budget director is in front of the house budget committee to outline the president's newly released 2023 budget proposal. you will also find everything streaming live at c-span.org or on c-span now, our free video app. >> now available for preorder in the c-span chub, c-span's 2022 congressional directory. go there today to order a copy of the congressional directory. this spiral-bound book is your guide to the federal government with contact information for every member of congress including files and committee assignments. also contact information for state governors and the biden administration cabinet. preorder your copy today at c-spanshop.org or scan the code with your smart phone. every c-span chub purchase helps support c-span's nonprofit operation. >> in a state of the state address, louisiana governor john bel edwards announced he's not

renewing the state public health emergency for covid-19 award he would not hesitate to declare another emergency circumstances called for it. louisiana has been under an emergency declaration since march 2020. governor edward spoke to the state legislature for nearly 30 minutes. >> ladies and gentlemen,, the governor of louisiana, the honorable john bel edwards. [applause] >> thank you, the ship duca, for the beautiful prayer. all too often our world is filled with unrest, and right now our prayers are specially

with the people of ukraine as they defend their homes their families and their freedom. and today we're happy to be joined by eddy hayes who is the honorary council of ukraine. he represents economic and cultural interests of the country in louisiana. i asked himsk to be here today n hopes that heay will relay our unified support to his colles in ukraine. eddie, will you stand and be recognized? [applause] i know we all looked at the balcony but eddie is over here. eddie, thank you very much for being here. [applause] mr. speaker, mr. president, members of thena legislature, my

fellow louisiana ends. it is an honor to be back in this chamber after delivering last years speech offsite due to covid. tell you we've been through a lot over these past two years navigating the pandemic and multiple disasters i've always been one to count my blessings, but now like you i suspect i cherish the time spent with loved ones even more especially my children, samantha, sara and john miller and my beautiful wife and best friend who i've enjoyed being married to for 33 years now. like me i know many of you sacrifice seeing loved ones in order to keep them safe and unfortunately we have lost people dear to us because of covid-19.

it was exactly two years ago today that we marked the first death in covid-19 in louisiana and over 16,800 sent to die in morethan 1.2 million cases haven confirmed but a lot has changed. we are saving countless lives, we have better therapeutic treatments, high-quality masks are options and cases and hospitalizations have been dropping since we emerged this winter. while it changed to reflect the ebb and flow of the pandemic it has remained. this wednesday, two days from now, the order expires and i

will not be renewing it. [applause] no federal aid repercussions or other adverse consequences not reviewing the problem and just because the book the proclamation is expiring doesn't mean that it's over and if the circumstances worsen and call for it, i won't hesitate to declare another emergency. but god willing, we will never have to see such a difficult mitigation measures in our state again. i don't know what the future holds but i do know we are in a better place today than we were two years ago and i also tell you that is due in large part to. >> host: he rose in louisiana

and the stalwart team at the department including the state health officer. they may be weary but they never wavered in their efforts to save lives. i will also tell you we are in a better place today than we were six years ago. in my first state of the state i inherited a billion dollar budget deficit to close out and a $2 billion deficit for the year that started july 1st. today as i stand here before you, we have hundreds of millions in surplus and even more in current access and billions in funding through the rescue plan and infrastructure investment and jobs act. it adds up to an opportunity to transform the state through

pivotal investments in every level of education, infrastructure projects that for decades have been dreams, long-overdue pay raises for the most dedicated workers and combating the effects of climate change. it all adds up to a once in a generation opportunity to shape the future and we must take advantage of it. it's not an exaggeration to say the choices that will be made over the next three months will have a lasting legacy for the state. we have to get this right. shaping the future always begins with education so the budget has included $31.7 million from faculty pay raises, 10.5 million for the foster promise program fund created by president cortez just last year, 97.2 million for higher education and that includes 5 million for title ix

and also across the state, 15 million-dollar increase and 25 and the higher education initiatives fund. and for early childhood education and additional an addl investment of $43.4 million including more than 17 million for the early childhood education program. and 148.4 for the sports staff pay raises which is at least a $1,500 raise for teachers and 750 for support staff. we haven't done all that we would have liked but this will be the fifth pay raises since i've been governor. however, i believe that working together the first $50 million of any increase in the revenue forecast recognized before the budget is passed go to increasing to $2,000.

