Will Republicans break their losing streak on health care reform?

Despite a handful of promising drives, Republicans have a losing record on health care reform over the past two decades. Since the passage of ObamaCare, the GOP has repeatedly failed to successfully field an alternative vision — leaving more Americans with insurance cards but fewer who can afford it. Will Republicans prevail this time around with the so-called “Great Healthcare Plan” released in January?

Republican margins in Congress are extremely slim and getting members to coalesce behind one blueprint will be like herding cats. But there is hope given conservatives were able to eke out a tax cut win last summer under similar conditions. To borrow a line from “Dumb and Dumber”, “so you’re telling me there’s a chance.”

Read more: Will Republicans break their losing streak on health care reform?

Kennedy on Iran: “We’re not trying to start a war. . . . We’re trying to end it.”

“We’re not trying to be the world’s policeman. We’re trying to stop the Ayatollah from being the world’s policeman.”

Watch Kennedy’s comments here. 

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) explained why the United States is exerting pressure on Iran’s leaders to halt their missile program in a speech on the U.S. Senate floor.

Key excerpts of the speech are below.

“We don’t know how many people he’s hung in the last six months. We don’t know how many people he’s tortured. I’ve seen estimates as high as 50,000. So that’s what this business with Iran is all about.

“We’re not trying to be the world’s policeman. We’re trying to stop the Ayatollah from being the world’s policeman. He’s getting a lot of support from President Xi Jinping in China and Vladimir Putin in Russia and Kim Jong Un in North Korea. So that’s where we find ourselves, trying to stop this war.

“And to the Ayatollah, I would say, ‘Ayatollah, you’re entitled to believe what you want. You can hate me. You can believe that. I know you hate me and what I stand for. Do you know how I sleep at night knowing that you hate me? With the fan on. That’s your right. But you can’t act on that belief.’

“Put down the nuclear weapons. Put down the nuclear enrichment. Stop exporting terrorism to Hamas and Hezbollah. End your missile program. Stop killing and torturing your people. That’s all we want. And he’s doing that as we speak. He’s at war. We’re trying to stop it.

“I’m not about to give the president any advice. He has intelligence that I don’t have, and I respect the fact that he’s being very deliberate and careful in making the decision. If we make a deal with Iran, let’s make sure we have a protocol to enforce it, because my experience in watching the Ayatollah through the years, I wouldn’t trust this man if he were three days dead.”

. . .

“Let me say it again. We’re not trying to start a war. This war began a long time ago. We’re trying to end it.”

Watch Kennedy’s speech here.  

OPINION: Community Banks Lead in Small-Business Credit Access: Proposed Legislation Puts That at Risk

The Credit Card Competition Act, sponsored by Senators Durbin and Marshall, aims to inject competition into credit card networks and lower costs for merchants and consumers. The legislation requires issuers with over $100 billion in assets to enable at least two unaffiliated payment networks and gives merchants control over transaction routing. Community banks are explicitly exempt from this threshold. Yet despite this exemption, community banks will be disproportionately affected because the legislation misunderstands how interchange fees function in two-sided payment markets and why network routing requirements cannot be confined to large banks alone.

Read more: OPINION: Community Banks Lead in Small-Business Credit Access: Proposed Legislation Puts That at Risk

Governor Announces Historic Tax Relief as Louisiana Families Save More

BATON ROUGE, La. — Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry today highlighted the impact of the 2024 Tax Reform Special Session, noting that folks across the state are now saving more money as they file their 2025 tax returns.

“When people file taxes this year, they are getting a bigger refund,” said Governor Landry. “The typical middle-class working family will save nearly $500, and the average working individual will save around $261—cutting their state income tax liability by nearly a third. Turns out the biggest jackpot in Louisiana this year was in your paycheck!”

Background:

The legislation delivered the largest income tax cut in state history. By nearly tripling the standard deduction to $12,500, families now pay no income tax on their first $25,000 of income. 

Louisiana moved to a flat 3 percent personal income tax rate, the second lowest in the nation and the lowest in the South, providing immediate relief.

The reform doubled the retirement income exemption to $12,000, allowing a married couple over 65 to earn nearly $49,000 tax-free. We also eliminated the corporate franchise tax and reduced the corporate income tax rate to a flat 5.5 percent, strengthening Louisiana’s business climate.

The changes are permanent and include automatic increases to the standard deduction to protect families from inflation.

