RELEASE: Louisiana Democratic Party Endorses Gov. John Bel Edwards’ 2019 Proposals

Louisiana Democratic Party Endorses Gov. John Bel Edwards’ 2019 Proposals

BATON ROUGE, LA – On Saturday, the Louisiana Democratic Party’s Democratic State Central Committee voted unanimously to endorse and support three of Governor John Bel Edwards’ policy positions for 2019 while also commending him for his work growing Louisiana’s economy and job market.

The Louisiana Democratic Party endorsed Gov. Edwards’ positions on pay increases for teachers and support staff, setting a higher state minimum wage, and supporting equal pay initiatives throughout Louisiana.

“These pay initiatives are vital for the future of our state,” LDP Executive Director Stephen Handwerk said following the DSCC meeting. “Nearly one-fifth of the state is living below the poverty line while many of our educators are barely able to make ends meet. The governor’s pay initiatives give our working people a well-deserved raise. A modest minimum wage increase helps the working mothers and fathers in our state who are struggling to feed, clothe, and educate their children. Pay raises for our teachers and school support staff bring them in line with salaries in other Southern states and is an investment in our children and the future of Louisiana. By providing for these two critical areas, we’ll continue the economic stability we’re enjoying today and see it grow in the future.”

“Louisiana is the most wage unequal state in the nation,” LDP Chair Karen Carter Peterson said. “Our women make 65 cents for every dollar a man makes. The wage gap is even larger for women of color, who make just 48 cents for every dollar a white man makes. This is an egregious wrong we need to correct, which is why I’m so proud we endorsed this resolution. By supporting initiatives such as comparable worth studies, transparency in the workplace, and requiring employers to pay women fair wages, we can make some much needed reform and get back on the path to equality in Louisiana.”

The Louisiana Democratic Party also passed resolutions congratulating and commending Gov. Edwards on the work he did for Louisiana’s unprecedented economic and job growth since taking office.

“Thanks to the leadership of Gov. Edwards, Louisiana is stronger than ever before,” LDP Executive Director Stephen Handwerk said. “In 2018, we saw the highest number of employed Louisianians ever and the lowest unemployment rate in a decade. Businesses are steadily coming to Louisiana and have brought with them over 33,000 new jobs and over $30.7B worth of capital investments since the governor took office. And of course, there was the incredible job done to overcome the two billion dollar deficit left by the Jindal Administration’s disastrous policies. We now have a stable budget with a surplus to boot. All of these amazing achievements point to the leadership of our governor and we’re excited to work with him for another term.”