The state Republican Party calls on Governor Edwards to allow parish governments to make their own decisions on whether or not to move into Phase Three.
LA GOP spokesperson Ben Smith says the current one size fits all statewide plan isn’t allowing areas with manageable levels of COVID-19 to restart their economies. He says it should be up to the locals.
“Keeping it I the hands of local people who are more accountable to their voters, more accountable to the people in their parish,” says Edwards.
Smith says local governments should also have the ability to decide whether to implement mask mandates, gathering limits, and bar closures.
“The language of the resolution would potentially allow these parishes to make local decisions on which phases, and how those phases will operate, and it will be up to the parishes’ discretion,” says Smith.
Smith says many areas of the state have plenty of hospital capacity and low transmission rates.
“People are wanting to get back to work, wanting the economy to get moving again and many parishes have recovered very well from the earlier phases of the pandemic,” says Smith.
Jefferson, St. Tammany, and St. Bernard Parishes have passed resolutions calling for permission to make their own decisions on what phase to adopt.
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