New Report: Third-Party Litigation Financing Is Undermining Affordability Nationwide

Analysis shows higher prices, lost income, and lost tax revenue tied to exploitative lawsuit investment practices

(Baton Rouge, LA) – Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA) recently released a new report detailing how third-party litigation financing (TPLF) is driving up costs for American consumers and families at a time when affordability remains a top concern across the country.

The report, The Impact of Third-Party Litigation Funding on U.S. Business Activity and Consumers, prepared by The Perryman Group, examines how outside foreign and sovereign entities that are financing lawsuits in exchange for a share of the payout are distorting the civil justice system and passing exorbitant costs onto households through inflated prices and reduced economic growth.

This highly unregulated and purposefully opaque practice turns America’s courtrooms into casinos that are open for business to investors at the expense of American citizens and businesses. Adding insult to injury, foreign investors can often avoid paying taxes on their profits.

“When undisclosed investors bankroll lawsuits for profit, the costs are not limited to the courtroom. Louisianans are facing these consequences through increased prices for goods and services, job losses, and reduced purchasing power. With little oversight, TPLF also lends itself to concerns regarding conflicts of interest, since we do not know who is actually controlling the litigation,” said Rep. Emily Chenevert (R-Baton Rouge). “I have filed HB240 in the upcoming session that will limit recovery under TPLF agreements and provide more disclosure around these agreements,” she added.

“Rep. Chenevert has led the charge to address TPLF in Louisiana, which has quietly become an increasingly significant burden on our families,” said Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch Executive Director Lana Venable. “Unfortunately, legislation introduced last year to reinforce initial 2024 reforms did not make it through the process. We look forward to Rep. Chenevert’s legislation this year to increase transparency on the involvement of outside financiers and protect litigants from exploitation,” she added.

According to the report, the economic impact of third-party litigation financing is significant:

• Over $607 per household per year in lost earnings and reduced purchasing power due to higher inflation and slower economic growth

• $192.79 per person annually in direct consumer costs tied to TPLF-driven litigation inefficiencies

• More than $31 billion in added inflationary pressure across the economy, driven in part by higher insurance and liability-related costs

• Over $54 billion in lost economic output annually, weakening job growth and income gains that families rely on to keep up with rising costs

• An estimated 454,450 jobs are lost every year as businesses struggle to absorb the rising costs and uncertainty created by third-party litigation financing

• Upwards of $15 billion in annual tax receipts are lost across Federal, State, and Local Governments due to excessive TPLF litigation.

“These findings confirm what we are already feeling at the checkout counter and when paying our monthly bills,” Venable added. “TPLF fuels the wave of frivolous litigation that raises costs across the economy, leaving families with less money in their pockets and fewer opportunities to get ahead while these wealthy outside investors earn millions in tax-free profits.”

CALA released the report as part of its ongoing efforts to highlight how lawsuit abuse and predatory litigation undermine affordability, economic stability, and fairness for consumers nationwide. CALA emphasizes that while a fair civil justice system is essential, practices that inject profit-driven incentives into litigation can create ripple effects that hurt households and economic viability long after a case is filed.

About Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch (LLAW)

Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch (LLAW) is a high-impact watchdog group with nearly 20,000 supporters across the state dedicated to fixing Louisiana’s broken legal system through transparency, accountability, and lawsuit reform. Visit us on Facebook, Twitter and www.llaw.org.

About Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA)

Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA) is a nonpartisan, grassroots movement working to end rampant lawsuit abuse across the United States. CALA advocates for common sense legal reform measures by educating the public about the devastating, real-world costs of lawsuit abuse on working families and small businesses.

About The Perryman Group (TPG)

An economic and financial analysis firm, The Perryman Group (TPG), provides clients with well-documented, carefully considered answers to even the most complex questions. For more than 30 years, The Perryman Group has met the challenges of thousands of clients through a systematic approach and a level of performance that assures a consistent standard of excellence. The firm has been involved in scores of major events shaping the economic landscape, from crucial corporate locations to landmark legislation to important regulatory policies to notable judicial decisions.

OPINION: Thankful for PBM Reform

Access to prescription drugs often determines whether people can stay healthy and independent. For years, patients had little insight into why prices kept rising or why access to certain medications suddenly changed. That’s why the passage of pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reform is an important and long-overdue step forward.

PBMs sit between patients, pharmacies, and insurers, influencing nearly every part of the prescription process. When decisions are made without transparency, patients pay more while PBMs continue to profit from a system few people could understand, and even fewer could challenge.

