Governor John Bel Edwards and Congressman Ralph Abraham painted two very different pictures of the current status of state at the Louisiana Municipal Association convention in Monroe. Edwards touted his hard work over the last four years to pull the state out of its largest deficit and an economy that was deep in the ditch.
Cut 10 (09) “…to a better path.”
Edwards says no other state in the nation has exceeded Louisiana’s rate of decline in unemployment in the last 12 months, adding the economy is the strongest in the history of the state. But Abraham says the state has so much more potential.
Cut 12 (10) “…better than that.”
The third man currently on the ballot in the Governor’s race, Eddie Rispone, was absent from the event.
The state appears set to run a surplus for the third year in a row, with non-finalized estimates showing Louisiana may have collected 300 million more in taxes last fiscal year. Governor John Bel Edwards credits an improving economy, but Legislative Fiscal Office Chief Economist Greg Albrecht says the state’s slowly improving outlook isn’t the primary reason why revenues are up…
Cut 5 (12) “…side”
The LSU/GB Sciences medical marijuana product has been approved for distribution by the Department of Agriculture and nine licensed pharmacies will have access to it on Tuesday. Only those with a specific set of diseases approved by the Legislature will be allowed access to medical marijuana. Ag Commissioner Mike Strain says that includes HIV, intractable pain, cachexia…