Gov. Jeff Landry touts his legislative ‘wins,’ but not all his proposals were slam dunks

Gov. Jeff Landry has made some misleading statements while pushing Louisiana legislators to close the election primary process. (Michael Johnson/The Advocate, Pool)

It’s typical for a governor to march out their legislative accomplishments immediately after lawmakers conclude their session, and Jeff Landry is no exception. Within 15 minutes of the Louisiana Legislature adjourning its 60-workday session for good Monday, the Republican governor’s office produced an extensive list of “Big Wins for Louisiana.”

Landry did indeed post an impressive batting average in terms of gaining approval for components of his very first legislative agenda. Legislators backed the bulk of his proposals on education, public safety, health care, insurance and the economy.

But it is far too soon for high fives around the Governor’s Mansion. A closer look at the Landry-backed measures that gained passage reveals what are, at best, hollow victories in some instances. It might be years before a true measure of success can be determined, especially with new laws that are more symbolic than substantial.

Take education savings accounts, for instance. The GOP supermajority in the Legislature granted Landry’s wish to allow public school dollars to be used for private education. Yet lawmakers were super hesitant to put actual state money into an ESA program. They even balked at a proposal to create an ESA program, choosing instead to pass the chore over to the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Once BESE offers up a framework, it will still be up to lawmakers to decide if and how much it will be funded. It’s not likely they will be eager to cough up the $280 million projected cost — a lowball estimate, experts say — to provide the savings account to everyone who wants access to one.

Even before the skeleton of an ESA program exists, Landry already considers the approval of education savings account legislation as affirmation of his “pledge to enact bold change that improves our education system.” The earliest the initial program could be launched is the 2025-26 school year, so it feels premature for the governor to check the “mission accomplished” box at this point.

The same goes for the package of property insurance measures the Legislature sent to Landry’s desk. The governor endorsed Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple’s call for lawmakers to approve the industry-friendly proposals, with hopes they will attract more insurers and bring down prohibitive premium prices through increased competition.

Several lawmakers acknowledged their constituents are already leaving Louisiana because they cannot afford property insurance. Just the approval of the bills won’t lead them to reverse course.

Rep. Gabe Firment, R-Pollack, sponsored a bill that allows insurers to drop established customers, forcing them to obtain pricier state-supported policies if they have no other private market options. Landry listed the legislation on his “Big Wins” recap.

Other pieces of insurance legislation lawmakers approved will allow insurers to adjust their rates with greater ease and give them more time to pay out claims.

In an interview with our fellow States Newsroom outlet Stateline , Firment said these are all enticements to bring more insurance providers to the state, “but if we get two or three hurricanes this year, all bets are off.”

That’s hardly a win if you’re a Louisiana homeowner who recently had to determine how to cover a big insurance premium hike.

It’s also challenging for the governor to consider the right to legally carry a concealed firearm without a permit a successful crime-fighting measure. How do you quantify a reduction in crime to the fact someone might or might not be packing a Glock in their undergarments or a Ruger in their rucksack? Are we really going to use a bad guy body count to measure progress?

Just days after taking office, Gov. Landry convened lawmakers for a redistricting session, followed soon after by a crime-focused session and then the regular lawmaking session. It’s certainly notable, especially for a freshman state leader.

The governor should get credit for quickly gaining momentum early in his term, but the finish line is much too far away to celebrate any “big wins” at this point.

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