Governor John Bel Edwards (center) gave remarks on the closing of the 2022 regular legislative session, June 6, 2022.
The 2022 regular legislative session ended Monday with $1,500 dollar pay raises for teachers, historic investments in higher education, hundreds of millions of dollars for infrastructure improvements like a new Mississippi River Bridge in Baton Rouge, and coastal restoration projects. Governor John Bel Edwards says this was a great session for Louisiana.
“This has been a great session for the State of Louisiana, and I am excited about where we are, I’m an optimist by nature. But when I look at where we are relative to where we were I became governor, there is a world of difference,” said Edwards.
Edwards said even though he still opposes the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act, which prohibits transgender females from competing in women’s sports he opted to allow the bill to become law without his signature.
“Senate Bill 44 was going to become law whether or not I signed it or vetoed it. And I think it’s unfortunate, but it is where we are,” said Edwards.
Edwards also pointed out that transgender athletes competing in Louisiana is still not an issue and he encouraged lawmakers who say they want fairness to favor legislation that enacts equal pay for women.
And while Edwards thanked lawmakers for a productive session, he also told them to be prepared to return to the capitol sooner than later because he will be calling for a special session to address the congressional district map overturned by a federal judge in Baton Rouge. Judge Shelly Dick, of the U.S. Middle District of Louisiana in Baton Rouge, said the legislature must redraw a map that has two majority-Black districts, because one-third of the state’s population is black. Edwards says the judge is giving the Legislature until June 20th to approve a new map.
“What is required by Section Two of the Voting Rights Act, but it’s required by basic fairness and basic math and that is to come in and redraw the district,” said Edwards.
When asked about calling a special session to address school safety and gun violence Edwards said he was happy the proposed permitless concealed carry legislation didn’t pass.
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