State of Louisiana Archives: on Technology
Adrian Perkins:
Test technology innovations in smaller cities
As an African-American law student studying innovation, I've felt isolated when reading about innovative cities that do not look like my hometown. Various forces in the tech world are denying minorities and smaller cities the chance to influence the
direction of technology's march into the future. Just as minorities deserve equal opportunities in the tech world, Shreveport and other cities like it need technology just as much as New York and San Francisco.
Source: Wired magazine on 2020 Louisiana Senate race
Jul 12, 2017
John Bel Edwards:
Cut $7B in tax giveaways which cause unsafe roads & bridges
Edwards stressed his plans to fairly cut the unproductive portions of the nearly $7 billion in annual tax giveaways so that, "we can address the structural problems in our budget and end the practice of putting a
band-aid on this serious problem which is now causing our roads and bridges to be less safe, our hospital emergency rooms to close, and our students to pay 90% more tuition than when Bobby Jindal took office.
Source: Response to 2015 Louisiana State of the State address
Sep 9, 2015
John Bel Edwards:
Gas tax to pay for transportation and coastal infrastructure
Louisiana is ranked last in the nation for state investment in transportation. One of the problems is that the value of our gas tax has plummeted over the years. There has not been an increase in state fuel tax revenue since 1989, resulting in a
56 percent reduction in buying power from inflation alone. We've got to restore the value of our gas tax if we expect to make any headway on improving our infrastructure. Otherwise, we'll continue to lag behind and our roads and bridges will be
clogged with traffic congestion.I urge you to take a serious look at what we can do to better invest in our state's roads, bridges and ports going forward.
One of the easiest decisions you can make this session is passing the 2017 Coastal Master
Plan and the Coastal Annual Plan. We are in a race against time to save our coast, and the difference between success and failure lies in the quickness of our response and the boldness of our actions.
Source: 2017 Louisiana State of the State address
Apr 10, 2017
John Bel Edwards:
Fund high speed, afford broadband for everyone in Louisiana
I want to make sure that we are maximizing federal dollars to serve as many people as possible.
That includes capitalizing on funding for high speed, affordable broadband for every single person in Louisiana.
Source: 2021 State of the State Address to Louisiana legislature
Apr 12, 2021
John Bel Edwards:
GUMBO grants will eliminate digital divide by 2029
It's also with a focus on the future that we are working to eliminate the digital divide--a goal I have set to accomplish by 2029. That's why my administration worked closely with Rep. Deshotel last year to create the Granting Unserved
Municipalities Broadband Opportunities grant program, or GUMBO for short. This program, will provide grants to facilitate the deployment of broadband infrastructure, connecting more than 471,000 unserved residents in our state.
Source: 2022 State of the State Address to the Louisiana legislature
Mar 14, 2022
Mitch Landrieu:
Biden's senior advisor to coordinate infrastructure law
President Biden is naming Mitch Landrieu as senior advisor responsible for coordinating for implementation of this historic bipartisan infrastructure law. "I am thankful to the President and honored to be tasked with coordinating the largest
infrastructure investment in generations," said Mitch Landrieu. "Our work will require strong partnerships across the government and with state and local leaders, business and labor to create good-paying jobs and rebuild America for the middle class."
Source: White House Press Release on 2023 Louisiana Governor race
Nov 14, 2021
John Bel Edwards:
We are leading America in broadband expansion
Another way we can improve our workforce is by ensuring that every person in Louisiana has access to high speed internet. We committed to close the digital divide by 2029, and we are well on our way to accomplishing that goal.
We've put $177 million of federal funding to work and partnered with private internet providers to invest more than $300 million to expand broadband to 80,000 unserved addresses. We are leading America in broadband expansion.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Louisiana legislature
Apr 10, 2023
Jeff Landry:
Inability to access the internet is a growing problem
The inability of our friends and neighbors to access the internet is a growing problem. Forty-two percent of Louisiana families do not have high-speed internet access, and over
400,000 Louisiana families have no internet connection. As Governor, Jeff will make sure Louisianans without broadband access receive the same educational and work opportunities that those with high-speed internet already enjoy.
Source: 2023 Louisiana Gubernatorial campaign website JeffLandry.com
Mar 21, 2023
Page last updated: Feb 07, 2026