I’m grateful that Senator Cassidy, Speaker Johnson, Representative Scalise, and Representative Letlow took these concerns seriously and delivered PBM reform. For families across Louisiana who rely on daily medications to manage chronic conditions, their decisive action represents a meaningful shift toward accountability where it has long been missing.

Just as importantly, lawmakers chose to focus on reforms that address the real problem instead of proposals like Most Favored Nation pricing, which could leave patients even worse off.

With PBM reform now passed, patients can finally begin to see greater transparency and fairness at the pharmacy counter. I thank Congress for staying focused, following through, and putting patients first when it mattered most.

Ben Orlando

Sierra Club Quietly Teams With ‘Conservative’ Groups to Block Louisiana Energy Projects

President Donald Trump and his Republican allies have made increased energy production a top priority, arguing it lowers prices for consumers and creates jobs for skilled workers.

Environmental activists like the Sierra Club disagree. They oppose new oil and gas production, LNG export terminals, pipelines, and virtually any other form of fossil fuel energy infrastructure.

In the lead-up to Louisiana’s 2026 state legislative session, which kicks off next month, the Sierra Club is leading a highly coordinated legal and advocacy campaign targeting LNG terminal development, pipelines and carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) projects, which have expanded in recent years to support the state’s growing manufacturing sector.

Read more: Sierra Club Quietly Teams With ‘Conservative’ Groups to Block Louisiana Energy Projects

Governor Landry Announces Julie Emerson as New Chief of Staff

Baton Rouge, LA — Today, Governor Jeff Landry announced that Julie Emerson will serve as his new Chief of Staff, replacing Kyle Ruckert. She will start next week. Headshot attached.

“Julie Emerson is a proven leader with a deep understanding of Louisiana’s people, our State legislature, and the work that needs to be done to move Louisiana forward,” said Governor Landry. “Her experience and commitment to conservative reform makes her the perfect person to help lead this administration as we continue fighting for a stronger, safer, and more prosperous Louisiana.”

“The last two years have produced some of the boldest reforms Louisiana has ever seen—reforms that have led us to climb in education rankings, business friendliness, and economic growth. I’m honored to have been a part of many of these reforms as a legislator, and I look forward to continuing to grow Louisiana as Governor Landry’s Chief of Staff,” said Julie Emerson.

Julie Emerson is a native of Homer, Louisiana and was raised in Carencro. First elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in 2015, Emerson served three terms and made history as the youngest Republican woman ever elected to the Legislature. She most recently served as Chairman of the House Committee on Ways & Means, becoming the first woman to chair a finance committee in Louisiana history. A proven conservative leader, Emerson is widely respected for her commitment to fiscally responsible budgeting, lower taxes, protecting innocent life, and defending Second Amendment rights. She now brings that experience to her new role as Chief of Staff for Governor Jeff Landry.

Economic Benefits of Tort Reform - LLAW Response Statement

Statement on 2025-26 Economic Impact of Lawsuit Abuse report

BATON ROUGE, LA – The national Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse (CALA) released its annual Economic Benefits of Tort Reform report and the news is only getting worse for Louisiana.

Once again, Louisiana is losing to our culture of lawsuit abuse while the trial bar continues to win big. The report reveals excessive tort litigation in Louisiana in 2024 resulting in:

• More than 45,000 jobs lost (up from nearly 40,000 last year)

• A hidden “tort tax” of more than $1,100 paid by every citizen

• More than $3.4 billion in personal income losses for residents

• Gross product (GDP) losses of $5.4 billion

• Direct costs of more than $3.7 billion

• Tax losses:

  • More than $235,000 at the local level

  • More than $281,000 at the state level

These numbers demonstrate the real losses to Louisiana’s families and businesses as unfounded lawsuits continue to proliferate across the state. These impacts are felt in everything from the rising cost of insurance to higher prices for groceries and gasoline. Louisiana’s coastal lawsuits’ recent no. 4 ranking as a Judicial Hellhole® is a glaring example of “costly costal litigation that continues to burden the state’s economy and workforce and has openly embraced the plaintiffs’ lawyers leading the charge.”

Louisiana has made some positive steps in addressing legal reform, but this momentum must continue for real, long-lasting impacts that our residents and businesses can feel in their pocketbooks. Other states like Georgia and Florida have passed sweeping reforms that work in concert to address lawsuit abuse. Louisiana must do the same or we will continue to miss economic opportunities and fall behind other, more forward-thinking states.

