Edwards to take case to people in TV address

Gov. John Bel Edwards will take his case for higher taxes directly to Louisianians during a rare statewide TV address.

As first reported by LaPolitics.com editor Jeremy Alford, Edwards' plea will air at 6:30 p.m. on most TV and radio stations and Louisiana Public Broadcasting.

"The challenges facing Louisiana are so severe, and the risk of doing nothing is so big, that it is important for me to outline these problems directly to the people," Edwards said in a press release. "I promised to be open and transparent with the people of Louisiana and give them the facts, and that's what I intend to do.

"There are some real consequences if we do not work together to solve the state's financial problems and I want to personally communicate them to the citizens of our state."

Those problems grew Wednesday morning when the Revenue Estimating Conference accepted a forecast increasing the state's midyear budget deficit to $870 million and next year's deficit to more than $2 billion.

Greg Albrecht, the Legislative Fiscal Office's chief economist, told the Revenue Estimating Conference Louisiana has slipped into a recession.

Edwards will argue that the state must raise revenue to avoid deep cuts to higher education and health care.

He has called a three-week legislative special session beginning Sunday to address the deficits.

Follow Greg Hilburn on Twitter @GregHilburn1