Week 8 Legislative Update – 2026 Regular Session

May 1, 2026

The eighth week of the 2026 Regular Session concluded under the shadow of a seismic legal development that upended the state’s upcoming election calendar and will certainly redirect the attention of the legislature. The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that Louisiana’s congressional district map constitutes an unconstitutional racial gerrymander set off a rapid-fire sequence of executive actions, lawsuits, and legislative maneuvering that is now playing out on multiple simultaneous fronts. 

This week’s update covers the fallout from the Supreme Court’s congressional map ruling and the governor’s decision to delay U.S. House primaries, the federal legal challenges to that postponement, final legislative passage of the controversial New Orleans court clerks merger and the lawsuit that followed, and a damning state ombudsman report exposing systemic failures at the Department of Children and Family Services.

Congressional Map Ruling Throws House Elections into Chaos

The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling Wednesday in Louisiana v. Callais, finding the state’s congressional voting map to be an unconstitutional racial gerrymander, sent shockwaves through Louisiana’s political landscape with the May 16 primary just weeks away. Gov. Jeff Landry responded Thursday by issuing an executive order suspending the May 16 U.S. House primary elections, a dramatic step taken even as absentee voting had already begun and in-person early voting was scheduled to start Saturday. Gov. Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a joint statement that the state is “currently enjoined from carrying out congressional elections under the current map” and that they are working with the Legislature and Secretary of State’s office to chart a path forward.

The plan, according to legislative sources, is for U.S. House races to take place later in the year only after the Legislature and governor have redrawn the six congressional districts. That redistricting work is expected to proceed through bills already filed by state Sen. Jay Morris (R-West Monroe) and state Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter (R-Port Allen) during the current session, which does not adjourn until June 1. Republicans have signaled they intend to use the remapping process to eliminate one or both of the majority-Black congressional districts held by U.S. Rep. Troy Carter of New Orleans and U.S. Rep. Cleo Fields of Baton Rouge, raising the possibility that the two Black Democrats could be drawn into the same district and forced to run against each other. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Benton), while acknowledging he has no authority over the state’s election schedule, said the governor “has no choice” given the court’s ruling. President Trump praised Landry on Truth Social for acting quickly to “fix the unconstitutionality” of the maps.

The governor’s decision generated immediate legal challenges from multiple directions. Democratic congressional candidate Lindsey Garcia, joined by co-plaintiff Eugene Collins of Baton Rouge, filed suit Thursday arguing that the primary election is already legally underway, with absentee ballots cast and early voting imminent, and that the Supreme Court’s opinion has not yet been formally certified as a final judgment, a procedural step that typically occurs 32 days after the opinion is issued. Rep. Cleo Fields said state leaders were rushing to “tell the people their vote doesn’t count,” noting that mail-in ballots had already been sent to some voters, and called the decision “terrible.”

Other May 16 contests, including the hotly contested U.S. Senate primary where Sen. Bill Cassidy faces challenges from U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow and state Treasurer John Fleming, as well as five constitutional amendments and various local races, are still expected to proceed as planned, contingent on Secretary of State Nancy Landry being able to reprogram voting machines in time. Early voting will be May 2-9 (excluding Sunday, May 3) from 8:30 a.m.-6 p.m.

New Orleans Court Clerks Merger Clears Legislature; Legal Battle Follows

The Louisiana Senate completed final action Wednesday on SB 256 by Sen. Jay Morris (R-West Monroe), approving a set of House amendments by a 25-11 vote along party lines and clearing the bill for Gov. Jeff Landry’s signature. The legislation merges the operations of New Orleans’ criminal and civil clerks of court into a single office, installing the Orleans Parish Civil Clerk of Court as the consolidated custodian over both civil and criminal records — a structural change proponents say aligns New Orleans with the rest of Louisiana, where no other parish maintains two separate clerk positions.

The bill’s timing has made it deeply controversial. Calvin Duncan, a former life prisoner who won election to the Orleans Parish Criminal Clerk seat last November with 68% of the vote, was set to assume office Monday. Critics have argued the bill is specifically designed to strip him of a position he won fairly at the ballot box. Following Wednesday’s Senate vote, Duncan filed a federal lawsuit naming Governor Landry, Attorney General Murrill, and Secretary of State Nancy Landry as defendants, characterizing the effort as an unconstitutional campaign to prevent him from taking his duly elected post. His attorneys from the American Civil Liberties Union argued the effort targets Duncan specifically to prevent the criminal justice reforms he has championed, particularly those aimed at protecting Black criminal defendants. Gov. Landry defended the consolidation on policy grounds, saying the move is “about right-sizing the city” and is not personal.

