Friday marked the last day of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association’s annual three-day meeting.

Leaders in the industry gathered in Lake Charles to discuss how to continue moving forward during these tough times.

LOGA’s Vice President Gifford Briggs said while here Governor John Bel Edwards pushed for everyone to work together.

“He really called for the industry to come and work side by side with him and the legislature to try and find solutions.” Said Gifford Briggs.

Briggs says Governor Edwards also talked about this year’s budget crisis.

“He certainly thought that there was going to be a need for additional revenue. Then Kennedy came along and talked a lot more about making cuts, the revenue is there and there’s other options.”

He added one thing is for sure, while the low prices at the pump may look good to consumers, it is having a negative effect on an already struggling state budget.

“Every time the price of oil drops a dollar, that’s $12 million out of our state budget. That’s money that’s very key and vital for services like healthcare and education.”

LOGA Communications Director Ragan Dickens said the biggest concern for everyone is will the industry rebound soon or is this the new normal, but there was no answer since it’s a global issue.

Dickens tells News Ten’s Jazmin Thibodeaux that in the past year alone, over 10,000 jobs were lost in the state and 250,000 nationally.

“That’s what we call the ripple effect. The ripple effect is men and women coming home from the oil and gas field without their paycheck. It hits the restaurants, the car dealers, the boutiques, the railroads.”

Briggs went on to say, while they are currently seeing tough times, he is hoping for better days.