What does Bobby Jindal want John Bel Edwards to keep? School vouchers
Gov. Bobby Jindal and Gov.-elect John Bel Edwards stayed away from talking about public policy matters at their first joint news conference, with the exception of just one issue.
In front of a dozen news cameras, Jindal mentioned that the outgoing and incoming governors had discussed the state's school voucher program during a private meeting about their transition that lasted more than an hour Tuesday (Dec. 1). No other specific issue -- including Medicaid expansion -- was mentioned by either man during the media appearance.
"I made a personal request to John Bel and he agreed to it right away," Jindal said while standing a few feet from Edwards, "I just asked before they made any decisions that they meet with the children and parents who have been involved in that [voucher] program and hear from them."
By singling out vouchers, Jindal likely revealed one of his biggest concerns about handing over power to Edwards. Vouchers --and expanding education options in general -- has been one of Jindal's top priorities during his tenure as a Republican governor. But Edwards, a Democrat, was very critical of the state voucher program that allows low and moderate-income students to attend private schools with taxpayer dollars.
Edwards did not mention vouchers himself during the joint press conference. In an interview after the fact, Edwards' chief of staff, state Sen. Ben Nevers, said he wasn't sure the governor-elect had agreed to meet with voucher recipients, as Jindal had said to the media.
"I didn't hear him say yes," said Nevers, who sat in on the meeting between Jindal and Edwards.
As a state legislator, Edwards introduced bills to put restrictions on the state's voucher program and his election last month has made voucher supporters nervous. A few high-profile members of Edwards' gubernatorial campaign staff used to work for teachers unions in the state, which have been critical of the voucher program. Edwards' wife Donna is also a public school teacher.
As governor, Edwards has said he won't undo the voucher program put in place by Jindal in 2012, though that doesn't mean new restrictions won't be added. A relatively small number of students -- just over 7,000 -- use state vouchers anyway, and enrollment in the program is already down.
Other than school vouchers, Jindal and Edwards kept their joint press appearance light and short. Jindal emphasized that Edwards' staff would be able to get any documents or information they want from his cabinet members and others over the next few weeks.
"I want to thank [Jindal] for the access that we have had to people and information," Edwards said. "We think the transition is going very smoothly. Obviously, there is a lot of work to be done."
Edwards and his wife, Donna, plan to meet with Jindal and his wife, Supriya, in the near future, in part to talk about living in the governor's mansion. The Jindals had three small children living in the mansion over the past eight years. Edwards has a son in middle school.
"It's a bit overwhelming. I have to tell you," said Edwards of moving into the mansion. Edwards' family homestead is in Amite. What does Bobby Jindal want John Bel Edwards to keep? School vouchers | NOLA.com: