With many companies within Louisiana’s oil and gas industry facing lawsuits condemning their operations, hopefuls for the position of governor are taking every opportunity they can to voice their opinions on the condition of business in the state.
At a May 1 Oil and Natural Gas Industry Day event hosted by Grow Louisiana Coalition, Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association (LMOGA), Louisiana Oil and Gas Association (LOGA), Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI) and Consumer Energy Alliance, Gov. John Bel Edwards was joined by gubernatorial candidates Eddie Rispone and state Rep. Ralph Abraham (R-Alto) to address these issues.
Some of the main subjects covered included the taxes and lawsuits facing both the energy industry, and the state as a whole.
According to an article by The Advocate, Abraham said he would be committed to cutting the industry’s taxes and stopping the lawsuits that have been hindering their operations. Rispone spoke out against the frequency of lawsuits, stating that “lawsuit abuse is killing thousands of jobs.”
Both Abraham and Rispone said that they would make it easier for companies that use the Industrial Tax Exemption Program to receive tax breaks from the program that is regularly used by the oil and gas companies in the state.
For Grow Louisiana Coalition, this event was a success as it gave attendees the chance to speak to both candidates and current leaders alike to explain why the oil and gas industry matters so much to the health of the state.
“As the weeks go by, we have important decisions to make,” Marc Ehrhardt, executive director of Grow Louisiana Coalition, told Louisiana Record. “Our encouragement of you and ask of you is to talk to your elected officials how they will protect and grow Louisiana’s oil and natural gas industry.”