LFT and LAE Announce Support for Constitutional Amendment 3

BATON ROUGE, La. — The Louisiana Federation of Teachers and School Employees and the Louisiana Association of Educators announced their support for Constitutional Amendment 3 on the May 16, 2026 ballot.

The organizations said CA 3 creates a path to permanent salary increases for educators and school employees while protecting the retirement benefits they have earned. Under the amendment and companion legislation, savings from a one-time payment on the state’s debt to the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana would be used to support permanent salary increases of $2,250 for certificated personnel and $1,125 for noncertificated personnel, plus related benefits. The groups said the amendment would also help prevent a future pay cut if temporary stipends are not renewed in later budget cycles.

“Constitutional Amendment 3 is an important step toward the permanent pay increases educators and school employees have long deserved,” said Larry Carter, president of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers and School Employees. “It creates a path away from temporary stipends and toward lasting salary growth, while protecting the retirement benefits educators and retirees have earned or will earn in the future. LFT will continue fighting for educators’ salaries to reach the Southern regional average and then the national average, and for school employees to receive the compensation they deserve.”

“CA 3 is an important step toward greater stability for the people who work in Louisiana’s public schools,” said D’Shay Oaks, president of the Louisiana Association of Educators. “This amendment helps create permanent salary increases for educators and school employees while protecting earned retirement benefits. LAE and LFT will continue advocating for permanent pay increases and for educators’ salaries to reach the Southern regional average and then the national average.”

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About the Louisiana Federation of Teachers and School Employees:

With over 18,000 members, the Louisiana Federation of Teachers and School Employees is the largest professional organization for educators in the state of Louisiana.

About the Louisiana Association of Educators:

The mission of the Louisiana Association of Educators is to organize and empower local associations to promote quality public schools, strengthen the education profession, and improve the well-being of members. 

Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch Responds to Today's Chevron vs. Plaquemines Parish SCOTUS Decision

BATON ROUGE, LA - In a unanimous decision announced today, the U.S. Supreme Court vacated a lower court ruling and held that this lawsuit will be moved from state to federal court, under the federal officer removal statute.

LLAW Executive Director Lana Venable had the following comment:
"The U.S. Supreme Court made the right decision for Louisiana today. These lawsuits - ongoing for over a decade - represent what is wrong with our state's legal system. This decision is a victory for hardworking Louisianans who want fairness and predictability, not for trial lawyers looking to cash in at the expense of the economic engine that drives Louisiana."

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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.

LOGA Responds to Supreme Court’s Decision to Move Plaquemines Parish Coastal Lawsuit to Federal Court

BATON ROUGE, LA (April 17, 2026) - Today, the United States Supreme Court issued a unanimous 8-0 decision in Chevron USA Inc. v. Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana declaring that the case should be tried in federal court, as opposed to state court.

In response, LOGA President Mike Moncla issued the following statement:

“This is a huge, but incremental win for our industry. For far too long, frivolous lawsuits, whether it be coastal or legacy, have pushed investment out of our state.

Decades ago, the defendants of these lawsuits invested in drilling in our coastal region after the state encouraged, incentivized, and gave permits to do so, all the while the state raked in billions of dollars in severance and royalty collections.

From the time these lawsuits began a decade ago, oil and gas activity in Louisiana’s state leases and inland waters has declined to nearly nothing.

Drilling is nil, production is a shadow of its former self, and service companies have been starved into bankruptcies.

This case is as frivolous as the ones by liberal cities like Baltimore who sue oil and gas for climate change -- while they sit in their air-conditioned offices.

Today’s ruling from the Supreme Court is the first step towards justice.”

Kennedy talks One Big Beautiful Bill savings: “It is breathtaking in its scope and will be in its effect”

“We cut taxes. Right now—don't take my word for it—just pick up the phone and arbitrarily call some Americans who have filed their taxes. They're getting money back.”

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today explained how the One Big Beautiful Bill has helped return money to the American people’s pockets in a speech on the U.S. Senate floor.

Key excerpts of the speech are below.

“We passed a major piece of legislation that is just starting to take effect. It's going to impact every American. They came up with a new name for it because they didn't like the old name, but I kind of like the old name, so that's what I’m going to call it: the One Big Beautiful Bill. It is really breathtaking in its scope and will be in its effect.

“We cut taxes. Right now—don't take my word for it—just pick up the phone and arbitrarily call some Americans who have filed their taxes. They're getting money back. The average tax refund, is up, like, 11%. The average American who normally gets a refund and who’s already filing is going to get an extra—what works out to be an extra—$250 to $300 a month, so that's going to help them deal with the higher prices.

“We also extended the prior tax cuts from 2017 that were about to expire. We made them permanent. Anybody who voted against making them permanent wanted to raise your taxes by $4.3 trillion. We beat them back.

“We increased the standard deduction. Whether you get a refund or not, you’re going to pay lower taxes because we increased the standard deduction. We gave Americans a larger child tax credit. We cut taxes for many Americans on Social Security. We cut taxes on tips. We cut taxes on overtime. We gave many Americans a deduction on the interest they pay for a car loan.”

. . .

“This is a major piece of legislation, and it’s taking effect now—and it’s not going to solve the problem completely, but it’s going to go a long way, because the best way to deal with inflation is to grow your way out of it.”

Kennedy also highlighted how short housing supply has raised American families’ cost of living.

He encouraged the U.S. House of Representatives to join the U.S. Senate in passing his Build Now Act to increase home supply and cut housing costs.

“You don't have to be able to explain the law of special relativity to know that the cost of a home is breathtaking, or to know that rents have gone up. Why is that? Because of the lack of supply—duh. That's because of a lack of supply.

