How Louisiana law might change this year

How it works: Lawmakers have already pre-filed nearly 900 bills for this session, which officially begins at noon Monday.

• They're limited to just five non-fiscally related bills, and from here on out, they'll also have limited ability to add additional legislation for consideration before the session's scheduled end on June 12.

State of play: Gov. Jeff Landry and his allies enter this session carrying the weight of a significant recent loss, thanks to all four amendment measures failing on the March ballot.

• One of those, Amendment 2, would have rewritten a significant part of the state's tax code in line with changes made during last year's special session.
• But with voters soundly declining to rubber-stamp those changes, lawmakers have a tough road ahead to sort out what other edits they can or can't make.

What they're saying: "This stuff takes time, and people have to become familiar with the problems and see what the options are," says Department of Revenue Secretary Richard Nelson, the architect of Amendment 2.

• "It's part of the process. It's discouraging not to have it work the first time, but we made significant progress last year," he said of efforts to overhaul the state's tax codes during the special session, "and I think we're going to continue to work to make it better."

Here's a look at what we expect to take up most of lawmakers' time this session:

Teacher pay

Zoom in: At more than 100 pages, Amendment 2 was a sweeping piece of legislation, which some opponents said made it hard to parse out exactly what was and wasn't changing.

• But one piece of its puzzle was a strategy that would have funded a permanent pay raise for teachers.
• It's not clear whether lawmakers will be able to find a way to replace it, which Landry held up last week in a letter to teachers as a consequence the state now faces.
• "Regrettably ... we are back to the drawing board, as no existing alternative recurring resources exist to fund the permanent salary increase you deserve," he wrote.

Before the deadline for bills to be pre-filed, some lawmakers were "scrambling" to find ways to replace what they lost in Amendment 2, the Louisiana Illuminator reported.

• "Just because Louisiana voters opposed Amendment 2 doesn't mean we can leave the teachers out," Rep. Matt Willard tells Axios New Orleans.

One place lawmakers are looking to for the fund? The LA GATOR school voucher program, the flagship of Landry's education initiatives.

• Lawmakers need to find $198 million to avoid a teacher pay cut, the Louisiana Illuminator reports, and about $50 million could come from that program.

Insurance reform

Car insurance premiums were at the center of a press conference Landry held last week, and the rhetoric heated up further on social media between the governor, lawyer Morris Bart and even insurance commissioner Tim Temple.

What he's saying: "I'm actually tired of the lies," Landry said in his press conference.

• "I'm not here to help any lawyers, and I'm not here to help any insurance companies," Landry said in the conference. "I plan to work on legislation … to hold both sides accountable."

By the numbers: Louisiana's car insurance costs didn't significantly rise between 2023 and 2024, according to data from insurance comparison firm Insurify.

• But at an annual average cost of $2,820, Louisiana already had the 8th most expensive premiums in the country, the data shows.

Proposed car insurance changes include adjusting how insurance companies advertise in the state, how claims are litigated and putting limits on how much money uninsured drivers can collect. Go deeper in a piece from The Times-Picayune.

• Temple also promoted a package of insurance-related bills he's backing. See the list.

National trends made local

As always, we can expect to see some national political trends considered for codification in local law.

MAHA: Republican Sen. Blake Miguez, for example, directly cited DHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s campaign to "Make America Healthy Again" as inspiration for a proposed ban on ultra-processed foods in Louisiana schools. Go deeper.

• Two lawmakers have also proposed removing fluoride from municipal water supplies, which is reminiscent of another RFK Jr. idea.

Anti-DEI: Lawmakers could also remove all DEI-related departments, programs and offices from state government if they approve of HB 421, a move reflective of the Trump administration's DEI rollbacks.

Immigration: Another bill would strengthen language around compelling law enforcement officers to cooperate with federal immigration agents.

Go deeper

• Gambit has a look at bills concerning other cultural issues, such as abortion, free speech and reproductive rights.
• One bill proposes a flat rate for TOPS scholarships, per the Louisiana Illuminator.
• A bill named for Caleb Wilson, the Southern University student who died during a fraternity initiation ritual, may require some college students to take anti-hazing coursework, according to The Times-Picayune.