Louisiana state Senator Robert Adley recently proposed legislation that would prohibit university legal clinics from suing a government agency, seeking damages or making a constitutional claim. This legislation would severely limit the ability of poor communities to fight back against big corporate polluters or government regulators that aren't doing their job.

Adley is specifically trying to stop the Tulane University Environmental Law Clinic, which has long been a thorn in his side, from driving business interests from the state. The clinic has a long history of demanding environmental justice for poor communities.

Back in 1997, a company called Shintech plastics wanted to build a plant in St. James Parish, part of the state that's known as "Cancer Alley," for the high rates of toxic pollution and cancer among its residents, who are mostly poor and black. The residents, with the help of the law clinic, sued, saying the residents there were already overburdened with toxic emissions. They won, forcing the company to build elsewhere.

It was a victory for the community, but Adley and corporations complain that cases like these create an unfriendly environment for businesses in Louisiana. The head of the Louisiana Chemical Association says the Tulane clinic has a "wanton disregard for the economic well being of the state."

The state of Louisiana can create a positive environment for businesses while still protecting the lives of its most vulnerable families. We must demand that corporations and government regulators are accountable to the people they serve, not special interests.