During his final State of the State address on Monday as the 2023 Regular Session got underway, Gov. John Bel Edwards for the first time called on the legislature to end the death penalty in Louisiana.
Louisiana is one of 27 states where the death penalty still exists.
Rep. Kyle Green from Jefferson Parish filed a bill before the state of the regular legislative session that would abolish capital punishment. Green and others have argued that it’s too expensive, difficult to carry out, ineffective at deterring crime, and a waste of taxpayer dollars. He also noted a recent number of exonerations and sentence reversals that led to people getting off death row before facing execution. However, opponents to similar bills have suggested that it should remain an option for prosecutors and judges to use. In 2022, one prosecutor said it’s necessary to keep the death penalty in place so they can speak on behalf of victims that are no longer here.
Edwards pointed to Medicaid expansion as one of the accomplishments he said he is proud of. Medicaid expansion caused the uninsured rate among adults to fall to 9.4% in 2022, the governor said. He added that because of Medicaid expansion, Louisiana hasn’t had a single rural hospital closure.
The governor also spoke about a $3,000 pay raise for public school teachers and a $1,500 raise for school support workers. He said Louisiana has a shortage of teachers and is fighting to keep educators in the state.
The session must adjourn by 6 p.m. on Thursday, June 8.
