Insurance costs are crushing Louisiana residents — and they want answers. In 2024, Governor Jeff Landry called three special sessions on everything from crime to finances, and even flirted with a constitutional convention. Yet, despite overwhelming demand, there was no special session for insurance reform. Instead, the Legislature took the reins—at least on paper. But was it real reform, or just another performance?

A Quiet Start to a Growing Crisis

The 2024 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature began on March 11, 2024. Two months later, Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple issued a release announcing the Governor Landry had signed four key property insurance reform bills into law:

• HB120 by Representative Matthew Willard (D 1/10) which became Act 8;
• HB611 by Representative Gabe Firment (R 8/10) which became Act 9;
• SB295 by Senator Heather Cloud (R 8/10) which became Act 10; and
• SB323 by Senator Kirk Talbot (R 8/10), which became Act 3.

Weeks later, Temple announced that four more bills had passed the legislature with overwhelming support and were awaiting Governor Landry’s approval — a signal to the public that action was being taken. But behind the curtain, key reforms were quietly being funneled toward the Senate’s legislative graveyard. The show continued, but the outcome was already scripted. The bills that passed by both chambers and signed into law were:

• HB315 by Representative Mike Johnson (R 7/10) which became Act 423;
• HB337 by Representative Jack McFarland (R 7/10) which became Act 275; and
• SB84 by Senator Alan Seabaugh (R 9/10), which became Act 502.

Even though Representative Michael Melerine (R 7/10) ‘s HB423 cleared both chambers, the governor ultimately vetoed it. HB24 by Representative Michael Melerine (R 7/10) and HB336 by Representative Emily Chenevert (R 8/10) would never make it to the Governor. They would die in the infamous Senate “Judiciary A” Committee.

Reform Meets the Senate Guillotine

It appeared many Louisiana lawmakers heard the cries of their constituents back home related to rising insurance costs. Even without a call for a special session to address insurance issues, several Louisiana legislators introduced relevant legislation during the 2025 Regular Session, specifically in the House of Representatives. Twenty bills were introduced, which were sponsored by the Louisiana Commissioner of Insurance. Those were:

• HB34 by Representative Brian Glorioso (R 7/10) (Did not advance out of committee – Senate Judiciary A);
• HB280 by Representative Michael Melerine (R 7/10) (Pending Governor’s Signature);
• HB379 by Representative Mark Wright (R 7/10) (Was not called for a floor vote in the Senate);
• HB427 by Representative Dennis Bamburg (R 6/10) (Did not advance out of committee – Senate Judiciary A);
• HB431 by Representative Emily Chenevert (R 8/10) (Signed into law – Act 15);
• HB432 by Representative Emily Chenevert (R 8/10) (Did not advance out of committee – Senate Judiciary A);
• HB435 by Representative Peter Egan (R 7/10) (Did not advance out of committee – Senate Judiciary A);
• HB437 by Representative Gabe Firment (R 8/10) (Pending Governor’s Signature);
• HB438 by Representative Gabe Firment (R 8/10) (Signed into law – Act 85);
• HB439 by Representative Troy Hebert (R 5/10) (Did not advance out of committee – Senate Judiciary A);
• HB440 by Representative Chance Henry (R 6/10) (Did not advance out of committee – Senate Judiciary A);
• HB443 by Representative Chance Henry (R 6/10) (Did not advance out of committee – Senate Judiciary A);
• HB449 by Representative Josh Carlson (R 8/10) (Did not advance out of committee – Senate Judiciary A);
• HB450 by Representative Michael Melerine (R 7/10) (Signed into law – Act 18);
• HB519 by Representative Brian Glorioso (R 7/10) (Pending Governor’s Signature);
• HB561 by Representative Gabe Firment (R 8/10) (Was not called for a floor vote in the Senate);
• HB635 by Representative Dennis Bamburg (R 6/10) (Pending Governor’s Signature);
• SB136 by Senator Kirk Talbot (R 8/10) (Pending Governor’s Signature);
• SB148 by Senator Blake Miguez (R 10/10) (Did not advance out of committee – Senate Judiciary A); and
• SB230 by Senator Caleb Kleinpeter (R 6/10) (Did not advance out of committee – Senate Judiciary A)

These 20 instruments, heavily promoted by the Insurance Commissioner, represented the most ambitious package yet. But as the session progressed, it became clear that reform wasn’t being debated but buried. Unfortunately, as of today, only three, or 6%, of the instruments have become law. An additional five bills, or 25%, await the governor’s signature. However, even if the governor does not veto them, only 40% of the insurance legislation introduced and sponsored by the Commissioner of Insurance will be enacted. The remaining 60% was executed in the Senate’s killing fields.

The Second Act: Senate Judiciary A

If Louisiana politics is a stage, then the Senate Judiciary A Committee plays the role of executioner, tasked with eliminating reforms too real to be allowed to live. If the Senate is the killing field of insurance reform, it raises the question: Who is responsible for the killing? The answer is straightforward: Senate Judiciary Committee A. Twelve of the twenty sponsored bills (60%) were killed in the Senate, but Senate Judiciary Committee A killed ten of those twelve bills (83%). This is not a coincidence.

Senate Judiciary Committee A is made up of Chairman Gregory Miller (RINO 4/10); Vice-Chairman Jay Luneau (D 1/10); Gary Carter (D 1/10); Rick Edmonds (R 8/10); Sam Jenkins (D 1/10); Beth Mizell (R 8/10), and Alan Seabaugh (R 9/10). According to Senate Rule 3.3 (15), the members of each committee are appointed and subject to removal by the President of the Senate. Additionally, Senate Rule 13.2 provides that the President of the Senate is responsible for assigning each committee’s Chair and Vice Chair.

Senate Judiciary Committee A is one of three judiciary committees in the Senate, ALL of which have the same oversight. Yet it was the only Senate judiciary committee assigned any of the twenty sponsored bills. Coincidence? No. So, how did this happen? According to Senate Rules 3.3(18) and 9.4, bills are referred to Committee by the President of the Senate.

The Script Revealed

This is all part of an orchestrated game we call politics. Many at the top of the food chain go through the motions and pretend to be working to bring about change. But in reality, it’s just a show—a play performed to make us believe something is happening when nothing is.

Insurance in Louisiana isn’t broken — it’s working exactly as designed, just not for you. It’s a racket, enriching a few while the rest of us foot the bill. And like every good racket, it needs collaborators, a cover story, and a crowd to fool. That’s what this session delivered.

Waiting for meaningful insurance reform in Louisiana is like waiting for the federal government to abandon its foreign policy entanglements. One thing’s for sure: the wars will wage on, the bombs will fall, and young Americans will be sent to the front lines like cannon fodder.

War is a racket—so is insurance in Louisiana. The few get rich. The rest of us pay the price.

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Behind Every Blade of Grass

There’s a running joke around our office that Citizens for a New Louisiana is hiding behind every blade of grass. We’ve heard stories about government officials reconsidering questionable decisions because they were worried we’d find out. That’s a remarkable return on an investment we never made: "reaping where we did not sow, and gathering where we scattered no seed." But there’s something important in here, too.

Our little flashlight has earned us a reputation for bringing things to light. Now many officials act as if someone is watching, even when there isn't. That’s the real value of our government transparency work. It's more than just exposing wrongdoing after the fact. We've created an environment where public officials think twice.

Of course, we can’t actually be behind every blade of grass. There are thousands of public meetings, countless government transactions, and more questionable decisions than our small team could ever hope to investigate. But with your help, we can keep them wondering.

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