# # #

About Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch (LLAW)

Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch (LLAW) is a high-impact watchdog group with nearly 20,000 supporters across the state dedicated to fixing Louisiana’s broken legal system through transparency, accountability, and lawsuit reform. Visit us on Facebook, Twitter and www.llaw.org.

Louisiana Signs Its Largest Set of BEAD Agreements by Coverage to Date, Moving 75K+ Locations Closer to Construction

Louisiana has signed its next round of grant agreements with providers through BEAD’s Benefit of the Bargain initiative, marking the state’s largest set to date by number of locations covered.

The new agreements build on last month’s announcement that Louisiana was the first state in the country to sign BEAD grant agreements with internet service providers. This latest round covers 76,045 locations statewide and will be delivered by a mix of local and national providers: Cajun Broadband, Conexon, REV and Swyft Fiber.

These agreements build on Louisiana’s ongoing progress expanding broadband access across the state. Currently, 93% of Louisiana households and businesses are served, and the state remains on pace to achieve statewide high-speed internet access by 2028, two years ahead of the federal 2030 goal.

In November, Louisiana became the first state in the nation to receive federal approval of its final Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment (BEAD) proposal, clearing the way to deploy $1.36 billion in federal broadband funding. That approval positioned Louisiana to move quickly from planning to execution and begin delivering BEAD-funded projects on the ground.

These projects are expected to break ground in the coming weeks as Louisiana continues working to close the digital divide and expand high-speed internet access statewide.

Learn more about the GUMBO 2.0 program

The Louisiana Office of Broadband Development and Connectivity (ConnectLA) leads the state’s efforts to expand high-speed internet access and close the digital divide. Housed within the Louisiana Division of Administration, ConnectLA works across federal, state and local partners to identify and implement strategies that ensure every resident can benefit from reliable broadband connectivity.

The Shadow War on Blake Miguez: Fake Grassroots Group Turns on Its Own

Blake Miguez is publicly praised as a conservative standard-bearer by the same group now funding attacks against him.

For years, we have watched a strange and increasingly destructive phenomenon take hold inside Louisiana’s political landscape: a small but noisy faction that claims to be “more Republican than the Republican Party” consistently spends all of its time and energy attacking Conservative Republicans. During the Jesse Regan vs. Brach Myers special election, this behavior became impossible to ignore. By all accounts, Regan had already secured the bulk of the district’s conservative support, yet his campaign failed when he succumbed to the temptation to resort to deception.

Citizens for a New Louisiana was pressed into the uncomfortable role of umpire because the truth mattered more than anyone’s feelings. That’s what our readers and supporters have come to expect from us. It was unpleasant, but it gave the public a clearer view of the methods involved.

The same tactics and methods were also spotted in the Julie Quinn vs. Jean-Paul Coussan race for the Public Service Commission. Although we didn’t identify anything that rose to the level of knowingly false, outrage over Carbon Capture was the primary driving force. I actually had a short conversation with Quinn at the time about her proximity to actors who use manufactured outrage as their primary campaign tactic. The idea that someone can win an election based on smashing their same-party opponent has rarely ended well in Louisiana politics. Well, Quinn didn’t listen, and the rest is history.

Read more: The Shadow War on Blake Miguez: Fake Grassroots Group Turns on Its Own

Governor Jeff Landry's Board of Regents Chair, Trump Delegate, & Conservative Leader Misti Cordell Announces for Congress

With Congresswoman Julia Letlow's Senate candidacy, conservative leader, Governor Landry Board of Regents Chair, and two-time Trump Delegate, Misti Cordell is running for Congress.

She will represent Louisiana's 5th district - from the neighborhoods of Baton Rouge to the farms and small towns of Northeast Louisiana.

"It is a critical time for our country. President Trump is under constant attack by the extreme left," said Cordell.

Radical voices in Washington are pushing policies that undermine our values, our economy, and our families. We need strong Republicans who will stand up for common sense, defend America-First principles, and fight back. We need leaders from the real world, not more career politicians," said Cordell.

"As a Republican Leader and small business owner, I believe now is the time to step forward," Cordell added. 

Cordell currently serves as Chair of the Louisiana Board of Regents, appointed by Governor Jeff Landry at the beginning of his administration to reform Louisiana's higher education system.

Under her leadership, the Board has focused on fiscal responsibility, strengthening job and career training, prioritizing core academic disciplines, and pushing back against woke extremism that has infiltrated America's campuses.

