A recall petition demands Governor Edwards be removed from office for his coronavirus response

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) – A petition calling for Governor John Bel Edwards removal from office is circulating as a criticism of his COVID-19 response.

The petitioners claim Governor Edwards’ decisions regarding the virus have only plummeted the state further into an economical downfall. Paige Lowry, an organizer of the East Baton Rouge Parish petition says Phase 3 guidelines are a mirror of previous phases.

“Phase 3 guidelines are just a new name for phase 2. We’re seeing more restrictions,” Lowry says.

Lowry says they want Governor Edwards out of office, but if that doesn’t happen she hopes the petitions will bring attention to her cause. At the very least, she wants the complaints to reach lawmakers at the State Capitol.

One of the biggest complaints from the governor’s opposition, is that Louisiana’s phase standards don’t match the guidelines set by the White House. For instance, the White House guidelines allow nursing homes and hospitals to reopen visitation, but the governor’s measures continue to ban them.

Ultimately, the way each phase is shaped is at the Governor’s discretion, but petitioners say his decisions don’t align well with the economy.

When asked about the recall petition, Governor Edwards said he wasn’t concerned.

“There’s a lot of things that keep me up at night. That’s not one of them,” the governor said.