It’s been nine months now since Governor John Bel Edwards was inaugurated. At a Business and Industry Leaders luncheon Tuesday in Baton Rouge, he reflected on all that has happened in Louisiana since then.
“In February," he said, "we had one of the strongest tornadoes that ever touched down in the River Parishes, down in Assumption and St. James. Then in March, we had record flooding in all four corners of the state.”
From February through June, work focused on addressing the state’s budget crisis.
“We had three legislative sessions to try and figure out what to do with a billion dollar shortfall for the fiscal year that ended June 30th and a $2 billion shortfall for the year that started July 1,” said Governor Edwards.
Although hospitals and universities were largely spared cuts, the state entered the current fiscal year short $350 million.
And then on the 5th of July, "the shooting of Alton Sterling. And then a couple weeks later, the shooting of six of our police officers, three of whom were killed. And then in August, record flooding that, it is so much of a record we just don't have an historical record to compare it against.”
As the state continues its flood recovery, Governor Edwards is looking ahead nine months, through the next legislative session, which will take place from April to June of 2017.
“If in April," says the Governor, "we can summon the courage to do comprehensive tax reform so that we can make sure that the stream of revenue coming to the state of Louisiana is fair, predictable, stable and sufficient to maintain those investments, I believe we can do it.”
But it will be no easy feat, even compared to last year’s three legislative sessions.
“I predict to you that the two month session we’re going to have in April is going to be harder than all three of those combined," he says.