Governmental Relations Update

GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS UPDATE WHEN PREDICTABILITY LEFT LOUISIANA (OR DID IT?)

By: John Walters, VP of Governmental Relations for ABC of Louisiana

The 2020 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature began on March 9. That same day, Louisiana announced its first confirmed positive case of COVID-19. No one could have predicted what the next few days, weeks, and months would bring for our country, our state, our businesses and our families.

After consulting with local, state, and national health officials, including the Center for Disease Control (CDC), House Speaker Clay Schexnayder and Senate President Page Cortez temporarily adjourned the legislative session on March 13. As positive COVID-19 cases grew at an alarming rate in Louisiana, it became evident that Governor Edwards was going issue a statewide Stay at Home Order for Louisiana.

Recognizing a Stay at Home Order was eminent, ABC-LA requested that Governor Edwards consider the essential nature of construction when determining which industries would qualify as “critical infrastructure” and thereby be deemed essential and allowed to remain working. On March 22, Governor John Bel Edwards issued that statewide Stay at Home Order for Louisiana.

Thankfully, in defining essential jobs, Governor Edwards’ order followed guidance provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on what industries were deemed essential, and this included the entirety of the construction industry in Louisiana.

Since the Stay at Home Order went into effect, ABC-LA has remained in constant discussions with Governor Edwards’ administration as COVID-19 cases have continued to grow in Louisiana. We have provided valuable information to the administration and answered industry specific questions regarding the essential role of the construction industry during this outbreak. We are thankful that Governor Edwards allowed our industry to remain working throughout the entirety of the Stay at Home order.

I have been in awe about how ABC members have reacted in the face of this pandemic. Whether it be building temporary medical facilities, keeping the doors open at our many petrochemical and manufacturing sites, providing maintenance and repairs to our overcrowded hospitals, to keeping our commercial refrigeration facilities operational to ensure people have access to fresh and safe food and medicine in their homes or hospitals, ABC members have gone over and above by responding both promptly and safely when call to action.

Louisiana’s construction industry has been heroic throughout this pandemic and needs to be recognized and applauded for its effort.

Though several legislators tested positive for COVID-19 during the pandemic, on May 4, the Louisiana Legislature reconvened, leaving just 27 days to complete the budget, capital outlay and work through the more than 1,000 bills filed.

In May, Louisiana businesses began re-opening under strict guidelines. Recognizing this transition, both Governor Edwards and the Louisiana Legislature formed advisement teams to help safely and securely re-open Louisiana and rebuild our economy.

We are fortunate to have many ABC members on each of these important advisement teams, and we thank and applaud these industry and business leaders for devoting their leadership skills, resources, and time to ensure Louisiana emerges from this pandemic stronger and smarter.

In late May, nearing the end of the regular session and recognizing there remained a great deal of work needed to be done to help Louisiana businesses get back into commerce after the COVID-19 pandemic, the Louisiana legislature, for only the second time in our history, called itself into a special legislative session.

As we sit now, cases of COVID-19 are once again increasing across many parts Louisiana and the United States. Making predictions in 2020 has been a gamble at best. Here is what I can predict: When given the chance to step up and succeed in the face of adversity, I will put ABC members up against anyone. Our members safely, responsibly, and proudly kept working in less than favorable conditions to keep Louisiana moving forward throughout this pandemic and will surely continue to do so for as long as it takes us to get through.

We are not there yet, but Louisiana’s construction industry should be applauded and for their invaluable role throughout this challenging and unpredictable time. The work of this industry during a pandemic has assured our community that there is an economic engine to return to. www.abcpelican.org/newsletter 8