Governor John Bel Edwards smiles as he thanks his wife Donna for serving as First Lady during his final State of the State address. April 10, 2023.
During his last State of the State address, Governor John Bel Edwards highlighted legislation he’s supporting in the 2023 regular session. Among the bills is to raise the minimum wage, something he’s fought for every year of his two terms.
“I find it embarrassing and frankly immoral that we have not raised our minimum wage. Even more so now because of the impact of inflation. More than 20 states raised their minimum wage on January 1st of this year,” said Edwards.
Edwards is supporting legislation to raise the minimum wage to $12 an hour from the current $7.25. And through executive power, he’s raised the hourly minimum wage for state employees to $10.
Edwards also encouraged lawmakers to support family and medical leave legislation and another bill to close the gender pay gap.
And since the state’s trigger law banning abortion went into effect, Edwards, who’s a pro-life Democrat supports adding exceptions to the current ban.
“I simply don’t know how we as a state can tell a young girl or any victim of rape or incest that she must be forced by law, to carry her rapist’s baby to term regardless of the impact on her own physical and mental health,” said Edwards.
Edwards said an exception for victims of rape and incest is overwhelmingly supported by the people of Louisiana.
And in keeping with his pro-life stance, for the first time, Edwards made a clear declaration of his feelings on the death penalty, by asking lawmakers to end the procedure.
“It is wholly inconsistent with Louisiana’s pro-life values as it quite literally promotes a culture of death,” said Edwards.
In the closing of his address, Edwards said it’s been the honor of a lifetime to serve as governor for a state he loves dearly.
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