The Republican Party has total control of the Louisiana Legislature, with a supermajority in the State Senate and an overwhelming margin in the House of Representatives. Unfortunately, these legislative Republicans, who were elected to enact policies in line with the party’s platform, are not standing up for their principles and opposing the liberal agenda of Governor John Bel Edwards.

This Saturday is a big day for Louisiana.  Voters will choose the person to serve as our state’s governor for the next four years.  My vote goes to Gov. John Bel Edwards.

When Gov. Edwards assumed office nearly four years ago, he inherited a fiscal nightmare that was worse than anyone realized.  It was a $2 billion deficit that the state had to remedy.  

As a political issue in the Louisiana governor's race, how important is e-cigarettes or vaping? What about the Louisiana budget and corporate taxes?

These three issues started the first televised statewide debate Thursday night as Democrat incumbent governor, John Bel Edwards clashed with two Republicans--Congressman Ralph Abraham and businessman Eddie Rispone over these and other issues.

The debate was hosted by LSU’s Manship School of Mass Communication and Nexstar Media Group TV stations, airing around the state on radio and television and online.

A voter would think that former Governor Bobby Jindal is running again in the coming fall elections.  Rarely does current Gov. John Bel Edwards make a speech where he does not lay all the state’s financial woes at the feet of Jindal.  Why has Jindal become such a political punching bag with such a high negative among Louisiana voters?

Perhaps the most extraordinary thing about the 2019 legislative season was the lack of extraordinary sessions. For the first year since the governor and current legislators were elected in 2015, we had no special session. Whether the reason was fatigue or election politics, our leaders in the Capitol determined that seven special sessions over the previous three years was enough. One major factor - and the most important characteristic of this session - was the existence of a more stable budget outlook based on a sales tax revenue stream established last year after much political wrangling. The 2019 session was the least contentious fiscal debate since the post-Katrina era. There were no mid-year budget cuts to adjust around, no drawdowns on the state rainy day fund and no obvious short-term gimmicks to prop the budget. The main theme was which programs to expand, not which to cut.

If you are Businessman Eddie Rispone or Congressman Ralph Abraham (one of the two Republican candidates) intending to unseat Governor John Bel Edwards for the rights to the state capitol’s 4th floor, you have some heavy lifting to do.

And, if you are running for political office this year or working on a political campaign, reading the just-released 2019 Louisiana Survey, a project of the Reilly Center for Media & Public Affairs of LSU, is a must-do.

Today, Gov. Edwards announced Chip Kline as the new executive assistant for coastal activities and board chair of the Coastal Restoration and Protection Authority (CPRA).

“We have reached a critical moment to address coastal restoration and hurricane protection in our state in a way in which we have never done before,” said Edwards. “In order to take full advantage of this opportunity, the CPRA must have a leader who recognizes the severity of the crisis we face, has a deep knowledge and understanding of the many complex issues that must be worked daily, and has a vision for our state. For the last 10 years, Chip has worked tirelessly on behalf of our working coast, and I have full confidence he is committed to accomplishing our goals vital for us to have a coast that we can continue to be proud of.”

by Tom Aswell

Publisher of Louisiana Voice

Republican members of the Louisiana Legislature are pretty smug about their ability to block any proposed legislation or budget put forward by Gov. John Bel Edwards.

Witness the antics of Rep. Cameron Henry (R-Metairie) as he danced to puppeteer/House Speaker Taylor Barras (R-New Iberia) in rejecting the findings of the Revenue Estimating Conference, effectively killing any chance Edwards had of implementing badly needed pay raises for Louisiana’s public school teachers.

But do Henry and Barras, members in good standing of the “Caucus of No,” give a damn about teachers or, for that matter, the state as a whole?

Good news for the State of Louisiana and politically, for Governor John Bel Edwards and others in the legislature.

One of the remnants from the Jindal administration is now history.