Louisiana Governor Edwards Exercises Veto Power to Protect Health Department Funding and Police Officer Safety

Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards has vetoed parts of the state's budget, redirecting funds to increase funding for early childhood education and restore a proposed $100 million increase to the Louisiana Department of Health. Edwards cited the need to protect against programmatic cuts and avoid losing federal funding. The budget, crafted by the Republican-dominated Legislature, had allocated money to pay down state retirement debt. The governor's vetoes may be overridden by lawmakers, who could also discuss the budget vetoes during a potential veto session.