by: Lauren Barry and Newell Normand | WWL

Republican Louisiana State Sen. Sharon Hewitt, a gubernatorial candidate, joined WWL’s Newell Normand for an exclusive interview about her campaign and plans for the state.

efore she was elected as a senator in 2016, Hewitt earned a mechanical engineering degree from Louisiana State University and became one of the first female executives in a major oil and gas company, according to her biography. Today, she serves as Senate Chair of Republican Legislative Delegation and is the current Chairwoman of the Senate and Government Affairs Committee.

As the state legislature winds down to the end of its current term, Hewitt said she is busy working to get bills passed, including moves to invest in deferred maintenance on college campuses, roads and bridges. She said that a vote to exceed the expenditure limit will make this investment possible.

Other legislation Hewitt has her eye on includes bills related to education, workforce, the economy, crime, better government.

“They really are in line with what I believe are campaign issues that everyday families care about,” she explained.

For example, Hewitt is working to have senators pass a bill aimed at improving math education. Previously, she participated in a successful effort to improve reading scores in the state.

“I’ve got a final bill that will be heard this week on the Senate floor that’s tackling these makeshift labs that are cranking out counterfeit prescription pills and killing so many of our young people,” she added. “And so that has enjoyed great bipartisan support, because we want to get these bad guys out of our neighborhoods.”

As governor, Hewitt said she would like to build on the work she’s already been doing as a senator.

“I mean, these are... these are kitchen table issues,” she said “People want their kids to get a good education. They want them to get a good job. They want them to be able to afford to live here in Louisiana. They want crime out of their neighborhoods and they want a government that works for the people.”

Hewitt lives with her husband of more than 30 years, Stan. They raised two sons, Chis and Brad, and are members of Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Slidell.

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