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John Bel Edwards on Jobs

 

 


I was freshman legislator last time minimum wage was raised

I am again calling for a minimum wage increase this session. It is embarrassing and frankly immoral that we have not raised our minimum wage - even more so now with inflation. More than 20 states raised their minimum wage on January 1 of this year. You want to know what I was doing the last time Congress raised the minimum wage to its current $7.25 per hour, which is what Louisiana defaults to? I was sitting in that desk right back there as a freshman legislator.
Source: 2023 State of the State Address to the Louisiana legislature , Apr 10, 2023

13 year old minimum wage ($7.25) not fair nor acceptable

I can't leave this podium without again making a plea for you to raise the minimum wage. There is not a person in this room who can tell me with a straight face that $7.25, a minimum wage from 13 years ago, is fair or acceptable, especially given current inflation. 21 other states have increased their minimum wage, including Arkansas and Florida. And yet, every year, efforts to raise the minimum wage in Louisiana, even modestly or gradually, fail. Our workers and families deserve better.
Source: 2022 State of the State Address to the Louisiana legislature , Mar 14, 2022

Pass a minimum wage bill, get it on my desk, I'll sign it

I am one of the overwhelming majority of Louisianans who want a meaningful increase to the minimum wage that will help workers support their families and enjoy a better quality of life. This year, instead of including a specific minimum wage bill in my package, I am supporting any and all efforts to raise the minimum wage. So my message to the Legislature is simple: pass a bill. Get it on my desk. I'll sign it.
Source: 2021 State of the State Address to Louisiana legislature , Apr 12, 2021

Equal pay for women; enact minimum wage

Louisiana has the highest wage inequity in the entire country. Everyone in this room should be offended that a woman makes only 66 cents for every dollar a man makes. She doesn't get charged any less when she's buying groceries for her family, and she shouldn't get paid any less when she's working the same job as a man every day. 91 percent of the people of Louisiana support the Louisiana Equal Pay Act. Why? Simply because it's the right thing to do. The same goes for raising the minimum wage. 18 states raised their minimum wage at the beginning of 2018, and yet Louisiana remains one of only 5 states not to have adopted a state minimum wage at all. Let's raise the minimum wage to $8.50 per hour over two years.
Source: 2018 Louisiana State of the State address , Mar 12, 2018

Close gender wage gap by ending corporate "pay secrecy"

I urge you to act on the wishes of an overwhelming majority of Louisianans by supporting equal pay and raising the minimum wage. Louisiana has the highest gender wage gap in the country with women making only 66 cents for every $1 a man makes. It's a simple and unassailable idea--pay a woman, who has the same job and similar qualifications, the same you would pay a man. I'm the father of two daughters, and many of you are as well. Wouldn't you want your daughter treated fairly for her hard work.

Yes, it's a fairness issue, but it's also a family issue. When a mother goes to the grocery store to buy a gallon of milk, it doesn't cost 33 percent less because she is a woman.

The legislation I am proposing would help eliminate pay secrecy by prohibiting employers from taking actions against employees for inquiring about, discussing or disclosing their wages or another employee's wages.

Source: 2017 Louisiana State of the State address , Apr 10, 2017

Meaningful increase to the minimum wage

Let's truly put our citizens first by making a modest but meaningful increase to the minimum wage.

Louisiana is one of only five states that have not adopted a state minimum wage. Forty percent of Louisiana working families do not earn enough to cover basic monthly expenses. It's time--no, past time--for us to change that. What we're proposing is to increase the minimum wage to $8.50 over a two year period. It's a simple change that will produce countless benefits.

Source: 2017 Louisiana State of the State address , Apr 10, 2017

Equal Pay for Women, but only for state employees

Legislative Summary: SB153: Creates the Equal Pay for Women Act.

Analysis by National Women's Law Center: The Act resembles the federal Equal Pay Act. It bans discriminatory pay based on sex, with exceptions for differences bases on seniority systems, merit systems, and systems that measure earnings by quantity or quality of production. Unfortunately, although the original bill covered all employers with 15 or more employees, the final bill that was enacted applies only to state employees.

