Governor Edwards featured speaker at ASCL annual meeting – 2-3-2016

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards laid out his plans for the state; voices strong support for LSU Ag Center. His appearance was covered by This WeeK in Louisiana Agriculture, Lafayette's Daily Advertiser, Baton Rouge's Advocate,KATC-TV and KADN-TV.

Daily Advertiser
Edwards: Budget imperiled, fix needed
By Ken Stickney

Sugar growers meeting in Lafayette on Tuesday cheered the introduction of Gov. John Bel Edwards.

Minutes later, after Edwards proposed a "menu” of sharp cuts and taxes to balance dire budget shortfalls in fiscal years 2016 and 2017, they stood and cheered him again.

That’s because they appreciate the governor’s sincerity, if not the message, American Sugar Cane League General Manager Jim Simon said later. READ THE ADVERTISER STORY

The Advocate
Gov. John Bel Edwards: No 'sugar coating' budget crisis; LSU AgCenter cuts could hurt sugar cane farmers
By Billy Gunn

A month or two removed from a decent but expensive sugar cane harvest, Louisiana cane farmers learned Tuesday that the LSU Agricultural Center they rely on could once again lose funds if the state’s revenue shortfall isn’t funded.

Gov. John Bel Edwards told farmers at the annual American Sugar Cane League conference in Lafayette that funding cuts for the LSU AgCenter, which is part of the LSU system and oversees agricultural stations and programs across the state, would be tied to cuts in higher education.

"The state of Louisiana is in one of the toughest spots it’s ever been in. There is no sugarcoating it,” Edwards told farmers, pun intended. READ THE ADVOCATE STORY

KATC-TV
Governor John Bel Edwards Meets With American Sugar Cane League In Lafayette
By Allison Bourne-Vanneck

Governor John Bel Edwards met Tuesday with the American Sugar Cane League in Lafayette, to discuss the role agriculture and sugar cane will have in his economic development plan for Louisiana.

"It's tremendous. Whether it's tourism, whether it's business and industry, whether it's all of the plants that are being expanded, or built new here in southwest Louisiana, to take advantage of the natural gas, and other things we have going on around the state. All of it is critically important," said Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards.

But Governor Edwards says the state is $750 million short for the rest of this fiscal year., and supporting industries, like agriculture, will be a challenge. WATCH THE KATC-TV VIDEO