SB 256 is part of a broader package of Sen. Morris-sponsored bills this session aimed at restructuring the Orleans Parish judiciary. Two companion measures, SB 197, which would reduce the number of Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal judges from 14 to 12, and SB 217, which would cut three judges from Orleans Criminal District Court and remove one juvenile court judge, were before the House Judiciary Committee as the week closed. Orleans Parish is the only district court in the state that operates independent civil, criminal, and juvenile courts as standalone jurisdictions.

Child Welfare: Ombudsman Report Exposes DCFS Failures, Sparks Agency Dispute

Kathleen Stewart Richey, Louisiana’s new child ombudsman, released her office’s first annual report this week, documenting a pattern of systemic failures across the state’s child welfare system that prompted a legislative hearing Monday and an unusually public dispute between the watchdog office and the Department of Children and Family Services. The report reviewed 307 complaints filed in 2025 against DCFS and found multiple instances where caseworkers failed to follow policy, communicated poorly with families, and in at least one case breached federal law.

Among the most significant findings: 230 of the 307 complaints involved caseworkers who failed to return calls, provided incorrect information, or communicated inadequately with families. Twenty-four complaints involved children who remained in mental health hospital settings after being medically cleared for discharge — in some cases for months — a problem the report attributed to shortages of therapeutic foster placements and inadequate community-based behavioral health services. The report also documented individual failures including a case in which a 4-year-old and 18-month-old sibling were separated into different foster homes despite the availability of a willing grandmother, who spent more than two years gaining custody before eventually adopting the children. In another instance, the identity of a confidential reporter was accidentally disclosed to the subject of a DCFS investigation, which ombudsman Kathleen Stewart Richey characterized as “a serious breach of federal and state law and agency policy.” Two children also died while in foster care in 2025, and the report provided detailed information on 20 child deaths in 2025 confirmed as the result of abuse or neglect.

The report’s release set off a public dispute between the two agencies. DCFS Secretary Rebecca Harris sent a letter to lawmakers contending that the ombudsman’s disclosure of detailed information on child abuse deaths violates state and federal confidentiality law, and said the department had sought federal guidance on what she called the “unauthorized disclosure” of sensitive information. Louisiana Legislative Auditor Michael Waguespack, who oversees the child ombudsman division, flatly rejected that characterization. At Monday’s legislative hearing, lawmakers from both parties voiced frustration at the lack of coordination between the two offices. Sen. Katrina Jackson-Andrews (D-Monroe) said she was more troubled by the inter-agency conflict than by the report’s findings themselves, while Sen. Beth Mizell (R-Franklinton) called the situation “absurd.” Secretary Harris told lawmakers the department is committed to working with the ombudsman’s office and the Legislature to drive improvements.

Notable Energy Bills

On Wednesday, House Natural Resources heard a couple of notable bills, including HB 621, one of the few renewable energy-related bills from this Session. The bill requires recycling of decommissioned renewable energy infrastructure. After some debate, renewable energy advocates spoke in favor of the bill with amendments, and it was reported favorably out of committee. Rep. Jacob Landry (R-Erath)’s HB 595 was also reported favorably with amendments in House Natural Resources. The bill prohibits local governing authorities from actions that impede the state’s ability to develop natural resources including additional permitting requirements.

HB 804 by Rep. Brett Geymann (R-Lake Charles), which creates the Louisiana Energy Protection Act, is scheduled for a House floor debate next week. The purpose of the bill is to protect energy production in the state and limit claims against industry for injury or harm to people or property caused by emissions attributed to climate change. 

SB 490, which provides for private use electric networks, awaits a final Senate floor vote. Rep. Chuck Owen (R-Rosepine)’s HB 566, which prohibits use of state funds in support of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions policies, was debated in House Appropriations this week. HB 637 from Rep. Jacob Landry (R-Erath) establishes reduced rates for oilfield site restoration fees and was heard in Senate Natural Resources on Thursday.

