BATON ROUGE – From the Pelican Institute:
The following is a statement from Daniel Erspamer, chief executive officer of the Pelican Institute for Public Policy, regarding the release of the federal government’s plan to reopen America’s economy and next steps for Louisiana.
“The Phase 1 guidelines from the federal government provide a responsible roadmap to start getting Louisiana working, and we strongly encourage our state’s leaders to begin implementing them on May 1. More than 350,000 unemployment claims have been filed in Louisiana in the last month, and these numbers will only worsen the longer our small businesses stay closed and our citizens remain out of work.
It’s time to tap into the innovative, determined spirit that has helped Louisiana overcome countless crises throughout our state’s history. We must address the two major crises we currently face – the public health threat posed by COVID-19 and its crippling economic effects – with equal and urgent energy. The federal plan to reopen the economy is a first step toward achieving this balance, and our leaders should act quickly to put the guidelines into action.”
