Friends --

Yesterday, another challenge to Gov. Edwards' efforts to keep the public safe was defeated in federal court.  The restrictions, which closed bars in Louisiana, was a direct response to numerous clusters of COVID-19 infection traced to gatherings at bars.  Although challenged at numerous judicial levels, the restrictions were deemed constitutional again yesterday, this time by Judge Martin L.C. Feldman of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.

In response to the ruling, Gov. Edwards said:  

“I am pleased that Judge Feldman upheld bar restrictions, which is one of the critical mitigation measures put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19 in Louisiana to protect and save lives. The evidence is clear that mask mandates and closing on-site consumption at bars work, and more than a month after implementing both measures in Louisiana the data shows they are working.”  

"My orders are consistent with my authority and also with recommendations of public health experts and President Trump’s White House Coronavirus Task Force, which puts Louisiana in the “red zone” for new cases and "yellow zone" for testing positivity rates and recommends bar closures as part of the strategy to slow the spread of this illness. We have already lost more than 4,400 Louisianans to this illness, and we must take every action we can to fight for the health of our state. I know these orders are hard on business owners, and I did not undertake them lightly. However, they offer the best shot for us to be able to open as much of our economy as possible while still keeping the ability to provide life-saving health care in our hospitals.” 

We need your help to continue to mobilize our supporters and buy ads online, on television and radio to reach everyone in Louisiana.

Unlike any global event we've seen before, the scope of challenges and the fight to overcome them is constantly evolving.  Our team has a big job cut out for us moving forward but with your help, we can fight this together. Here at A Stronger Louisiana, we support the facts and the efforts of the Governor and his team to save lives in Louisiana.

We're working to ensure our state is the strongest and best that it can be. We are dedicated to holding our leaders accountable to making the hard decisions based on facts so that our communities have the representation and leadership we deserve. There's a lot of work to do, and we can't do it alone.

Donate $5 or more today to A Stronger Louisiana and ensure we can keep the fight going.

Thank you for your support,

Katie Penland
A Stronger Louisiana