Governor John Bel Edwards was born seventh out of eight children to Sheriff Frank Jr. and Dora Jean Edwards. He grew up hunting and fishing in Amite, a rural town in Tangipahoa Parish. He and First Lady Donna Edwards began dating while students at Amite High School. After graduating top of his class, Gov. Edwards attended the United States Military Academy at West Point
The Louisiana Animal Control Advisory Task Force members are appointed by the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry (LDAF) Commissioner and functions within the LDAF. The task force is comprised of seven members and represent a diverse group of professionals who are considered leaders in their professions and communities. Each member brings a unique level of expertise, knowledge, and experience to help advance the work of the task force. This group of distinguished professionals has an unwavering commitment to improving the state’s public animal shelters, is resolute in preventing and prosecuting cruelty, and devoted to accomplishing their mission of improving animal welfare in the state of Louisiana.
The Children’s Cabinet serves as the governing body for the State of Louisiana responsible for coordinating funding and programmatic services at the state and local level, related to children and their families. It consists of the cabinet secretary of each state department and is chaired by the executive director of the Children’s Cabinet, who is appointed by the governor.
To achieve the most effective and efficient use of monetary, human and organizational resources to lift children and their families out of poverty.
The Children's Cabinet has developed the Louisiana Kids' Dashboard as a resource to show where Louisiana stands on important child well-being indicators and what you can do to help make things better. From community leaders and stakeholders to service providers and parents, this website is an amazing resource that serves as the starting point for us all to join together and improve the lives of children in our state.
The role of the Louisiana Commission on Human Rights (LCHR) is to enforce specific laws pertaining to discriminatory practices in the state of Louisiana. To accomplish this purpose, the Commission uses distinct procedures for intake, investigation, mediation and determination to process official complaints of discrimination.
LCHR handles complaints of employment discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, age, sickle cell trait, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions. If you believe you have been discriminated because of any of these qualities, you can file a claim with the LCHR.
LCHR also provides protection against discrimination in public accommodations and banking and lending practices.
LCHR also investigates cases of equal pay discrimination when certain conditions are met.
Equal pay applicability for public (state) employees follows the guidance of LSA R.S. 23:661 et seq.; wherein the state employee must work a minimum of 40 hours per week, serve the employer notice, and give the employer 60 days to investigate the matter before filing a complaint with LCHR.
Private employers are subject to the Louisiana Employment Discrimination Law – LSA R.S. 23:301 et seq. and R.S. 51:2231 et seq.; wherein the employee’s employer must have at least 20 or more employees, the last alleged act must have occurred within the past 180 days, and the employee must be a part of a protected class and similarly situated to file a complaint with LCHR.
Gov. John Bel Edwards’ Office of Constituent Services is starting a new program, Constituent Services on the Geaux. This is an opportunity for the office to meet with constituents face to face and offer assistance with questions and concerns regarding state agencies.
“This office has a very important job, engaging with hundreds of constituents across Louisiana everyday helping them resolve some of their most pressing problems, and I am excited that Deputy Chief of Staff Johnny Anderson and his staff will now visit communities statewide to meet in-person with the great people we serve,” said Gov. Edwards. “Being accessible to our citizens is one of my top priorities, and I’m proud that staff members are always responsive, respectful and do their best to help everyone.”
Constituent Services receives nearly 1000 inquiries each week from within the state and around the country. In addition to the new outreach effort, Constituent Services can be reached via email at constituent.services@la.gov or at 225-342-7015.
“This is a great opportunity to bring the governor’s office to the people,” said Dept. Chief of Staff Johnny Anderson. “Our goal is to reach as much of the state as possible this year, and we certainly hope that citizens will make every effort to come see us as we tour the state.”
The Governor’s Office of Disability Affairs (GODA) strives to serve as an informational resource for people with disabilities, their families and the agencies that serve them.
GODA was established and designed by the Governor’s Office to adequately educate, address and resolve issues relative to the disability community. It is our goal to promote, encourage and support citizens with disabilities so they may have an equal opportunity to actively participate in all aspects of life.
There are numerous state and community organizations across Louisiana that work in partnership with GODA. It is their collaboration and partnership that enable us to facilitate positive progress for Louisiana citizens with disabilities.
