Eddie Rispone in 2019 LA Governor's race
On Health Care:
Problems with Medicaid expansion including fraud, abuse
On whether or not to keep Medicaid expansion: Rispone: Yes. But Rispone said he doesn't believe the cost for the state, a maximum of
10% compared to the federal 90% share, is sustainable. He, too, believes the expansion is wrought with fraud and abuse.
Source: The News-Star on 2019 Louisiana Gubernatorial race
Oct 8, 2019
On Jobs:
Raising minimum wage would hurt economy, contract jobs
On setting a minimum wage in Louisiana higher than the federal minimum of $7.25 an hour:
Rispone: No. Rispone believes raising the minimum wage in Louisiana would hurt the economy and contract jobs.
Source: The News-Star on 2019 Louisiana Gubernatorial race
Oct 8, 2019
On Health Care:
Medicaid expansion "bungled," and is unsustainable
On health care, neither Republican supports rolling back Edwards' Medicaid expansion, but both say the Democrat has bungled the program. "The way it's done is unsustainable," Rispone said. "It's going to go broke if we don't do something.
Medicaid is for the people who cannot help themselves - and we keep expanding and expanding and expanding to more than that."
Source: Politico.com on 2019 Louisiana Gubernatorial race
Oct 1, 2019
On Crime:
Modernize criminal justice system; make it more efficient
We need to modernize our criminal justice system, much like we do in business. Using technological advancements and modern approaches, we can create a justice system that is more efficient and effective.
We should promote proven re-entry programs and training to make sure individuals released from prison can rejoin society as productive citizens with access to a quality job.
Source: 225 Magazine on 2019 Louisiana Gubernatorial race
Sep 30, 2019
On Education:
Work with schools & businesses to align education with jobs
Louisiana must continue to invest in vocational and technical education opportunities to provide young professionals a fast track from their education right into quality jobs. Cooperation between the business community, education institutions
and the state are essential to align our education and training programs with our workforce needs for the next generation.
Source: 225 Magazine on 2019 Louisiana Gubernatorial race
Sep 30, 2019
On Education:
Expand school choice options to empower parents
I believe every child in Louisiana must have the right and opportunity to a quality education in order to live up to their God-given potential. We should continue to expand choice options to tailor education needs that fit the child and empower parents.
We should support and reward good teachers for providing a quality education. And lastly, we should invest in vocational opportunities to provide students multiple pathways to success.
Source: 225 Magazine on 2019 Louisiana Gubernatorial race
Sep 30, 2019
On Environment:
Supports Coastal Master Plan as essential
We must continue to support the Coastal Master Plan to restore, build and maintain coastal wetlands. It is the responsibility of the state and CPRA to monitor and adapt to the changes to the ever-evolving coast and address as necessary.
The restoration projects create buffers that are essential for storm defense to protect human life and build habitats for wildlife that are vital to our economy, recreation and livelihood.
Source: 225 Magazine on 2019 Louisiana Gubernatorial race
Sep 30, 2019
On Government Reform:
Need to change process of funding infrastructure repair
We can make several changes that will put our tax dollars to work for roads and bridges. Stop using the hundreds of millions in gas tax dollars to pay for government bureaucrats. Reform the state's capital outlay program and take politics out of the
process. Each funding request must be accompanied by a cost-benefit analysis so we can prioritize. By leveraging available funds with matching federal dollars, we can begin to fix our infrastructure problems.
Source: 225 Magazine on 2019 Louisiana Gubernatorial race
Sep 30, 2019
On Budget & Economy:
Balance budgets, and build up reserves
As a businessperson, it always it always amazed me, how do we have a balance budget deficit? When state law says we have to have a balanced budget, we cannot have an unbalanced budget. How do you have a surplus when you raise taxes?
Because it's the taxpayers' money, it is over-taxation. I'd look at it from a business standpoint, our budgets would be balanced like they supposed to be. And then we would figure out why we have we don't have the reserves inside that budget.
Source: Bayou Buzz Transcript of 2019 Louisiana Gubernatorial debate
Sep 23, 2019
On Families & Children:
Warning on flavored e-cigarettes, like regular cigarettes
Q: Would you ban flavored e-cigarettes, and/or vaping, over health concerns surrounding targeting teens? Eddie RISPONE: You know, I think that's like cigarettes in general, we should put the warning on those. And we should look at reducing the use of
those things. Now about giving an executive order to do away with them, I don't think I'm prepared to say that tonight. Really not. But if the evidence shows that something needs to be done, we need to move forward with that and address it from a health
standpoint.
Gov. John Bel EDWARDS: The President is looking at banning the flavoring of the cigarettes, and I happen to think that that's probably a smart thing to do, to limit these e-cigarettes, especially the flavoring of it.
Rep. Ralph ABRAHAM:
As a physician, I can tell you that they do cause damage. If you're over 21, I certainly don't recommend that. but it is a personal choice. Below 21, I think we need to put the regulation that we have on other cigarettes in place.