A Trump Delegate to the 2020 and 2024 Republican National Conventions, Cordell has spent years as a conservative leader.

She serves on the Louisiana Republican State Central Committee and has held executive roles in multiple parish and local conservative and Republican organizations.

Unlike the career politicians considering this race, Cordell  spent her adulthood raising a family, growing a business, and serving her community - giving her real-world experience, not empty rhetoric. As a mother and businesswoman, she understands firsthand the pressures families face from rising healthcare costs, failing schools, inflation, and over-taxation.

Cordell is the owner and operator of COR Consulting, a healthcare consulting firm that is a voice for independent physicians and an advocate for rural healthcare. Her work in healthcare administration and community-based solutions gives her deep insight into expanding access and lowering costs, especially for rural families losing critical medical services.

During Governor Jeff Landry's tenure as Attorney General, Cordell served as an official representative of his administration, ensuring senior citizens and families across Louisiana could access assistance. She also served on Governor Landry's Health and Hospitals Transition Team.

A proud wife and mother of two sons, Cordell has devoted years to education initiatives and community service. She has volunteered and led charitable efforts supporting veterans, senior citizens, small business job creators, students, and
pro-life causes.

She is the granddaughter of a World War II veteran who stormed the beaches of Normandy and the daughter of an Army Veteran, a legacy of service that continues to guide her commitment to faith, family, and freedom.

In addition to her professional experience, Cordell's understanding of Louisiana's economy is further bolstered by her husband's leadership in a longtime family business servicing the state's agricultural and energy sectors.

As Louisiana's next Member of Congress, Cordell will focus on defending President Trump from partisan impeachment attacks, cutting taxes, eliminating wasteful spending, securing the border, protecting the right to life, defending the Second Amendment, restoring parental rights in education, protecting women's sports and Title IX, rebuilding infrastructure, expanding broadband access, and fighting for farmers and small businesses across both urban and rural Louisiana.

"Our district feeds America and fuels Louisiana's economy," Cordell said. "Our farms, our infrastructure, and our working families - whether in Baton Rouge neighborhoods or rural Northeast Louisiana - need a strong voice. We need roads and bridges rebuilt, broadband expanded, doctors kept in our communities, and jobs brought home," said Cordell.

"We need to fight back against the woke extremism of the far left. That's what I will do in Congress," said Louisiana leader Misti Cordell. 

Kennedy, Cassidy, Higgins to Secretary of War Hegseth: Invest in Louisiana shipyards

“South Louisiana’s shipbuilding workforce is deep, experienced, and generational—comprised of welders, fitters, naval architects, engineers, electricians, machinists, and other skilled tradesmen.”

WASHINGTON – Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Rep. Clay Higgins (R-La.) urged U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth to give serious consideration to Louisiana’s shipyards, among the best in the country, as the Department of War seeks to bolster our nation’s shipbuilding capacity.

“We write to encourage the Department of War to give deliberate and sustained consideration to small and mid-sized domestic shipyards, including those in South Louisiana, when awarding shipbuilding, repair, modernization, and sustainment contracts, as the Department works to restore America’s shipbuilding capacity and strengthen the nation’s defense industrial base,” the lawmakers began their letter to Hegseth.

“Louisiana’s small and mid-sized shipyards already operate in a manner consistent with the Department’s stated aim to prioritize speed, innovation, and a ‘commercial-first’ mindset in defense acquisition. . . . That operating model enables them to adapt quickly to evolving requirements, integrate new technologies, and deliver complex vessels at pace—capabilities that directly support the Department’s effort to modernize procurement and strengthen the defense industrial base,” they continued.

“Equally important, these yards anchor a strong and sustained maritime workforce. South Louisiana’s shipbuilding workforce is deep, experienced, and generational—comprised of welders, fitters, naval architects, engineers, electricians, machinists, and other skilled tradesmen. Investing in stable, long-term contract opportunities helps grow this workforce, preserves productive careers, and ensures capacity to deliver for warfighters today and in the decades to come,” the legislators added.

“We appreciate the Department’s leadership on these issues and welcome continued engagement on how best to ensure the full American shipbuilding industrial base is positioned to support national defense,” the Louisiana Republicans concluded.

Background:

• In June 2025, Kennedy questioned then-Acting Chief of Naval Operations James W. Kilby on China’s rapid shipbuilding pace and the United States’ failure to keep up, observing that “we’ve retired more [ships] than we’ve built” in 20 years.

