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Regular Session Opens With Special Session Hangover

Sue Lincoln

Governor John Bel Edwards opened the 2016 regular legislative session with an apology to the people of the state, because he cannot tell us how deep in the hole we still are.

“For the current year, it’s at least $30-million -- perhaps as much as $60 million,” Edwards said. “For the next fiscal year, our deficit’s somewhere in the $800-million range. We just don’t know.”

The governor outlined his agenda for the session, which includes raising the minimum wage, requiring equal pay for women, and revising voucher rules. He also urged lawmakers to work together for the greater good.

After the speech, Edwards met with the media, venting about the lack of cooperation exhibited during the special session, which ended last Wednesday.

“My frustration was with a relatively small number of legislators, primarily in the House,” he said.

Edwards says that legislative dysfunction is now impacting his ability to do his job.

Credit Sue Lincoln

“Here we are in our regular session and the Fiscal Office hasn’t even been able to score the bills. I don’t have the enrolled bills to sign into law yet!” the governor said. “And that has to happen before REC can recognize any revenue to be incorporated into the budget.”

The governor pointed out that many of those involved in special session stonewalling of revenue raisers sit on the House Appropriations committee, and they are about to get a reality check.

“Those folks, I believe, are soon to understand just how big the problem is, what the implications are when they try to fashion a budget, and they don’t have $800-million in State General Fund that they will need just to have the services next year that we had this year.”

Since they cannot take up revenue raising measures during this regular session, at this point, Edwards says another special session in June is a virtual necessity.

He warns, “But between now and then there will be unnecessary pain visited on the state of Louisiana – pain that could have been avoided had we done our job the first time around.”