it's the least that we can do. the people that never gave up on the students despite unprecedented circumstances, and it continues our goal of getting teacher pay up to at least the regional average. my budget also includes an increase for immediate care facilities for people living with intellectual disabilities. the funding will be used to support the workers in the medical field. unfortunately, turnover and the bill is high especially over the past two years because of covid. the pay is low and the work is very difficult but hasn't stopped a certified health manager and direct service worker. she's here with us today and helps take care of six women, cooking, cleaning, making sure they take their prescribed

medications providing companionship which can be just as important as medical assistance. she says she cares for the residents as if they are her own family. seeing them smile makes her day also please stand so the chamber can welcome you and now you should direct your attention to the balcony. [applause] at the end of the day they have to be able to pay their bills. they deserve so much more than this modest raise but i hope that it can be a step towards change. we are also including the $100 per month supplemental increase for eligible first responders that includes law enforcement officers and firefighters. here in louisiana we need to put

an end to this talk about defunding the police. [applause] we can never adequately compensate however we have the ability to recruit, train and maintain the best of the best in law enforcement. they deserve it and the public deserves it. we do have a momentous opportunity to commit to one-time expenditures broadband

and so much more and they all meet our attention with the infrastructure investment jobs act and the american rescue plan and normal cap we will make meaningful progress on the deferred maintenance projects sitting on the shelf for decades. more than 1.1 billion such as 500 million for the bridge in baton rouge. these dollars are being strategically placed to leverage federal dollars in louisiana and i know that we are all tired of

the jokes about knowing you are in louisiana when the jobs get bad. every state is struggling to update the infrastructure. 1.7 billion and projects including 6,312 of the highways in order to change the narrative but the funds from the government will allow us to catapult the projects from talk to action. my budget proposal dedicates $550 million in american rescue plan funding to replenish the unemployment insurance trust fund, which had been funded at historically high levels prior to the pandemic. we didn't just pull this number out of the air. that's what's going to be required to meet the goal by september that we have in the state law. some folks may ask why this is a

priority. i think we know our businesses are still recovering from the pandemic. if we don't replenish the trust for it will trigger the taxes on the businesses in the state, big and small that pay into the trust fund and that is the last thing that they need right now and at the american rescue plan funds were given to us for this very purpose, to take care of those expenditures that were caused by the pandemic in the first place. so altogether, this is a balanced budget. it is responsible, transformational, and it continues my administration's practice of using only one time dollars for one-time expenditures. it's a promise i made six years ago and one that i have not deviated from. simply put, we are not going back to the days of deficits and one time dollars for the recurring expenditures and we will continue to be focused on empowering families and communities for the future.

it's also with a focus on the future we are working to eliminate the digital divide, a goal that i've set to accomplish by 2029. and this a day and age it's something most of us take for granted but there are far too many louisiana ends especially in rural communities who still don't have access, can't afford it or lack digital literacy. a strong internet structure is essential to the economic competitiveness, access to healthcare, educational opportunities and an overall better quality of life. that's why my administration worked so closely with the representative just last year to create the municipalities and broadband opportunities grant program that's much easier to say and i think we all like that but you're going to like this program because of the total of

hundreds of millions of dollars it will provide grants to facilitate the deployment of broadband infrastructure connecting more than 471,000 unserved residents in the state, and i will tell you we are just getting started. the rest of my legislative package is also about transforming the future for the people of the state and that includes injuring the citizens of the state are fairly represented. as you all know we just entered minds are recommended to the redistricting session. an opportunity that comes once every decade. as i've often said, the voters should be choosing their leaders. leaders shouldn't be picking and choosing their voters. the self-interest cannot rule the day. voting is one of the most important and cherished rights and responsibilities of all americans. [applause]

