December 2023

GOVERNOR’S COLUMN
Thank You for the Extraordinary Work You’ve Done
December is here, and I
hope you all had a wonderful
Thanksgiving full of food,
family, and football. As I enter
the last holiday season of
my administration, I’m taking
time to reflect and give
thanks. It’s been nearly eight
years since I was first inaugurated,
becoming the 56th
governor of the state of Louisiana,
and I’m so grateful for
where we stand today.
You may remember back in
my first inaugural address, I
promised there was no challenge
we would not meet.
Little did we know how often
that statement would
be tested. It took a whole lot
more gumbo and gumption
than we expected, but we
have met every challenge.
When I took office in 2016,
the state had a $1 billion
dollar budget deficit to close
out that fiscal year and a $2
billion deficit for the following
year. It took numerous
special sessions and a lot of
bipartisanship, but we were
able to navigate a balanced
approach with no gimmicks
and no one-time money
spent on recurring expenditures.
We came in facing a $2
billion deficit, and we will be
leaving more than $2 billion
in the bank for the next governor
and legislature.
We’ve gone from a state that
was disinvesting in higher
education more than anywhere
else in the country to a
state making historic investments
in higher education.
With my first act as governor,
we’ve expanded Medicaid to
more than 500,000 working
Louisianans and reduced the
uninsured rate to below the
national average. We’ve consistently
hit record-breaking
low unemployment records,
with 30 consecutive months
of job growth adding nearly
280,000 jobs since the worst
of the pandemic.
In recent good news, I announced
last month that all
state employees will have
access to 6 weeks of 100%
paid parental leave starting
January 1, 2024. Paid parental
leave means better
outcomes for every family
member, allowing parents to
bond with their child without
the financial stress of sacrificing
their income, savings
or paid sick days. By joining
the 32 other states with paid
parental leave policies, we
are positioning ourselves to
both attract and retain top
talent in-state. I believe this
policy is pro-life, and I hope
to see the legislature adopt it
statewide in the near future.
In January, Louisiana will
begin a new chapter under
a new administration.
First Lady Donna and I were
happy to visit with Governor-Elect
Jeff Landry and his
wife Sharon at the mansion
as they prepare to take on
the demanding, rewarding
roles of governor and first
lady. There are many unique
aspects to serving as Louisiana’s
First Family, and we
want to be a resource to
Jeff and Sharon as they go
through the process we went
through eight years ago. As I
have said repeatedly, my administration
is committed to
a smooth and efficient transition
of power on behalf of
the people of Louisiana.
I want to close by thanking
John Bel Edwards
Governor
you again for the extraordinary
work you’ve done in
your municipalities this year
and for the past eight years
of my administration. Donna
and I pray that you all have
a safe and peaceful holiday
season, a Merry Christmas,
and a Happy New Year. God
Bless you and your families.
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LMR | DECEMBER 2023