Source: Bayou Buzz Transcript of 2019 Louisiana Gubernatorial debate
Sep 23, 2019
On Families & Children:
Talk to your kids to discourage e-cigarette use
Q: All three of you have either children or grandchildren. If you found them using e-cigarettes, what would you say to them?Eddie RISPONE: I'd do everything I could to discourage you from using e-cigarettes just like regular cigarettes; both of them
are very harmful to their health. And I would actually do as best I could to research it, sit down with them, bring them to some experts and explain to them the hazards of doing that.
Gov. John Bel EDWARDS: Part of the problem is many people believe it is a safer alternative, when in fact it is not. And certainly the flavorings lend themselves to children being attractive, but I would tell them, please not to do that.
Rep. Ralph ABRAHAM: Look, an optic is worth 1000 words literally. I would show them a lung that has been damaged by e-cigarettes. I've seen them and it's impressive. So they would get the picture literally.
Source: Bayou Buzz Transcript of 2019 Louisiana Gubernatorial debate
Sep 23, 2019
On Jobs:
Lawsuit abuse is killing jobs because of insurance costs
A major issue he's also focused on is trial lawyers and automobile insurance. "Completely being ignored until now. Did you hear anything about that? I'm going to make that so public that we're going to fix it. Then we're going to go after this lawsuit
abuse. It's killing jobs in the logging industry, in the heavy hauling industry and the farmers. They're paying incredible amounts," said Rispone.
Source: KLFY News on 2019 Louisiana Gubernatorial race
Sep 18, 2019
On Abortion:
Pro-life, pro-God, pro-family
My faith, family, and conservative values are everything to me, which is exactly why I'm running for governor.
It's time Louisiana has a pro-life, pro-God, and pro-family governor to put our state back on track.
Source: Twitter posting on 2019 Louisiana Gubernatorial race
Jul 15, 2019
On Education:
OpEd: Rispone supports vouchers to get his own tax break
There are compelling reasons to believe that Rispone's emotional investment in the school choice program is more about a rich man being publicly emotional about his private investments than about an earnest belief in a voucher program so bad that even
Betsy DeVos has distanced herself from it. In simple terms, the program potentially allows Rispone to not only zero out his state income tax liability but also to reduce his federal tax exposure by hundreds of thousands of dollars every year.
Source: Bayou Brief on 2019 Louisiana Gubernatorial race
Jun 20, 2019
On Gun Control:
Opposes radical Left and their gun grabbing agenda
2020 Democrats are already threatening to enact strict gun control laws on law abiding citizens.
Sign our 2nd Amendment petition today to stand up to the radical Left and their gun grabbing agenda.
Source: Facebook posting on 2019 Louisiana Gubernatorial race
Apr 27, 2019
On Crime:
Religious objection to death penalty, and not a deterrent
Rispone said, "I really don't believe in the death penalty. It goes back to my faith--really and truly. If it was proven to be a deterrent and it saved innocent lives, then
I would probably have to think hard about it again." He said he came to that conclusion after discussions with prosecutors and others in law enforcement.
Source: The Advocate on 2019 Louisiana Gubernatorial race
Mar 29, 2019
On Drugs:
Against legalizing marijuana; need info about medical use
Rispone said, "I don't know much about marijuana." He said he would definitely be against legalizing recreational marijuana and said he would
need more information about medicinal marijuana proposals before staking out a position on the issue.
Source: The Advocate on 2019 Louisiana Gubernatorial race
Mar 29, 2019
On Education:
Allow use of tax dollars for Christian schools
Rispone, who has long been active in the "school choice" movement in Louisiana, said he thought tax dollars should be used to let parents send their children to Christian schools, charter schools or for home schooling if they want.
Rispone is worried that families who are middle class and poor are unable to afford to send their children to private schools like his parents did with him.
Source: Times-Picayune on 2019 Louisiana Gubernatorial race
Mar 29, 2019
On Budget & Economy:
No specifics on budget cuts; try to control spending
Rispone said he would try to control spending. He said the state government wouldn't automatically grow under his leadership, but he also couldn't say what government funding he would cut.
He said he's an "outsider" who is not familiar enough with state government to provide those specifics.
Source: Times-Picayune on 2019 Louisiana Gubernatorial race
Mar 19, 2019
On Education:
Let local boards give raises to individual teachers
Rispone said teachers "definitely need to make more money," but pay increases should be handled by local school boards and not state government. He said such raises should e based on individual teachers' performances and not on an "across-the-board"
basis. He cast doubt on whether school systems would improve if given more money. He said some school systems that spend less money per pupil in Louisiana see better outcomes. "It's not necessarily the amount of money, it's how we do it," he said.
Source: Times-Picayune on 2019 Louisiana Gubernatorial race
Mar 19, 2019
On Health Care:
Temporarily freeze Medicaid enrollment in Louisiana
Rispone said he would prefer to "freeze" Medicaid enrollment in Louisiana in order to address concerns about the program's management. He said the freeze would be a situation in which Louisiana would stop enrolling new people into Medicaid, but keep
insurance paid up for those already in the program. Once the kinks of the Medicaid program are fixed, then enrollment could continue as usual, according to Rispone. "We would move as fast as possible," he said.
Source: Times-Picayune on 2019 Louisiana Gubernatorial race
Mar 19, 2019
Page last updated: Mar 21, 2020