Gov. Edwards strongly defends Louisiana Medicaid expansion, lambasts Attorney General Jeff Landry’s efforts to overturn Obamacare as “reckless.”

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards

Gov. Edwards appeared before the Baton Rouge Press Club on Monday, January 7, 2019.  Highlights follow:

Edwards defends Medicaid expansion and blasts AG Jeff Landry’s courtroom efforts to overturn Obamacare as “reckless.”

Edwards responds to a question of whether he would support a bill to refund taxes paid by business when those taxes have been declared to be unconstitutional.

Although the normal procedure is to raise one’s hand and hope the speaker (Gov. Edwards in this case) will call upon you, LaTonya Smith Scott, Louisiana AARP’s State Communications Director, made certain that her question was addressed by simply directly posing it without Edwards first acknowledging her.  Let’s take a peek at her question and Gov. Edwards’ response:

Edwards responds to a question for “family care giving” posed by LaTonya Smith Scott, AARP’s State Communications Director

Ms. Scott sat within four feet of Sound Off Louisiana founder Robert Burns, and he and she have exchanged pleasantries at past meetings.  Immediately after the meeting, Burns approached Scott and provided a business card and directed her to the newly-issued website The Choice Is Clear Louisiana.  He even pulled the site up on his iPHONE and drew Scott’s attention to the eighth entry on the site which highlights a past Advocate article stating that AARP accuses Gov. Edwards of breaking a campaign promise of his 2015 election campaign to place emphasis on home health care for seniors vs. being placed in nursing homes.

As Burns was speaking with Scott, Richard Carbo immediately showed up on the scene and interjected himself into the conversation by stating to Scott, “Don’t pay any attention to anything he (Burns) says.  Everything he puts out is junk!”  Burns responded, “Mr. Carbo, that website is comprised almost exclusively of news features published by the mainstream media.”  Carbo then responded, “Yeah, and you’re the only one who would put junk like that out there!”

It looks like Carbo, who has served as Edwards’ press secretary, but effective today, has officially joined his re-election team staff,  is more than a little sensitive to matters which may affect Louisiana’s seniors perception of his boss, Gov. Edwards.  Judging by his reaction to Burns’ interaction with Scott, it would certainly appear that perhaps the Governor’s re-election team, for that matter, may be a tad testy about The Choice Is Clear Louisiana.  Given the site’s intentional near-exclusive reliance of article published by the mainstream media for its content, Carbo must feel all media outlets in Louisiana don’t publish anything but “junk.”  This ought to be a really intriguing campaign year if Carbo’s immature outburst is any guide, and we’ll gladly accept his less-than-flattering commentary about Burns as a compliment and further take great pride and delight in his testiness!

Edwards responds to a question entailing a hypothetical scenario wherein the Revenue Estimating Committee (REC) refuses to recognize additional tax revenue and, should such a scenario arise, if he will push for a tax increase to fund the teacher pay raises he seeks as a top priority for the 2019 Legislative Session.

Edwards responds to a question by Advocate reporter Lanny Keller entailing whether Edwards feels the framework of the Legislature’s House Labor Committee is more amicable to passage of an increase in Louisiana’s minimum wage and whether Edwards has held discussions with the National Federation of Independent Business or “others who have killed the bill in the past?”

Edwards responds to a question regarding whether he will support a bill to roll back sales tax increases sooner than their 7-year life if surpluses arise in Louisiana’s budgets.

Edwards responds to a question by AP reporter Melinda Deslatte entailing whether his view on a bill which permits convicted felons to vote in Louisiana has been impacted by reports that Deslatte cites indicating that as many as 35,000 new voters may be eligible under the new law.

Edwards responds to a question by AP reporter Melinda Deslatte about an anticipated national focus on Louisiana’s Governor’s race this year and that he may be targeted by national Republican groups and funding sources, who Deslatte states view Edwards as an “oddity” in being a Democrat among Southern states surrounded by Republican governors.

Sound Off Louisiana’s Burns held his hand up during the meeting to be called upon, but alas he never was.  Perhaps Mr. Carbo’s exchange after the meeting provides the rationale as to why.

CLICK HERE to view Gov. Edwards’ presentation in its entirely (unless of course you may object to viewing material provided by someone who “publishes nothing but junk.”)

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