock Scott of Alexandria, an outgoing member of the state House, to run for the Louisiana State Senate, a position that Scott lost to the Democratic businessman Joe McPherson of Rapides Parish. McPherson retired from the Senate early in 2012. Among the lawmakers consistently in support of LABI was Ron Gomez, a Democrat from Lafayette, who in 1986 secured the "Most Valuable Player to Business" designation. Despite his business voting record, Gomez, however, had criticized Steimel for unproductive negativity toward the state's educational structure.

Everett Doerge, than an assistant superintendent of schools in Webster Parish, and later a Democratic member of the state House accused Steimel and LABI of seeking to destroy public education. In a 1987 reply letter to Doerge published by the Minden Press-Herald, Steimel described the veteran educator as "a perfect example of why we can never change our present [educational] system. ...[His] reaction and behavior we have come to expect from many in the educational establishment who are more interested in protecting the status quo and jobs, rather than educating children. ...

In 1996, having left LABI, Steimel supported the conservative Democrat-turned-Republican Woody Jenkins of Baton Rouge for the U.S. Senate in a race narrowly lost to the Democrat Mary Landrieu. He also contributed to the reelection of then U.S. Representative Richard H. Baker of Baton Rouge. In 2007, Steimel worked for the election of Republican Governor Bobby Jindal. Thereafter like the radio commentator, Moon Griffon, Steimel withdrew his support for Jindal, saying that the governor was insufficiently conservative on fiscal matters, having vacillated over a large legislative pay hike, which Jindal subsequently withdrew.

The LABI address is 3113 Valley Creek Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70898-0258. The association is now headed by executive director Daniel L. "Dan" Juneau.