The CCS bills below still await a hearing:

Sen. Bill Wheat (R-Ponchatoula) has brought several bills taking aim at CCS and pipeline projects, including the “Louisiana Landowners Protection Act” (SB 60), legislation for local authorization of CCS projects (SB 61), and two instruments related to limiting construction of pipelines in certain areas (SB 62 and SB 63). Repeats of previous anti-CCS legislation will also appear, including local authorization requirements for CCS projects in St. Helena, Grant, Vernon, Beauregard, Sabine, and Allen parishes. Other bills include Rep. Danny McCormick (R-Oil City)’sHB 327, which declares that “carbon dioxide sequestration is illegal without a property owner’s consent.” Rep. Robby Carter (D-Greensburg) has filed House bills 79, which removes the “damage threshold for carbon capture release,” and 80, which “establishes strict liability for damages caused from carbon storage and transportation.”HB 509 requires a public hearing in the parish where a Class V or Class VI well is proposed. Further legislation which provides for compensation for pore space owners (HB 499) has also been filed. Rep. Rodney Schamerhorn (R-Hornbeck) has added a bill that prohibits the importation of captured carbon dioxide into Louisiana for sequestration. Most CCS-related bills will be debated on specific days to come during the Session.

More late-filed bills also address CCS projects: Rep. Robbie Carter’s HB 1136 bars CO² sequestration pipelines from being located in the same right-of-way as petroleum product pipelines. Another bill (HB 1144) from Rep. Chuck Owen (R-Rosepine) requires hazardous liquid pipeline operators to put a 24/7 contact phone number on required signs/line markers, annually certify that the contact information is current and always answered, bars waivers, and makes violations subject to existing pipeline signage penalties. Rep. Neil Riser (R-Columbia) also has a CCS bill (HB 1152) that creates a new CO² Community Safety and Protection program funded by continued post-cap CO² storage fees.

Insurance Bills

Notable insurance bills include HB 95, which provides relative to recovery of damages in an automobile accident when a claimant does not use available health insurance. HB 118 provides a limitation on recovery of general damages in certain circumstances. HB 197 establishes authorized uses, prohibited uses, and penalties for the unauthorized use of artificial intelligence by healthcare providers.

Rep. Gabe Firment (R-Pollock)’s HB 234 re-creates the Department of Insurance for four years, changing the termination date from July 1, 2027 to July 1, 2031. The bill has made it to the governor’s desk. HB 736 from Rep. Kyle Green (D-Marrero) provides for the transparency of setting rates. Rep. Edmond Jordan (D-Baton Rouge)’s HB 794 creates the Louisiana First-Generation Homebuyer Assistance Act.

On the Senate side, SB 100 from Sen. Sam Jenkins (D-Shreveport) provides for proof of insurance of transportation network companies involved in an accident—this bill passed unanimously in the Senate and has been referred to House Insurance. Sen. Jay Luneau (D-Alexandria)’s SB 246 establishes requirements for insurers using artificial intelligence, and it is scheduled for a final Senate vote.

Education Bills

The House will have a final floor vote next week on Rep. Chris Turner’s HB1084. The bill allows Louisiana’s public colleges to raise tuition and fee rates without needing to get legislative approval.

School choice and parental rights have featured prominently in the bills up for consideration. Rep. Michael Melerine (R-Shreveport)’s HB 186 creates the crime of theft of funds from the LA GATOR Scholarship Program.Rep. Ken Brass (D-Vacherie)’s HB 649, pending Senate floor action, would require the establishment and administration of a statewide application process for dual enrollment programs. 

Important bills on teacher pay and workforce include Rep. Mike Echols (R-Monroe)’s HB 558 provides for the adjustment of teacher salary schedules as necessary to reach certain levels relative to the Southern regional average. SB 157 creates the “Parental Leave for Educators Act” and will be debated in Senate Finance next week.

In the arena of school operations and accountability: Sen. Beth Mizell (R-Franklinton)’s SB 82, which requires five-day public school weeks for grades one through 12, awaits a final House vote. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-Pineville)’s HB 578, the Restoring Biological Truth Act, passed in the House with a 74-21 vote and now awaits a Senate referral. In an alignment with federal efforts, Rep. Kim Carver (R-Mandeville) has authored a resolution (HCR 14) which expresses support for eliminating the U.S. Department of Education—this resolution is pending Senate floor action. In the area of public funds usage, Rep. John Wyble (R-Franklinton)’s HB 229 prohibits the use of public funds for certain postsecondary degree programs.

Other Notable Bills

Rep. Debbie Villio (R-Kenner)’s bill to give Louisiana judges another pay raise was unanimously approved on the House floor. The bill, HB 324, carries a cost of $11.5 million. Rep. Tony Bacala (R-Prairieville)’s House-approved HB67, which removes records at clerks of court offices and the ethics board from a law that allows many officials to get certain personal information redacted from online documents, was backed by the Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee on Tuesday. The committee also advanced HB 861, which repeals around two dozen inactive state boards and commissions from state law. 

We will continue to monitor these issues and provide timely updates throughout the session. Please reach out to your SSG team with any questions.