Legislative Outcome: Passed House 86-12-7, Vote #795 on Jun/3/13; State Rep. John Bel Edwards co-sponsored the bill and voted YES; Passed Senate 35-2-2, Vote #963 on Jun/4/13; Signed by Governor Bobby Jindal on Jun/18/13

Source: NWLC on Louisiana legislative voting records SB153 , Jun 3, 2013

Other governors on Jobs: John Bel Edwards on other issues:
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Gubernatorial Debates 2021:
CA Recall:
S.D.Mayor Kevin_Faulconer(R)
vs.Former Gov. nominee John Cox(R)
vs.Former U.S.Rep Doug Ose(R)
vs.Laura Smith(R)
vs.Former Olympian Caitlyn Jenner(R)
vs.Radio Host Larry Elder(R)
vs.Kevin Paffrath(D)
vs.Gavin Newsom(D)
NJ: Incumbent Phil Murphy(D)
vs.State Rep. Jack Ciattarelli(R)
vs.Candidate Hirsh Singh(R)
vs.GOP Chair Doug Steinhardt(R)
VA: Incumbent Ralph Northam(D,term-limited)
vs.Former Governor Terry McAuliffe(D)
vs.CEO Glenn Youngkin(R)
vs.A.G. Mark Herring(D)
vs.State Sen. Amanda Chase(I)
vs.Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax(D)
vs.State Rep. Jennifer Carroll Foy(D)
vs.State Rep. Lee Carter(D)
vs.State Sen. Jennifer McClellan(D)
vs.State Rep. Kirk Cox(R)
vs.CEO Pete Snyder(R)

Gubernatorial Debates 2023:
KY: Incumbent Andy Beshear(D)
vs.State A.G. Daniel Cameron(R)

vs.Ambassador Kelly Craft(R)
vs.State Auditor Mike Harmon(R)
LA: Incumbent John Bel Edwards(D,term-limited)
vs.Biden Adviser Cedric Richmond(? D)
vs.Senator John Neely Kennedy(? R)
vs.Mitch Landrieu(D ?)
MS: Incumbent Tate Reeves(R)
vs.Bill Waller(R)

