Edwards Cleaned Up Jindal’s Budget Mess As State Posts $500M Budget Surplus

When Louisiana Gov. Edwards took office, the state’s budget was in a ditch. Former Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal turned the state’s $1 billion surplus into a $2 billion deficit – the worst in 30 years.
Higher education and health care were consistently on the chopping block. Louisiana cut more funding from colleges and universities than any other state since the 2008 recession. Emergency rooms were closing.
But Gov. Edwards took office and worked with the majority Republican legislature to deliver results for Louisiana. The state had its first net new investment in higher education and first teacher pay raise in a decade. And the state is spending more to improve roads than it has in 30 years.
With today’s news of the state posting a $500 million budget surplus, it’s clear Gov. Edwards’ leadership has turned the state around.
“Gov. Edwards’ bipartisan leadership turned Jindal’s reckless $2 billion deficit into a $500 million surplus,” said DGA Communications Director David Turner. “Edwards gave educators their first pay raise in a decade, provided health care to 450,000 working Louisianans, and provided the first net new investment in higher education in a decade. Gov. Edwards ended the Jindal budget nightmare and put the state back on track—and Louisianans don’t want to go back.”