The Office of Drug Policy seeks to elicit, motivate and coordinate Louisiana organizations, agencies, entities and individuals toward the goal of eradicating drug and alcohol abuse in Louisiana.
The Office of Drug Policy identifies challenges and provides solutions to address substance misuse and abuse and to make recommendations to the governor and state agencies regarding programs, policies and practices that support and sustain prevention, treatment and enforcement efforts.
Vision: To recognize that alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse is a serious social and public health issue that when addressed will create a climate of healthiness and community wellness for all of Louisiana.
The Drug Policy Board was created through legislation in 1990 to address substance abuse prevention, treatment and enforcement. The board supports prevention efforts, specifically the Louisiana Partnerships for Success (LaPFS). The State Epidemiology Workgroup and the Prevention Systems Committee were formed as subcommittees of the Drug Policy Board using the Strategic Prevention Framework-State Incentive Grant.
Click here for upcoming meetings of the Drug Policy Board.
Through this funding and experience, Louisiana has developed a substance abuse prevention system and state infrastructure that supports communities addressing substance abuse locally. This state infrastructure will support the local efforts of high-need communities to address underage drinking and prescription drug misuse and abuse.
The Prevention Systems Committee (PSC) is a state level advisory committee of the Drug Policy Board. The purpose of this committee is to make recommendations regarding effective programs, policies and practices regarding resource and capacity issues, as well as develop a framework to build an advocacy network for prevention.
The State Epidemiology Workgroup (SEW) is a state level advisory committee of the Drug Policy Board. The purpose of the committee is to advise and make recommendations on issues relating to collecting, housing, analyzing, and reporting consumption and consequence data related to substance use.
The Louisiana SEW Online Data System is a valuable tool for providing data to prevention professionals that would otherwise not have access to data. It was developed by a SEW support contractor, Bach Harrison, LLC specifically for use by prevention professionals. The online data system greatly expands the ability of prevention stakeholders and professionals to utilize data for planning, monitoring and evaluation purposes. It allows state and community planners to view as well as download prevention-related indicators at the parish, regional and state levels. Finally, the SEW Online Data System provides access to other useful SEW products including a series of data briefs that highlight data related to hot topics in the substance abuse prevention and health promotion field.
The Office of Indian Affairs seeks to enhance the individual and collective communities of indigenous people in Louisiana by serving as a resource and referral agent for Louisiana Native Americans and tribes seeking assistance navigating local, state, and national policies. The Office of Indian Affairs also serves as a pass through to provide funding to various local entities in Avoyelles Parish for infrastructure and awards scholarships to Native American students.
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"As I read through the student responses, I realized just how important this abstinence program is to our students. It seems to be making an impact on their thinking." – Renee Burris, Curriculum Coordinator |
Louisiana Youth For Excellence (LYFE) was created to promote positive youth development and to build awareness of consequences for at-risk behaviors for today’s vulnerable youth such as children in foster care, children in poverty, and children in juvenile detention centers. Prioritizing our most at-risk youth first, our goal is to expand statewide and provide our positive message to all students throughout Louisiana.
LYFE works with schools, non-profit and faith-based organizations, parents, and the community to teach goals setting, leadership development, character building, and integrity.
The Louisiana Statewide Interagency Coordinating Council (LA-SICC) works in collaboration with the Louisiana Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities, in an advisory capacity, to design and oversee the implementation of a family-centered, community-based, comprehensive, interagency system for infants and toddlers (birth through two years of age) who are eligible for Early Steps and their families. Our goal is to advise and assist the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH), as the Lead Agency, in the monitoring and evaluation of this system to ensure that families are supported and the potential of each child is maximized.
The Restore Louisiana Task Force is charged with overseeing the state’s recovery efforts from flood events this year.
The Restore Louisiana Task Force has the following responsibilities:
The Governor’s Office on Women’s Policy (OWP) supports public policy that promotes the educational, health, social and economic well-being of women and girls in Louisiana. A primary function of the office is to serve as a connector between non-profits, state and federal agencies, educational institutions, legislators and concerned citizens to promote effective collaborations to further the status of Louisiana women. This includes working collaboratively with the Louisiana Legislative Women’s Caucus and the Louisiana Women’s Foundation.
The office provides strategic support and leadership to the Louisiana Women’s Policy and Research Commission and the Domestic Violence Prevention Commission.