Reception for Gov. John Bel Edwards set for Sept. 22 at Marksville's Bethune Center

A community reception for Gov. John Bel Edwards will be held from 3-5 p.m. next Sunday (Sept. 22) at the Bethune Youth Center in Marksville.

The event is being hosted by several community leaders from across Avoyelles Parish as a two-way “get to know you” meeting between the governor and the communities of this parish.

All residents are invited and encouraged to attend.

An event coordinator said this is an opportunity for the general public -- workers, teachers, parents, students, etc. -- to meet the governor and discuss issues of importance to them and to the state.

The state’s economic health is a major issue and concern.

Edwards has noted that he inherited a $2 billion deficit from his predecessor, Bobby Jindal -- who had inherited a $2 billion surplus when he was first elected eight years earlier. This past budget year the state had a surplus.

EXPECTED TOPICS

In addition to state finances, Edwards is expected to touch on such issues as education, workforce training and the expansion of health care for the state’s “working poor.”

A teacher pay raise was funded this year and Edwards has said he will continue efforts to increase funding for public education.

He also wants to see all high school students have access to dual enrollment classes with universities and technical colleges.

Avoyelles School District has had a dual enrollment agreement with Central Louisiana Technical Community College and LSUA for several years.

On the issue of health care improvements, over 450,000 more Louisianians became eligible for health care assistance after Edwards expanded that program upon taking office.

Almost 4,700 people in Avoyelles Parish were included in that number, including approximately 1,000 who were able to obtain screenings for breast cancer and other cancers. Approximately 3,000 Avoyelles citizens were able to participate in preventive care programs that they had never had access to before.

That health care expansion is one reason cited for the recent addition of several health care services in Avoyelles Parish.

Economic development in Avoyelles and the state will also be discussed. There have been over 165 economic development projects in the state during the past three years, totaling $40 billion in capital investments and creating and/or retaining 60,000 jobs.

The Acadiana Center for Youth juvenile detention facility opened this year after being delayed by funding problems after it was constructed. It opened at half-capacity earlier this year. It received verification in July that it was fully funded for the next year and is currently filling the remaining job vacancies. It now has four of the six dormitories open.

ACY will house 72 juvenile offenders and have 124 employees when fully staffed.

Another discussion topic is likely to be the $700 million of state funds committed to infrastructure improvement throughout the state. The Police Jury has applied for state capital improvement projects for several parish roads. It is currently working on Phase II of a state grant-funded project involving five parish roads.

The parish had received almost $1 million for the two-phase, 7-road project.