it is disappointing and unfortunate the end results of the session did not reflect what is right and fair and required by the voting rights act. the demographic makeup of the state shows the percentage of african-american populations has grown over the last ten years and while numerous moves were filed reflecting this growth, none of them made it to my desk. in my view, the most egregious is a congressional map with half as many and i vetoed the congressional bill. the legislature had five separate efforts a total of 163 districts and across those five bills and there isn't one net new district anywhere. the african-american voting age

population is 31.2%. basically a third of the population. and it's likely more because according to the recent report from the census bureau, the black population was undercounted. and i don't believe we should need the court to tell us how to do basic math. one third of six is number two. [applause] our children are watching this in fact many took part in the process to make their voices heard pleading that the right thing be done. we must think beyond ourselves and focus on their future, the future of our state and the place they want to continue to call home. having personally witnessed the redistricting process twice now i can say that the process is not working. that's why i'm supporting the decision to establish an

independent redistricting commission to support the legislature and the reinforcement for the future redistricting. eighteen other states for some other type of commission and i really believe we should be the 19th. and now if you don't agree and you think the current process is sufficient then i invite you to prove me wrong. they've accurately reflected the demographic makeup of the stage for congress. i mentioned the increase for the supplemental pay for law enforcement officers, something that i believe is important to retract and maintain the people who are keeping us safe but an important part of the effort needs to be to ensure the officers can be true partners without communities and have the trust of the public. and let me be clear, the overwhelming majority of the law enforcement officers are professionals and excellent public servants who work hard every day to protect and serve but we know we need to do more

to hold the officers that violate the trust accountable. i intend to support several bills in the session that would do just about including the package bill that would clarify the office to apply the violations of the constitutional civil rights and provide the revocation of the post certification if an officer is found to have committed such an offense and i know these discussions will be difficult. but i also know that they are absolutely necessary. another system that is broken is the way the citizens are treated in the aftermath of a natural disaster which unfortunately here in louisiana happens all too often. the federal government, we still haven't allocated sufficient funds to recover from hurricane laura, delta and iata. remember two of those were in 2020. and while i probably shouldn't say this because i know they are watching but it's a shame they haven't. when i talk to people in dc thee

tellme aid is coming and i believe that it well. but i don't blame folks for feeling like they've been left behind. let's be clear it isn't just a federal problem. recent disasters have exposed the way the neighbors are being taken advantage of when they are at their most vulnerable. suffering damage due to a natural disaster is life altering, and yet there are landlords that have used it and an opportunity for a cash grab so i'm supporting legislation that is bipartisan and emulates that of other conservative states that will strengthen the protections in the aftermath of a disaster. many of the evictions after were illegal but there are no meaningful repercussions to discourage landlords from proceeding with convictions. we are going to change that. we know what it's like when we have to make the decision to

temporarily leave our homes because of a storm. imagine being evicted because you chose to keep your family safe. it's also unacceptable that many are more scared of their insurance companies then the storm itself. a beautiful home was destroyed by hurricanes laura and delta. she should be fighting cancer, not her insurance company. and peggy that teaches at the school of public health had five insurance adjusters in just the first 12 weeks after ida destroyed her home. how is that even remotely

possible or acceptable. they are the only ones left with thousands of others across south louisiana. the day after hurricane laura made landfall, the owner hired a contractor so that he could get the restaurant back up and running as soon as possible. and instead he struggled with his insurance company until november of last year, had his payments been made on time the restaurant would have reopened by the end of 2020 and instead is slated to reopen this june, close to two years after the storm.

and i can't wait to go back and eat there again when it does open. christian fellowship church of lake charles has a similar story. he wasn't able to get the insurance benefits and in the meantime the service was held in the outdoor pavilion in the louisiana heat. these stories have happened too often to too many people all across south louisiana. could you please stand and be recognized?

