BATON ROUGE, La. (KALB) - Governor Jeff Landry has officially renewed multiple executive orders declaring a state of emergency for Louisiana on May 13. In total, Landry signed three emergency declaration renewals, extending them by 30 days. The first renewal extends former Governor John Bel Edward’s declaration of emergency for Hurricane Ida damages. This declaration was originally made on August 26, 2021. According to the executive order, damages from the storm continue to pose a threat to communities across the Gulf Coast and place the lives and properties of Louisiana in jeopardy. This declaration grants additional powers to the director of the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security & Emergency, allowing him to undertake any activity that he deems “appropriate” as a response to the emergency. The second emergency declaration targets our state law enforcement and the ongoing national shortage of police officers, calling the employment crisis an “imminent threat.” The executive order officially acknowledges the shortage as a matter of public safety, stating in part, “The national police shortage has affected Louisiana with departments experiencing record-low employment and an increase in police officer response times resulting in an increased threat to lives, property, and safety.” State Senator Royce Duplessis commented on the declaration when it was originally declared back in February, stating that the declaration does not address the ongoing issue.
“There is a police shortage, not only here in Louisiana, but across this nation. There is also a nursing shortage, a teacher shortage and many other professional shortages of people we depend on. I just don’t know what the intent is behind this emergency declaration.”
State Senator Royce Duplessis, (D) District 5
Senator Duplessis commented on Governor Jeff Landry’s policies on the same date, saying they do not address the root of the problem.
“None of the policies the Governor is proposing or supporting will actually make us safer. None of them deal with front end, root causes of crime. None of them deal with mental health, behavioral health, violence intervention, housing, education, job opportunities, wages, things like that.”
State Senator Royce Duplessis, (D) District 5
According to the Louisiana Sheriffs’ Association’s estimates, offices were down approximately 1,800 deputies statewide as of July 2023. The third and final declaration renewal continues subsurface monitoring of the Sulphur Salt Dome mine in Calcasieu Parish. The Office of Conservation originally began investigating the region on September 20, 2023, in response to concerns of “unexplained hydrocarbon bubbling.” Hydrocarbon is a highly flammable organic compound commonly used in gasoline, propane and kerosene. According to the declaration, hydrocarbon bubbling indicates a “potential for structural failure that could potentially threaten the lives and property of the citizens of the state.”