Candidates for the Louisiana Legislature who want to help run this state for the next four years haven’t given voters much red meat during what has so far been a lackluster campaign.

The same can be said about the three major candidates for governor. Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards has talked about his record, which is a good one, but we need more. And we definitely need to hear more from Republican candidates — U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham of Alto and businessman Eddie Rispone of Baton Rouge — other than how much they agree with the policies of President Trump.

A high turnover of seats in the Louisiana Legislature could make the statewide elections in October and November some of the most important in the state’s recent history. Three well-respected nonpartisan organizations are going all out to get voters involved because they are the only ones who can bring about changes that will help Louisiana rise off the bottom of too many rankings.

The Committee of 100, the Council for a Better Louisiana (CABL) and the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana are telling voters how they can help “RESET Louisiana’s Future.”

As the current gubernatorial and legislative races kick into high gear in the coming weeks, several good-government advocacy groups are seeking a switch from political grandstanding to substantive ideas.

They are right. And it is up to us to demand it from our candidates for public office.

The effort, RESET Louisiana’s Future, is being led by the Committee of 100, the Council for a Better Louisiana and the Public Affairs Research Council. Those are three groups with a great name for the work they do. And they are getting behind a laudable goal – shifting from raw politics to actual change that will make our state a better place for our kids and grandkids.

Bold changes to Louisiana’s public schools have created a model education system that other states can learn from, according to a recent report by RAND Corporation, a global public policy research organization.

Since Superintendent John White’s appointment in 2012, the state has restructured its early childhood education system and its requirements for graduates and teachers, core curriculum and graduation pathways for college and career.

One key to Louisiana’s success was the “buy-in” from local, state and auxiliary agencies, aided by streamlined communication.

Candidates for statewide, legislative and local offices will be qualifying next week, and many hopefuls have already announced they are running. We will have a complete picture at the end of filing a week from today.

Three Republicans at a public event Monday night said simplifying the state’s complex tax structure is easier said than done but agreed reform is necessary.

In general, the state’s tax rates are relatively high, though a plethora of exemptions means the effective tax burden for many taxpayers is relatively low. Critics argue this situation unduly advantages those who can afford to hire attorneys and accountants to game the system.

Louisiana is a long way from becoming a top state for business, ranking in the bottom 10. However, the Pelican state is No. 2 in the South for Economic Development Efforts. The Council for a Better Louisiana (CABL) credits the No. 2 rating to the fact the state’s industrial sector has been here a long time and the area is more welcoming to that kind of industry.

Three of Louisiana’s most respected nonpartisan organizations are working together this election season on a program they call RESET. It is important for candidates and voters to understand that nonpartisan means these organizations are unbiased, impartial, neutral and objective.

Louisiana's most prominent good governments groups have created a road map they believe will lead the state out of the cellar and climbing the ladder to the top.

Council for a Better Louisiana (CABL), the Public Affairs Research Council (PAR) and the Committee of 100 for Economic Development (C100) has raised $500,000 from their members to create the RESET Louisiana's Future campaign.

BATON ROUGE — Trying to move Louisiana’s election year conversation from political rhetoric to policy ideas, three government watchdog groups are calling on candidates for governor and legislative jobs to lay out details about what they want to do in office.