>> ladies and gentlemen, we have to hold insurance companies more accountable. more packages include the number of bills on deductibles, claims transparencies enforcing insurance laws against bad actors and stopping mortgage companies from withholding from homeowners without good reason and i'm not limiting my support to my own package. we have a very bipartisan issue. insurance is a wonderful thing when it functions as intended. unfortunately, companies don't always work in good faith with

homeowners and all we are asking is that those homeowners and business owners get the benefit of the premium dollars paid into the insurance companies play by the rules. [applause] we have to adapt to a changing environment where storms are getting stronger and more frequent. we don't get to dictate when the next storm hits or how bad it's going to be but we can work to mitigate the impact of climate change that's why i asked the task force to set a goal of reaching net zero by 2050. this task force that includes scientists, academics and environmentalists adopted a statewide climate action plan. what makes our plant especially and most attainable is that instead of working against the companies we are working with them. in this state that would look like offshore platforms and turbines side-by-side in fact

many already pledged to reach similar net zero goals. additionally, combating climate change is just as much about economic development as it is about anything else. some of our biggest projects recently have been were companies focused on clean energy, growing fuels here in baton rouge with $9.2 billion renewable fuel investment at the port. air products facilities. there is a $1.1 billion $1.1 bin expansion of the diesel plant in st. charles parish and they make it a second life making low carbon fuels and in north louisiana we announced plans for louisiana green fuels a $700 million renewable diesel refinery and these are just a few and add up to more than a thousand permanent jobs and many thousands of construction jobs. if you think the clean energy

doesn't equal jobs, you couldn't be more wrong. a few weeks ago the offshore sales in new york brought in more than $4.3 billion. it's estimated that they will power millions of homes. we are scheduled to have the first ever on the gulf coast early next year and as we can see from legislation filed by representatives, the strong interest on both sides of the aisle. it is also a strong interest from stakeholders. should be preserving the land we are so very blessed to call home and also to make sure that

louisiana will not be washed away. i can't leave the podium without leaving for you to do the right thing and raise the minimum wage and the gender pay gap. there isn't a person in this room that can tell me with a straight face seven dollars and a quarter an hour the minimum wage from 13 years ago is fair or acceptable especially given the current rate of inflation. twenty-one other states increased the minimum wage including arkansas and florida and yet every year efforts to raise the minimum wage in louisiana even very modestly or fragile he failed. as a result, we are failing the workers and families who deserve better. and so do women. that's why i'm supporting legislation to enact pay

transparency. it's not a silver bullet solution but it's a simple measure that can make a meaningful difference in reducing the gender pay gap and that will benefit families that need it most across louisiana so let's make this discussion we take on issues that matter most to the people of louisiana. some of the bills that are being brought up this session don't do anything to make lives better. they don't continue to move us forward. they do however serve to divide us and frankly some are reminiscent of the dark past that we should have learned from. you know the saying if these walls could talk. well, they do talk. history remembers what happened in the building and the issues we spend the most time on send what we value the most. so i ask what do you value most

and perhaps more importantly, who do you value most. as i think all of you know my faith is very important to me. it's the foundation as i strive to be a better leader and a better person. i was fortunate when i was growing up to have the hardest teacher there was. those lessons have stayed with me and i contemplate the work i want us to accomplish in the last two years of the term i am drawn to sermon on the mountain and to the attitudes you will know them. here's just a few of my favorites. blessed are the spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted. blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth. ..

>> our children with the weekend care hard the most merciful blessed about our mom's, the most merciful and blessed of all. our time in office is fleeting, but the decisions we make while here will last generations. i'm asking that we use this time wisely. and i'll leave you with my favorite. blessed are the peacemakers, for they shallll u.s.

capitol. he's the longest-serving republican in u.s. house history. that ceremony in his honor begins at 11 a.m. eastern. at 3 p.m. the house returns for work on a bill named after congressman young to reauthorize funding for the u.s. coast guard. on c-span2 the senate is back at any and eastern to consider executive nominations, and at 1e budget director shalanda young is in front of the house budget committee to outline the president's newly released 2023 budget proposal. you will also find everything streaming live@c-span.org or on

c-span now, our free video app. >> there are a lot of places to get political information, but only at c-span2 you get it straight from the source. no matter where you are from or where you stand on the issues, c-span is america's network. unfiltered, unbiased, word for word. if it happens here or here or here or anywhere that matters, america is watching on c-span. powered by cable. >> and opposition leader and in belarus spoke with the "washington post" today. saying hundreds of belarusians are in ukraine to fight against the russian army. she warned the belarusian army not to take up arms against the people of ukraine.