If the close of the 2026 Legislative session offered one lesson, it鈥檚 this: Even with a Republican supermajority in a ruby red state, legislative and executive power has its limits. Watching Gov. Jeff Landry and lawmakers tangle at the statehouse this year felt very different from those early, heady days of his administration when they pushed through sweeping changes to elections, criminal justice and taxation.
This session, lawmakers appeared primed to tackle the nuts and bolts of governance with little flash and perhaps more substance. (Of course, the Legislature鈥檚 swift passage of new congressional maps after the Supreme Court decision in Louisiana v. Callais was a head-turner, but one that deserves lengthier consideration at a later date.)
There were some ambitious ideas floated at the start 鈥� abolishing the Board of Regents and the Department of Children and Family Services 鈥� but those seemed to wither on the vine as lawmakers grappled with the realities of the Louisiana budget. They also saw their plan to fund teacher raises through constitutional amendment roundly rejected by voters for a second time.
Still, there were accomplishments to be proud of. The budget gave priority to paying down debt and puts dollars toward much needed upgrades to our juvenile prison system. Lawmakers also gave more money to foster care and home care for developmentally disabled people. We were also pleased to see they bolstered the successful fortified roof program that promises to help lower insurance rates.
But lawmakers declined to get behind more funding for Landry鈥檚 signature LA GATOR program that gives taxpayer money to parents who opt out of public schools. And they did not include money for teacher stipends, though the governor now is promoting a plan to pay for them, which some school leaders say would make their budgets even more precarious. One thing is certain: It鈥檚 past time to make teachers鈥� raises permanent, instead of a constant political football.
We also can鈥檛 help being alarmed by a growing trend toward less transparency in government. Watchdog groups like PAR point to the $180 million in earmarks for local pet projects decided behind closed doors. These actions erode trust in government. So do votes to shield the details how public universities spend public money on athletics and to shield the records of applicants for certain top university jobs. That鈥檚 to say nothing of the meddling in New Orleans courts with no say from its citizens that went so far as to undo an election.
And that brings us back to where we started. Perhaps we see politicians reaching the limits of their power because they are not seeking the people鈥檚 input. We see no shared vision for the future of our state and little grassroots campaigning for specific policy priorities.
Perhaps if lawmakers want to build support for sweeping change next session, they need to start planting the seeds now.