• Kennedy also highlighted the critical role that private American shipyards, including those in Louisiana, should play as the U.S. military works to catch up and surpass China.

View Kennedy, Cassidy and Higgins’ full letter here.

Gov. Landry Visits with Leaders on Severe Winter Weather

Yesterday, Governor Landry visited with local leaders in Ouachita Parish about the severe winter weather. He then flew over East and West Carroll Parish and ended with a stop in Richland Parish to speak with local leaders, again, on the winter weather. 

ICYMI: Kennedy in The Advocate: Cost of living is coming down, but Congress can do more

“We’re off to a great start, but Congress still has a lot of work to do to keep wages growing and return a sense of normalcy to the pocketbooks of Louisianians.”

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) penned this op-ed in The Advocate explaining how Congress is working to bring down the cost of living for American families. 

Key excerpts of the op-ed are below:

“It’s a new year, but many Louisianians are still missing the old prices that they were paying before President Joe Biden took office.

“The Biden administration’s bad policies drove up prices by 21% in just four years. In turn, the average Louisiana household had to spend an additional $28,426 to cover the cost of inflation over the course of Biden’s four years in office.

“It’s a mess, but Republicans in Washington have already begun to clean it up.”

. . .

“We’re off to a great start, but Congress still has a lot of work to do to keep wages growing and return a sense of normalcy to the pocketbooks of Louisianians. We need to address our broken health care system, bolster our immigration policies, reform our burdensome regulatory state and address the soaring price of housing.

“To do any of this, though, we need 60 votes in the Senate. You don’t have to be a senior at Caltech to know that most of my Democratic colleagues hate President Trump. They’ll never cast a vote to help the Republican agenda, and that’s their right.

“The only way around the 60-vote requirement is to use the 1974 Congressional Budget Act’s reconciliation process. This procedure allows us to pass legislation with 51 votes — just like we did with the One Big Beautiful Bill.”

. . .

“Prices may not soon return to where they were before President Biden destroyed the cost of living in America, but the right policies can ensure that Louisianians have the income they need to breathe easy in this new year.”

Read Kennedy’s full op-ed here.  

Gov. Landry Announces Nearly $1 Billion In Savings

Governor Landry: Eliminate the Income Tax

Baton Rouge, LA – Today, in a press conference announcing historic savings from his government efficiency efforts, Governor Jeff Landry again stated his commitment to eliminating the State’s income tax.
 
Governor Landry and the Legislature already put in place the largest income tax in state history, paid for in part by the elimination of waste in government. Today, after announcing that over the last year his fiscal responsibility program has identified nearly $1 Billion in savings and efficiencies, he again called for the eventual elimination of Louisiana’s income tax.
 
“Today, I am announcing to the people of Louisiana that we have found hundreds of millions of dollars in savings within the Louisiana state government,” Landry said.  These savings and efficiencies have allowed Landry to keep state spending nearly flat, after his first budget cut billions, despite still dealing with the same Biden inflation families face everyday.
 
The announcement is the result of meticulous work by LA DOGE, spearheaded by Fiscal Responsibility Czar Steve Orlando. For the first time in recent memory, Louisiana’s government is no longer supplementing recurring expenses with one-time income. Landry committed to ongoing reforms and continued historic private sector investment leading to tens of thousands of new jobs in the state. He stated these efforts will help continue lowering the tax burden on Louisiana citizens toward the ultimate goal of a zero percent income tax. 

“Governor Landry is once again proving what true conservative leadership can accomplish,” said Republican Party Chairman Derek Babcock. “These reforms have led to millions in savings for the State, and he’s just getting started. With this type of dedication and leadership, I’m confident we will eliminate the income tax sooner than expected.”

Kennedy, Cassidy, Gulf colleagues to NOAA: Help block cartels from profiting off red snapper illegally caught in Gulf of America

“We would appreciate NOAA Fisheries’ action in more aggressively applying its existing authorities to ensure that illegally harvested red snapper is not sold in the United States.”

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today joined Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and eight colleagues from states bordering the Gulf of America in urging Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Administrator Neil Jacobs to ensure that illegally-harvested red snapper from Mexican fishing operations are not sold in American markets.

Red snapper form a crucial part of Louisiana’s nearly $2 billion seafood economy, as well as the economies of other Gulf states. Unauthorized Mexican fishing operations, often linked to cartels, have increasingly profited from the sale of red snapper illegally caught in the Gulf of America, hurting Louisiana’s fishermen and wildlife.

