NEW ORLEANS — A strong conservative agenda will be front and center as Louisiana lawmakers head back to Baton Rouge for the start of the three-month regular session. It will be the first regular legislative session with Jeff Landry in the governor’s mansion.
After two special sessions where the agenda was set by Landry, lawmakers can debate any topic except taxes.
Many of the nearly 1,100 bills pre-filed for the session reflect the republican governor’s political priorities along with that of the GOP super-majority in both houses of the state legislature.
After tackling crime during the recent special session, Landry said he is turning his attention to education and the economy.
Among the more than 100 education bills are several cultural issues to be discussed. There are measures forbidding lessons on gender identity and sexual orientation, prohibiting COVID-19 vaccine mandates, and banning educators from teaching students they are oppressed based on the child's race or national origin.
Lawmakers are also expected to consider Education Savings Accounts or ESAs. They would give parents the tax dollars allocated to their children’s schooling to cover private school tuition and other education expenses for eligible students.
Teacher pay and teacher stipends are also on the agenda.
Insurance reform will also be a major topic of discussion at the state capitol as lawmakers try to bring down the cost of both automobile and property policies.
Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple, a former insurance company executive is pushing a package of bills to lessen state regulations on the insurance industry. He said that would increase the number of companies writing insurance in the state.
Temple is asking lawmakers to do away with the three-year rule which prevents insurance companies from dropping customers who’ve held policies with them for three years.
He also wants to strengthen Louisiana’s Fortified Roof Program by securing a long-term funding source from the industry. The program grants up to $10,000 for homeowners to repair or replace their roofs to a higher standard.
Additional tough-on-crime bills are expected to be debated during the regular session. Lawmakers will likely tweak some of the crime legislation passed during the special session.
New Orleans area lawmakers are seeking to exempt the city’s tourist corridors including the French Quarter, Downtown Development District, and area surrounding the Morial Convention Center from a new law that allows law-abiding adults to carry a concealed weapon without a permit or training.
“That could pose a public safety issue, particularly here in the city where we just celebrated Mardi Gras and I’m concerned, you can put people in jeopardy now that we’ve passed a bill to allow constitutional carry,” Rep. Kyle Green said.
Sen. Kirk Talbot, R-River Ridge has a bill that would make Bourbon Street a gun-free zone.
“I want to treat Bourbon Street like an open bar because it really is an 8-block open bar,” Talbot said.
The legislature is also expected to take up possible changes to the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board.
Gov. Landry created a 14-member task force to review frequent failures of the utility. He said they have led to widespread flooding and drinking water violations in the city. The panel is expected to come up with a list of recommendations for lawmakers to consider.
Rep. Stephanie Hilferty, R-New Orleans has a bill to change the leadership of the SWBNO. The proposal would replace the current Board of Directors with the 7 members of the city council or a citizen’s board not appointed by the mayor.
“What we have right now isn’t working for the people of Orleans Parish,” Hilferty said. “We need to get all the ideas on the table and let that influence meaningful legislation for the session.”
Gov. Landry is also pushing lawmakers to approve a special convention this summer to rewrite the state constitution for the first time in 50 years. Any changes to the state’s constitution would need voter approval.
The governor is expected to give his opening-day speech at 1 p.m. The session begins at noon and must end by June 3.