A House committee approves a Republican led resolution that would suspend the Governor’s authority to enforce the stay at home order.
The resolution was brought by House Republican Caucus Chairman Blake Miguez who says local governments should be establishing COVID restrictions, not the Governor.
“We flattened the curve, so now it is time to start looking at reopening our economy because we know what the long-term economic impacts are and the devastation it will have to lives,” says Miguez.
Miguez says the resolution would not jeopardize federal disaster funding.
Governor Edwards called out Miguez by name at his Wednesday afternoon press conference and assailed the legislative effort.
“Obviously I don’t see much merit, in fact that is an overstatement. I don’t see any merit in the resolution,” says Edwards.
Edwards says any changes to the stay at home order will be announced next Monday and will be based on the recommendations of the administration’s healthcare experts.
The committee was a heated marathon that featured a few small business owners speaking out against the stay at home order, with one protester from Jefferson Parish telling the committee “You have it in your power to stop the bleeding, to halt this sick agenda, and to give people the chance to survive this fiasco.”
The effort was opposed by Democrats on the committee including New Orleans Representative Royce Duplessis who says the virus doesn’t respect parish lines. Duplessis had a prolonged exchange with Miguez over concerns about how this would impact public safety.
“If you don’t have as many infections in Iberia as I might have in Orleans, but I enjoy bowling and I know that I can bowl in Iberia and I come out there and in two weeks and you see the numbers jump in Iberia where does that leave us? Have you thought about that?” says Duplessis.
Congressman Garret Graves weighed in, accusing Edwards of trying to undermine President Trump’s reelection effort by harming the economy.
“There is no reason, the Governor fudged the numbers, and there is no reason why the entire state of Louisiana should be shut down right now. Should certain parishes? Absolutely, but this is politics being played,” says Graves.
But Edwards’ Executive Counsel Matthew Block says the stay at home extension to May 15th was done in consultation with the White House and supported by the President. Block noted Edwards personally informed President Trump of the decision at a White House meeting last week and adds a premature lifting of restrictions could be costly.
“If we just go back and now two months from now we are back in the same boat we were in March then everything that would have happened in March and April would have been for nothing,” says Block.
The resolution heads to the House floor next. It would only need a simple majority of the House and Senate for passage and could not be vetoed by the Governor.
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