“We write to express concern regarding the continued illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing for red snapper by Mexican vessels operating in U.S. waters in the Gulf of America,” the senators began their letter to Jacobs.

“The Coast Guard has demonstrated sustained and effective operational enforcement through repeated interdictions and seizures; however, the continued presence of Mexican lanchas in U.S. waters suggests that enforcement at sea alone is insufficient . . . We urge [NOAA] to use its import-restriction authorities, and other applicable authorities, to address this problem in a targeted and proportionate manner that supports law-abiding U.S. fisheries,” they continued.

“Despite fewer vessel interdictions in 2025 than the previous year, the volume of illegally harvested red snapper seized by the Coast Guard rose 28 percent, reaching 15,859 pounds . . . Furthermore, a recent DHS Office of Inspector General report found that the Coast Guard interdicts only one in every five detected foreign fishing vessels, leaving nearly 80 percent of illegal incursions unchallenged and free to enter domestic commerce through opaque supply chains,” the lawmakers explained.

“The Gulf of America red snapper fishery is a highly regulated domestic fishery that is shared between recreational and commercial harvesters. Allocation of the fishery between domestic stakeholders is a topic of intense policy discussion and high-level decision making, reflecting the immense value of the fishery to our nation. Mexican IUU-caught fish steals that value from both sets of American stakeholders,” the members wrote.

“Reports from the Department of the Treasury indicate that these lanchas are not operating as isolated or subsistence fishing ventures, but as organized operations increasingly linked to the Gulf Cartel, one of Mexico’s most dangerous criminal organizations. The continued ability to sell illegally harvested red snapper into the U.S. market is a powerful financing source for the Cartel and undermines both U.S. fisheries management and national security,” they added.

“We would appreciate NOAA Fisheries’ action in more aggressively applying its existing authorities to ensure that illegally harvested red snapper is not sold in the United States. Thank you for your attention to this matter. We look forward to your response,” the senators concluded.

Sens. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Ashley Moody (R-Fla.) joined Kennedy and Cassidy in authoring the letter.

View the full letter here.

Senator Blake Miguez Falsely Accused on Carbon Capture

Contrary to Opponent’s Lies, Miguez Held the Line Against Carbon Capture and Defended Louisianians Against Eminent Domain

In the race to replace U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, opponents of State Senator Blake Miguez have manufactured a boogieman designed to stop him from being Louisiana’s next U.S. Senator.

Organized and directed by State Treasurer John Fleming and his campaign, opponents of Miguez have openly circulated a falseallegation that he supports Carbon Capture Sequestration (CCS) and the use of eminent domain in CCS projects.

The reality couldn’t be further from the truth. Senator Miguez has religiously opposed the expansion of CCS and eminent domain, and his voting record confirms it.

In fact, Miguez even attempted to full ban eminent domain from being used for any CCS projects in 2023 through Amendment #2624 to HB 571 (2023).

While that amendment failed, Miguez has passed countless additional pieces of legislation that have tightened restrictions on CCS projects, restricted eminent domain, and protected Louisianians.

Miguez helped pass SB73 (2025), which raised the threshold for landowner consent for eminent domain utilization from 75% to 85%, even higher than the threshold for a traditional oil and gas pipeline.

Miguez voted for HB169 (2024), which expanded the cap on damages for property owners, holding CCS operators accountable and protecting the rights of landowners.

Miguez backed SB36 (2025), which restricted CCS operators’ ability to utilize eminent domain and forced local government and local opinion to be involved in any CCS project.  

Miguez helped pass HB304 (2025) which required that eminent domain disputes be heard in the parish where the land is located, rather than by a court in Baton Rouge.

Miguez even led the charge to pass HB244 (2025) through the Senate, which recategorized CCS operators and got rid of a loophole allowing them to operate as industrial waste pipelines. Now, CCS operators are forced to attain common carrier status, a significantly higher bar.

So why do Miguez opponents persist in accusing the Senator of supporting Carbon Capture Sequestration?

The simple answer is that it serves their political convenience. The longer answer is that they’ve twisted and misrepresented a plethora of legislation into a false narrative that serves their purposes. Let’s take a look at those accusations:

In 2020, Senator Miguez voted in favor of SB353, which opened up eligibility to federal subsidies tied to CCS for Louisiana’s Oil and Gas industry, which was struggling during COVID-19 at the time. Opponents claim this was a vote in favor of carbon capture and eminent domain. In reality, this was a vote in favor of Louisiana’s Oil & Gas industry that provided support during a difficult period. When SB353 was passed, the only vocal opposition to the legislation came from the left-wing environmental nuts at the Sierra Club.

