Resolution challenges governor's stay at home order

Gov. John Bel Edwards, normally measured in his remarks even about political opponents, was uncharacteristically blunt at his Wednesday press conference.
The attempt by conservative legislators to block his stay at home order? Without merit, Edwards said.
Businesses that don’t follow COVID-19 protection rules? Don’t do business with them, Edwards said.
The governor also emphasized that the anticipated easing of COVID-19 restrictions May 15 will depend on meeting goals set out in federal Open America Again guidelines.
The Center Square reported Wednesday that a resolution weakening Edwards’ stay at home order was approved after hours of debate in the state House Governmental Affairs Committee. The resolution moves to the full House for a vote.
The author of the resolution is state Rep. Blake Miguez, R-Erath and head of the House Republican delegation. Miguez had pushed a resolution overturning the governor’s emergency declaration but pared it down to take away the power to impose criminal penalties and give local governments power to decide whether to lift restrictions.
“We’re taking the teeth out of his stay-at-home order,” Miguez said. “Many parishes in this state are ready to open up.”
“I don’t see any merit in the resolution,” Edwards said at his Wednesday press conference.
Edwards had said his decision to extend the stay at home order beyond April 30 was based in part on stubbornly high COVID-19 statistics in some areas of the state, including Acadiana and the area around Ouachita Parish.
“We obviously know the importance of keeping the economy open and we’re going to re-engage more and more as we’re able to do it,” Edwards said.
The governor urged people to stay away from businesses that don’t follow public health guidelines, including the requirement that employees who deal with the public must wear masks.
He also made a pitch for federal legislation handled by U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Bob Menendez, D-N.J., to direct a bigger share of aid to state and local governments losing revenue because of COVID-19 restrictions.
The state government’s Revenue Estimating Committee meets next week to determine how much money the Legislature will be able to budget for the next fiscal year.
“I think it’s going to become really clear how dire the situation is,” Edwards said.
In statistics released Wednesday by the Louisiana Department of Public Health, three more deaths in St. Mary and Assumption parishes were reported between noon Tuesday and noon Wednesday.
Nine new cases of COVID-19 in St. Mary, St. Martin and Assumption were reported.
One death was added to the total in St. Mary for a total of 24. Local reporting puts the actual number at 25.
Two more deaths were reported in Assumption for a total of eight.
—St. Mary reported three new COVID-19 positives for a total of 215 after 1,215 tests. A series of drive-through tests began Wednesday in Franklin.
—Five new positives were reported in St. Martin, where there have been 252 positives after 2,059 tests. The total number of deaths there remained at 19.
—One new Assumption Parish positive was reported for a total of 203 after 948 tests.
Statewide:
—Another 403 positives bring the total to 30,399 after more than 194,000 tests.
—52 deaths were reported Wednesday, bringing the total of deaths to 2,094.
—The number of people hospitalized for COVID-19 fell by 47 to 1,465.
—The number of people on ventilators fell by seven to 187.