“So, what do you do to make a . . . new home or used home more affordable? What do you do to make rents go down? You increase the supply. And that's what we’re trying to do.

“I sit on the Banking Committee. We passed—the Senate has, twice—a housing bill. It's in front of the House of Representatives right now. I hope my friends in the House pass it. I'll tell you one of the things it will do: It will increase housing starts. If you don't think this works, just go read an article about what’s going on in Austin. They increased housing supply in Austin. You know, rents are dropping in Austin like a fat guy on a seesaw. They're going down. Why? Because they increased supply.”

Watch Kennedy’s speech here.

Washington’s Crypto Debate Could Impact Louisiana’s Community Banks

For most Louisianans, the debate happening in Washington over cryptocurrency regulation can feel distant.

But the outcome will have very real consequences — especially for the community banks that power local economies across the state.

As Congress works toward advancing the CLARITY Act, one of the most important provisions taking shape is a bank-friendly approach to stablecoin regulation.

That matters more than it might seem.

Read more: Washington’s Crypto Debate Could Impact Louisiana’s Community Banks

What Flew Over Barksdale Should Change How We Think About China, AI, and American Power

For most Louisianans, national security feels distant—something that plays out in Washington or halfway around the world.

But recently, it showed up right here at home.

Multiple waves of unauthorized drones were spotted near Barksdale Air Force Base, one of the most strategically important military installations in the country. According to ABC News, the incursions raised serious concerns about surveillance and the vulnerability of U.S. airspace.

This wasn’t just an isolated incident. It was a glimpse of the future.

Read more: What Flew Over Barksdale Should Change How We Think About China, AI, and American Power

Democrats block Kennedy resolution to withhold senators’ pay during government shutdowns

“And if a Member of this body disagrees with what I am doing, then, by God, they ought to come down here and stand up in front of the U.S. Senate and stand up in front of the American people and stand up in front of God and stand up in front of country and stand up in front of all these people—these good people that aren’t being paid—and say: Here is why.”

Watch Kennedy’s comments here. 

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) attempted to pass his resolution to withhold senators’ pay during government shutdowns via unanimous consent on Sunday, but Senate Democrats objected and blocked the resolution.

“And here is what my resolution would do: It would change Senate rules to provide that, when we are in a shutdown, that Senators cannot be paid, cannot receive their salaries. Their checks would be—think of it this way, Mr. President—locked in a vault. And once the shutdown is over, the Senators could pick them up,” Kennedy explained.

“This resolution—again, it is not a bill—is about shared sacrifice. And I am not doing it to punish anybody. I am not doing it to try to embarrass anybody,” Kennedy said, later adding, “It is about shared sacrifice and sending a message. We have about a squillion employees at the Department of Homeland Security that aren’t being paid, and there is no prospect of them being paid.”

Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) then objected to Kennedy’s unanimous consent request without being recognized by the Chair or stepping forward to explain his objection.

“Can you opine on why my colleague objected and then immediately left, and whether he is coming back?” Kennedy asked. The parliamentarian then claimed that Sen. Schatz did not need to be recognized to block Kennedy’s resolution from passing through unanimous consent.

“All right. I am coming back, Mr. President,” Kennedy said. “And I am coming back, and I am coming back, and I am coming back. Did I mention I will be back? And if a Member of this body disagrees with what I am doing, then, by God, they ought to come down here and stand up in front of the U.S. Senate and stand up in front of the American people and stand up in front of God and stand up in front of country and stand up in front of all these people—these good people that aren’t being paid—and say: Here is why.”

Kennedy first introduced early versions of this legislation in November 2025 during the historic 43-day government shutdown and fought for their passage on the U.S. Senate floor.

Kennedy’s resolution received unanimous, bipartisan support in the U.S. Senate Rules Committee in December 2025.

Full resolution text is available here.

Watch Kennedy’s speech here.  

Kennedy: I support the SAVE America Act “unconditionally”

“It’s meant to say to the American people, ‘Look, we in Congress hear you. We want you to trust our elections.’”

Watch Kennedy’s comments here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) today reaffirmed his support for the SAVE America Act and called for the use of another reconciliation bill to pass the legislation in a speech on the U.S. Senate floor.

Key excerpts of the speech are below.

“Mr. President, I would like to talk for a few minutes about the SAVE [America] Act. I’m a cosponsor. I support it unconditionally. The SAVE [America] Act, as you well know, Mr. President, is really pretty simple. It’s about our sanctity of voting in America.

“It says, ‘If you want to register to vote in America, you have to prove that you're a citizen of America,’ and once you're registered, it says, ‘When you're voting in a federal election, in all instances, you have to prove you are who you say you are in order to vote.’ Very simple.

. . .

“It’s about trying to get the American people to trust our elections every year in light of the fact that President Biden and his team, with the concurrence of many of my colleagues in this chamber, admitted millions and millions and millions of people into our country illegally.”

. . .

“It’s meant to say to the American people, ‘Look, we in Congress hear you. We want you to trust our elections.’”

. . .

“If this bill is as important as we say it is, we should try it through reconciliation. I haven’t convinced Senator Thune of that. I haven’t convinced all of my colleagues on either side of the aisle, but I plan on continuing to chase them like they stole Thanksgiving and Christmas put together.”

Watch Kennedy’s speech here.

Jeff Landry Exposes John Fleming’s Cynical Carbon Capture Rebrand

In a recent video, Landry took direct aim at former Congressman John Fleming over his sudden opposition to carbon capture, calling it what it looks like to many observers: an opportunistic, cynical, and disingenuous flip-flop driven by politics, not principle.

Read more: Jeff Landry Exposes John Fleming’s Cynical Carbon Capture Rebrand

Governor Jeff Landry Opens Third Regular Session

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.

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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.