Coxno Exchange|Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards gives final end-of-year address

2025-05-07 20:13:09source:Burley Garciacategory:My

BATON ROUGE,Coxno Exchange La. (AP) — Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards delivered his final end-of-the-year address Monday, highlighting some of his accomplishments in office over the past eight years and his vague plans for the future.

Edwards, first elected in 2015 and currently the lone Democratic governor in the Deep South, was unable to run for reelection this year due to consecutive term limits and Republicans seized the opportunity to regain the governor’s mansion.

Among his accomplishments during his two terms in office, Edwards touted the state’s Medicaid expansion, infrastructure investments, the state’s unemployment rate reaching record lows and helping take the state from a more than $1 billion budget shortfall to having surplus funds this past legislative session.

“A lot has happened over the last eight years that I have been governor,” Edwards said during his address at the governor’s mansion in Baton Rouge. “I can tell you that by any metric you can come up with and objectively speaking, we are much better off today than the day I first took office.”

Other news Louisiana State Police reinstate trooper accused of withholding video in Black man’s deadly arrestNew Orleans Bowl regular Louisiana-Lafayette meets FBS newcomer Jacksonville StateCourt upholds judge’s ruling ordering new election in Louisiana sheriff’s race decided by one vote

While Edwards said much has been accomplished over the past eight years, there are some goals that were not completed, including increasing the minimum age, adding exceptions to the state’s near total abortion ban and eliminating the state’s death penalty. Edwards said he is going to continue to talk about these issues on the way out of office in hopes of setting them up for success in the future — an uphill battle in the GOP-dominated Legislature.

Monday’s address was the second-to-last public event for the governor. His final public event will be his farewell address in his hometown of Amite on Jan. 3.

When asked about life after he leaves office, Edwards — who before entering the political world had opened a civil law practice — said he plans to move back to Tangipahoa Parish with his wife and go “back into private business.”

He added that he is “genuinely pulling for” Gov.-elect Jeff Landry and wants him to do a “wonderful job.” Landry is a Republican who Edwards has repeatedly butted heads with over political issues.

While Edwards said that he has “no expectation or intention” to run for political office in the future, he didn’t completely rule it out.

“I don’t leave here intending to run for office again, but I don’t say ‘never’ because I don’t know exactly what my situation is going to be. ... I also don’t know what the situation is going to be with the state,” Edwards said.

Landry will be inaugurated Jan. 8.

More:My

Recommend

Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says

A man is suing the California Lottery alleging he has not received part of his winnings from a nearl

NFL Week 4 overreactions: Rashee Rice injury ends Chiefs’ three-peat hopes?

Patrick Mahomes may have taken out the Kansas City Chiefs’ best shot at a third straight Super Bowl

How Halloweentown’s Kimberly J. Brown and Costar Daniel Kountz Honored the Movie at Their Wedding

Kimberly J. Brown and Daniel Kountz found a way to add a little magic to their wedding. Five months