Gubernatorial Debates 2022:
AK: Incumbent Mike Dunleavy(R)
vs.Bill Walker(I)
vs.Les Gara(D)
vs.Billy Toien(L)
vs.State Rep. Chris Kurka(R)
AL: Incumbent Kay Ivey(R)
vs.Chris Countryman(D)
vs.Yolanda Flowers(D)
vs.Stacy Lee George(R)
vs.Ambassador Lynda Blanchard(R)
vs.State Sen. Malika Sanders-Fortier(D)
vs.Challenger Tim James(R)
AR: Incumbent Asa Hutchinson(R,term-limited)
vs.Trump Adviser Sarah Huckabee Sanders(R)
vs.A.G. Leslie Rutledge(R,withdrew Nov.2021)
vs.Ricky Dale Harrington(L)
vs.Anthony Bland(D)
vs.Chris Jones(D)
AZ: Incumbent Doug Ducey(R,term-limited)
Mayor Marco Lopez(D)
vs.Former news anchor Kari Lake(R)
vs.Secretary of State Katie Hobbs(D)
vs.State Treasurer Kimberly Yee(R)
vs.U.S.Rep.Matt Salmon(R)
vs.Steve Gaynor(R)
vs.State Rep.Aaron Lieberman(D)
vs.Jorge Rivas(R)
vs.Karrin Taylor Robson(R)
CA: Incumbent Gavin Newsom(D)
vs.S.D.Mayor Kevin_Faulconer(R)
vs.Former Gov. nominee John Cox(R)
vs.Kevin Paffrath(D)
vs.State Sen. Brian Dahle(R)
vs.State A.G. Rob Bonta(D for AG)
CO: Incumbent Jared Polis(D)
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CT: Incumbent Ned Lamont(D)
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FL: Incumbent Ron DeSantis(R)
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GA: Incumbent Brian Kemp(R)
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vs.State Rep.Vernon Jones(R)
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HI: Incumbent David Ige(D,term-limited)
vs.Former Lt.Gov.Duke Aiona(R nominee)
vs.Marissa Kerns(R)
vs.Lt.Gov.Josh Green(D nominee)
vs.Vicky Cayetano(D)
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vs.State Rep.Kirk Caldwell(D)
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IA: Incumbent Kim Reynolds(R)
vs.Deidre DeJear(D)
vs.State Rep.Ras Smith(D)
ID: Incumbent Brad Little(R)
vs.Stephen Heidt(D)
vs.Raul Labrador(R)
vs.Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin(R)
vs.Ammon Bundy(R)
vs.Ed Humphreys(R)
IL: Incumbent J.B. Pritzker(D)
vs.State Sen.Darren Bailey(R)
vs.Paul Schimpf(R)
vs.Jesse Sullivan(R)
vs.Richard Irvin(R)
KS: Incumbent Laura Kelly(D)
vs.Jeff Colyer(R)
vs.State Sen.Derek Schmidt(R)
vs.Chase LaPorte(R) 		Gubernatorial Debates 2022 (continued):
MA: Incumbent Charlie Baker(R)
vs.Lt.Gov.Karyn Polito(R)
vs.State Rep. Geoff Diehl(R)
vs.Harvard Professor Danielle Allen(D)
vs.State Sen.Ben Downing(D)
vs.State Sen.Sonia Chang-Diaz(D)
vs.Shiva Ayyadurai(I)
vs.A.G. Maura Healey(D)
MD: Incumbent Larry Hogan(R,term-limited)
vs.State Del.Robin Ficker(R) vs.State Del.Peter Franchot(D) vs.State Del.Kelly M. Schulz(R) vs.Secretary John B. King(D) vs.Ashwani Jain(D) vs.State A.G. Doug Gansler(D) vs.County Exec. Rushern Baker(D) vs.Secretary Thomas Perez(D) vs.Wes Moore(D) vs.Dan Cox(R)
ME: Incumbent Janet Mills(D)
vs.Former Gov. Paul LePage(R)
MI: Incumbent Gretchen Whitmer(D)
vs.Chief James Craig(R)
vs.Police Chief Tudor Dixon(R)
vs.Garrett Soldano(R)
vs.John E. James(? R)
MN: Incumbent Tim Walz(DFL)
vs.Mayor Mike Murphy(R)
vs.State Sen.Scott Jensen(R)
vs.Michelle Benson(R)
vs.Paul Gazelka(R)
NE: Incumbent Pete Ricketts(R,term-limited)
vs.U.S.Senator Bob Krist(R)
vs.Chuck Herbster(R)
vs.Jim Pillen(R)
vs.Brett Lindstrom(R)
vs.Carol Blood(D)
vs.State Sen. Theresa Thibodeau(R)
NH: Incumbent Chris Sununu(R)
vs.Dan Feltes(D)
vs.Karen Testerman(R)
vs.Dr.Tom Sherman(D)
NM: Incumbent Michelle Lujan Grisham(D)
vs.Commissioner Jay Block(R)
vs.State Rep.Rebecca Dow(R)
vs.Mark Ronchetti(R)
NV: Incumbent Steve Sisolak(D)
vs.A.G.Adam Laxalt(R)
vs.North Las Vegas Mayor John Lee(R)
vs.Dean Heller(R)
vs.Joe Lombardo(R)
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NY: Incumbent Andrew Cuomo(D,resigned)
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vs.Joe Pinion(R)
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vs.Andrew Giuliani(R)
vs.US.Rep.Lee Zeldin(R)
vs.Tom Suozzi(D)
vs.Attorney General Letitia James(D)
OH: Incumbent Mike DeWine(R)
vs.Former Rep.Jim Renacci(R)
vs.Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley(D)
vs.Mayor John Cranley(D)
OK: Incumbent Kevin Stitt(R)
vs.State Sen. Ervin Yen(R)
vs.Connie Johnson(D)
vs.Joy Hofmeister(D)
vs.Natalie Bruno(L)
OR: Incumbent Kate Brown(D,term-limited)
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vs.Casey Kulla(D)
vs.Kerry McQuisten(R)
vs.Tina Kotek(D)
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vs.Tobias Read(D)
vs.State Rep. Christine Drazan(R)
vs.Julian Bell(D)
PA: Incumbent Tom Wolf(D,term-limited)
vs.U.S.Rep. Lou Barletta(R)
vs.Commissioner Joe Gale(R)
vs.A.G.Josh Shapiro(D)
vs.William McSwain(R)
vs.U.S.Rep.Melissa Hart(R)
vs.State Sen.Scott Martin(R)
vs.State Sen. Scott Martin(R)
vs.State Sen. Doug Mastriano(R)
RI: Incumbent Gina Raimondo(D,to Cabinet)
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vs.Ashley Kalus(R)
vs.Mayor Allan Fung(R)
vs.Secy.Matt Brown(D)
vs.Luis-Daniel Munoz(D)
vs.RI Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea(D)
vs.Seth Magainer(D)
vs.Helena Foulkes(D)
SC: Incumbent Henry McMaster(R)
vs.US.Rep.Joe Cunningham(D)
vs.State senator Mia McLeod(D)
SD: Incumbent Kristi Noem(R)
vs.State Rep. Billie Sutton(? D)
vs.Speaker Steven Haugaard(R)
vs.Jamie R. Smith(D)
TN: Incumbent Bill Lee(R)
vs.Jason Martin(D)
vs.Carnita Atwater(D)
vs.J B Smiley(D)
TX: Incumbent Greg Abbott(R)
vs.Beto O`Rourke(D)
vs.Chad Prather(R)
vs.State Sen.Don Huffines(R)
vs.U.S.Rep. Allen West(R)
vs.Deirdre Gilbert(D)
VT: Incumbent Phil Scott(R)
vs.Brenda Siegel(D)
WI: Incumbent Tony Evers(D)
vs.Tim Michels(R)
vs.CEO Jonathan Wichmann(R)
vs.Rebecca Kleefisch(R)
vs.State Rep. Timothy Ramthun(R)
WY: Incumbent Mark Gordon(R)
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