Every single Republican in Baton Rouge, in both the House and Senate, voted for this bill to support hard-working Louisianiansin the Oil & Gas industry. The bill did not introduce CCS to Louisiana, that was done a decade prior by the Louisiana Geologic Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide Act of 2009.

In 2021, Senator Miguez voted for HB572, which added to the list of substances that can legally be stored underground and simultaneously strengthened the CCS trust fund, a fund overseen by Treasurer John Fleming and tasked with funding safety measures, inspections, and environmental cleanup. Opponents claim that this included Carbon Capture Sequestration and funded the trust fund with taxpayer dollars, which couldn’t be further from the truth. Carbon dioxide wasn’t even added by the bill, it was already present thanks to 2009’s legislation. Funding to the trust fund came from fees and taxes on operators. It did not take tax dollars from uninvolved Louisianians, only those companies directly responsible for implementing storage projects.

In 2023, Senator Miguez voted against several locality specific bills that put moratoriums on CCS projects in a specific locality, like HB267 dealing with Lake Maurepas and HB120 dealing with Lake Ponchatrain. These moratorium proposals would have been unconstitutional had they passed, because Louisiana did not have the authority at the time to regulate Class IV wells used for CCS – the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) did. Senator Miguez is seemingly guilty of not attempting to pass unconstitutional legislation.

In 2024, Senator Miguez voted for HB492 and HB 966. Opponents claim that HB492 gave CCS operators the ability to seize private property through eminent domain, when the legislation actually significantly restricted eminent domain and protected landowners. The bill prohibited CCS projects with very limited exceptions, required local public hearings for CCS permits, required a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity for any eminent domain, and clarified that CCS operators are NOT public utilities or common carriers. All ofthese provisions were huge blows to the CCS industry. HB966 established the concept of unitization in eminent domain proceedings. Opponents claim that it compelled landowners to join the unitization, which is false. In reality the concept of unitization laid the groundwork for Miguez and his allies to pass SB73 in 2025, raising the threshold of agreement within the unit from 75% to 85% and making it more difficult for CCS operators to utilize eminent domain – another significant win for private property rights.

John Fleming and his supporters either grossly misunderstand or deliberately misrepresent each piece of legislation they attempt to use against Senator Miguez.

What’s even more hypocritical in this context is that John Fleming himself took a vote that supported Carbon Capture Sequestration while he was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives in 2015. Fleming voted for the North American Security and Infrastructure Act of 2015, which enabled the Obama Administration’s Secretary of Energy to review and recommend funding increases for Carbon Capture Sequestration Projects. The bill reads:

“The Secretary shall … assess the funding of the [CCS] project and make a recommendation as to whether increased funding is necessary to advance the project” – Sec. 1109(c)(2)(A

While this language was certainly lumped in alongside other subject matter, for John Fleming to represent himself as a purist on CCS while twisting Senator Miguez’s strong defense of private property rights against him is disingenuous at best, and blatant political deception at worst.

No elected legislator in our state has stood for Louisianians, their safety, and their private property rights as strongly as Senator Miguez. His opponent’s twisted narrative is nothing more than a disingenuous attempt to misrepresent a strong legislative record as a weak one, for the political advantage of another candidate.

Gov. Landry Declares January Human Trafficking Prevention Month in Louisiana

BATON ROUGE, LA – Governor Landry has signed a proclamation officially declaring January as Human Trafficking Prevention Month in Louisiana, joining the national observance to bring awareness to the fight against human trafficking. This declaration underscores the state’s commitment to protecting vulnerable individuals, supporting survivors, and preventing human trafficking in all forms.

View proclamation here. 

In recognition of National Wear Blue Day, also known as Human Trafficking Awareness Day on Sunday, January 11, all Louisianans are encouraged to wear blue to raise awareness about human trafficking prevention. Additionally, the staff of the Governor’s Office will wear blue on Monday, January 12, as part of the ongoing effort to highlight this important issue. On the same day, the Louisiana State Capitol and the Governor’s Mansion will shine in blue as a sign of the state’s dedication to this cause.

Human trafficking impacts thousands of people across the United States each year, and Louisiana remains steadfast in its mission to combat this crisis through education, outreach, and support for survivors. For more information on human trafficking, resources, and ways to get involved, visit https://humantrafficking.la.gov.