Tales from the Crypt: Remember that Time Gov. Edwards Told Louisiana to “Say Farewell to College Football”

As the Louisiana Legislature continues debating whether or not to bust the state’s spending cap and grow government by an additional $2.2 billion over the next couple of years, have you found yourself wondering where’s all this excess cash coming from? Well… long story short… if you pay taxes in Louisiana, its coming from you. 

Gov. John Bel Edwards

Back in 2016 Governor John Bel Edwards bullied lawmakers into passing the largest tax increase in the U.S. At the time, Edwards described the state budget situation as “dire” and he predicted massive layoffs of state employees, catastrophic hospital closings and college campuses that would be forced to declare bankruptcy if the legislature didn’t pass his tax increases. Edwards even threatened to cancel LSU football if he didn’t get his way. “You can say farewell to college football next fall," he said in a televised speech that aired just days before lawmakers convened in special session to address the budget “crisis” and a few weeks before the start of a highly anticipated football season.

After receiving thousands of calls from constituents who also happen to be Tiger fans, a majority of the legislature went along with the governor’s plan, and we, the taxpayers, have been paying for it ever since. 

In 2016, the state budget was just under $28 billion. The package of cap busting budget bills recently approved by the Louisiana Senate provide for nearly $51 billion in state spending. That’s right! The state budget has nearly doubled in just 8 years, growing twice the rate of inflation. 

With this kind of skyrocketing growth in government revenue, the Louisiana Legislature should be working overtime to return as much money as possible to taxpayers. But here we are with less than 48 hours of debate left before the Legislative Session must conclude and leaders in the House and Senate are still trying to figure out how to bust the state spending cap so they can grow government even more. That’s ridiculous and conservative lawmakers shouldn’t fall for any kind of fear mongering or scare tactics from the Edwards Administration or their friends in the Senate again. 

If there is anything to learn from the tall tales that were told back at the beginning of Edwards’ first term, it’s that some politicians will say and do anything—even threaten LSU football—to  get what they want. 

It is long past time for conservative leaders in the House and Senate to step up and hold the line on excessive government spending.