UPDATED:
BATON ROUGE, LA (BRPROUD) – Governor Edwards opened his address discussing COVID-19 and the public health emergency status.
On March 11, 2020 I signed a public health emergency for COVID-19. And while it changed to reflect the ebb and flow of the pandemic, it has remained in effect since then. This Wednesday, the order expires. And after 24 months, I will not be renewing it.
Governor John Bel Edwards
A big topic that has many talking is the budget. A significant portion of the Governor’s proposed budget is centered around education. The breakdown includes:
EDUCATION
- $31.7 million for faculty pay raises in higher education.
- $10.5 million for the MJ Foster Promise Program Fund
- $97.2 million for higher education, which includes $5 million for Title IX offices across the state, $15 million increase in GO Grants, and $25 million into the Higher Education Initiatives fund
- $43.4 million for early childhood education, including more than $17 million for the LA-4 Early Childhood program
- $148.4 million for teacher and support staff pay raises, which is at least a $1,500 raise for teachers and $750 for support staff
HEALTHCARE/FIRST RESPONDERS
- $12 per diem increase for intermediate care facilities for people living with intellectual disabilities.
- $100 per month supplemental pay increase for eligible first responders, which includes law enforcement officers and firefighters
INFRASTRUCTURE
- $500 million for a new Mississippi River Bridge here in Baton Rouge
- $100 million for the bridge in Lake Charles
- $500 million for water and sewer improvements statewide
UNEMPLOYMENT
- $550 million in federal American Rescue Plan funding to replenish Louisiana’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
- Grön fuels is planning a $9.2 billion renewable fuel investment in West Baton Rouge Parish
- Air Products plans to build a $4.5 billion blue hydrogen facility in Ascension Parish
- $1.1 billion expansion of a green diesel plant in Norco in St. Charles Parish
- Louisiana Green Fuels, a $700 million renewable diesel refinery
ORIGINAL:
BATON ROUGE, La (BRPROUD) – Governor Edwards is set to give his annual address to begin the Louisiana Legislative Session at 1pm.
This will be the first address back in the State Capitol after the 2021 address was held outdoors at Southern University amid the high COVID-19 positivity rate.
Edwards’ speech will focus on how Louisiana can seize this moment to make historic investments that will support our state’s recovery not only from the pandemic, but also from the hurricanes, and our path forward to a better future.
Edwards is expected to address some of the following topics:
- The Pandemic and how Louisiana will cautiously move forward to a time when we live with COVID
- Redistricting
- Insurance Reform
- Infrastructure
- American Rescue Act Surplus
We will livestream the address and bring you the latest developments on air and online.