Today, Gov. John Bel Edwards signed a proclamation in an effort to assist hotels in Louisiana in housing first responders, essential health care employees, and utility workers restoring critical infrastructure in the state following Hurricane Ida.
“Right now, the priority for the entire state of Louisiana is Hurricane Ida recovery, and we simply cannot afford to have any of our first responders, health care employees, or utility workers pushed out of their hotel rooms for any reason. It’s unacceptable that those working around the clock to support our state would be kicked out on the streets,” Gov. Edwards said. “Southeast Louisiana still has more than half a million power outages caused by Hurricane Ida, and power restoration is a major hurdle for communities still struggling after the storm. We will do whatever it takes to keep our people safe and to get services restored as quickly as we can.”
Visitors planning to travel to Louisiana for reasons unrelated to hurricane response should check with their hotels before traveling to make sure their rooms are not being used to house this critical emergency workforce.
Gov. Edwards also issued an order today suspending all legal deadlines in the state until September 24. The Louisiana Supreme Court previously entered an order suspending prescription, preemption, and abandonment in legal proceedings statewide, as well as a suspension of certain deadlines in criminal proceedings in Hurricane Ida-affected parishes. See Louisiana Supreme Court orders here [gov.louisiana.gov] and here. [gov.louisiana.gov]
“People all over the state of Louisiana are spending this week assessing the damages done to their homes and communities and are putting their lives back together after the ravages of Hurricane Ida," the governor said. "We need for them to be focused on recovery and not whether they will be held to a court deadline. We still have several parishes in the state where 100 percent of the homes and businesses are without power. The people who live and work there simply cannot be expected to comply with deadlines that were in place before the storm.”
The Governor’s executive order is effective immediately and runs until September 24. It can be renewed if necessary. Click here [gov.louisiana.gov] to read the order.
