Gov. John Bel Edwards

A $1.8 million Maple Avenue paving project escaped a veto by Gov. John Bel Edwards as happened in previous years.

Gov. John Bel Edwards cited the state’s progress across a broad front in a luncheon speech Tuesday to members of the Louisiana Press Association.

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Gov. John Bel Edwards on Wednesday outlined cuts to higher education, criminal justice and assistance to needy families in a budget passed by the Legislature and made a pitch for renewing a half-penny of sales taxes to avert most of them.

Number one on Gov. John Bel Edwards’ veto list was a $1.7 million overlay project for Maple Avenue, La. 91, in Eunice.
The vetoes were announced Wednesday.

Time has officially become a factor for the Louisiana Legislature, especially as lawmakers proceed with four weeks of regular session work under their belts and another eight weeks to go.

House leadership bickered Monday over who is to blame for a new stall in budget negotiations instead of voting on several key bills that could raise revenue and solve the state’s looming budget crisis.

Discussion heated up at Tuesday’s House Ways and Means Committee hearing, as legislators expressed frustration over the inability of their colleagues to reach an agreement on how to deal with the state’s projected $1 billion budget shortfall.

The first major Louisiana election of 2018 takes place on Saturday and it doesn’t appear as if Gov. John Bel Edwards is going to get involved — even though the contest is taking place in his backyard, literally and figuratively.