Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards prepares to take a question from Sound Off Louisiana’s founder Robert Burns at the Baton Rouge Press Club meeting of Monday, May 1, 2023.
We want to begin this feature by commending Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards on his willingness to accept unfiltered questions from the media. He has done so throughout his tenure as Governor of Louisiana, and that is in stark contrast to his predecessor, Bobby Jindal. Jindal insisted that questions be submitted to “handlers,” and those “handlers” would decide which questions Jindal would answer. That screening coming from a guy who seriously thought he could become President of the United States and one day stand before the Washington, DC press!
Today, Monday, May 1, 2023, Gov. John Bel Edwards made his “farewell” appearance before the Baton Rouge Press Club. As we noted above, he continued his consistent pattern of accepting unfiltered questions. Accordingly, Sound Off Louisiana’s founder, Robert Burns, asked him how he would respond to individuals (with Ronald Greene’s mother, Mona Hardin foremost on Burns’ mind) who are disappointed that Edwards never testified before the Louisiana House Special Committee investigating the in-custody death of Ronald Greene at the hands of Louisiana State Police (LSP) on May 10, 2019. Here is Burns’ question and Gov. Edwards’ response:
Gov. Edwards responds to Burns’ question seeking what he has to say to those people who are disappointed in his decision not to testify before the Louisiana House Special Committee investigating the LSP in-custody death of Ronald Greene.
We’re not meaning what we’re about to say as being crass on our part, but we can only go on the assumption that Gov. Edwards sticks fully behind what he uttered on the September 15, 2021 Jim Engster “Ask the Governor” radio show. We’re going to repeat what Edwards had to say back then since he says he’s reiterated the same thing on, “three or four occasions.”
September 15, 2021 response by Gov. Edwards to Jim Engster’s statements that LSP was involved in a cover-up of Ronald Greene’s in-custody death.
Regarding folk who did expect and anticipate testimony by Gov. Edwards as expressed on our December 18, 2022 feature on the LSP indictments, we submit the following video from that date and specifically direct everyone to go to the 2:55 – 3:10 mark of that video:
December 15, 2022 video in which, from the 2:55 – 3:10 mark, Baton Rouge NAACA President Eugene Collins calls upon Gov. Edwards to, “testify at the next committee meeting” for the in-custody death of Ronald Greene.
According to our sources, contrary to what Rep. Edmond Jordan (D-Baton Rouge) said entailing another meeting of the Ronald Greene Committee, there is not going to even be such a meeting, much less one conducted during which Gov. Edwards testifies.
We want to again commend Gov. Edwards for at least being willing to take our question. In the minutes and hours leading up to the press conference, we promised Ms. Mona Hardin, who truly wished she could have attended the meeting, filled out a membership application and remitted the $100 to join the Press Club as a public member, and pose that same question herself to Gov. Edwards, that we would make every effort to pose the question on her behalf.
Burns is far from a decent substitute for Ms. Hardin, but at least he was able to serve as a proxy to pose the question on her behalf. We’ll certainly let it be up to her to gauge her own reaction to Gov. Edwards’ response.
CLICK HERE for Gov. Edwards’ presentation in its entirety.
Mister West Point (COWARD) ?