We believe every Louisianan should
have the opportunity to flourish.

Join us to promote individual liberty and free enterprise, turning great ideas into change in Louisiana.

By sharing your phone number and/or email address, you consent to receive emails, calls, and texts from Pelican Action. You may opt-out at any time.

Don’t Just Pay Teachers, Empower Them

Louisiana is now less than one month away from the gubernatorial primary when individuals will vote for governor, state representatives and senators, members of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE), and other statewide elected offices. In the area of education, most candidates are focusing their remarks and written platforms on teacher pay,...

By Erin Bendily, Ph.D.

Poll Shows Strong Support for Tax Reform as Pelican Unveils Plan

Pelican Institute reform plan would flatten personal and corporate taxes, boost jobs in first year. Baton Rouge — As candidates for Louisiana governor debate the future of the state, a new poll shows Louisiana voters strongly support phasing out the state’s income tax while ushering in fiscal responsibility. Today, the Pelican Institute has released a...

By Jamie Tairov, Vance Ginn, Ph.D.

Government Searching For Reasons To Run the Internet

When seeking answers online, where do you typically turn? For many, the immediate response is Google. The ease of typing a question or prompting Siri, which utilizes Google’s search results, has become an integral part of our daily lives. Yet, while we effortlessly enjoy this digital convenience, the federal government is meticulously examining our search...

By Team Pelican

Union Contracts Trample Louisiana Public School Teachers’ and Employees’ Rights

Baton Rouge, Louisiana – The United States and Louisiana Constitutions guarantee religious and political freedom to all citizens, but a new report from the Pelican Institute reveals that collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) between state teachers’ unions and local public school systems in Louisiana curtail the rights of school employees. And, incredibly, some agreements grant union...

By Sarah Harbison

Kirk Williamson: From World Records to Astropolitics, by Way of Louisiana

Are you a community leader in Louisiana looking to deepen your understanding of free-market policy solutions, expand your network, or build up important skills? If so, Pelican Institute’s Leadership Academy is for you, and we will begin accepting applications for the 2024 class in October. In the weeks leading up to the opening of...

By Team Pelican

A Winning Message—and Winning Strategy—for Crime in Louisiana

Louisiana is approaching an important election. As voters are preparing to head to the polls to elect those that will lead our state over the next four years, there are numerous polls being conducted to find out which issues voters care about the most and how they’d prefer that leaders address some of Louisiana’s biggest...

By Jamie Tairov

How Congress Stalling on Spectrum Will Slow Louisiana’s Connectivity

As the scorching heat of a Louisiana summer drives residents indoors, our dependence on internet-connected devices becomes increasingly evident. Yet, for far too many in Louisiana, access to affordable and dependable internet remains a luxury in an era where connectivity has transformed into a necessity. Even with the federal government investing over a billion dollars...

Pelican Institute Welcomes Rachel Jeandron Caluda as New Director of Development

Baton Rouge, Louisiana – The Pelican Institute for Public Policy is proud to announce the appointment of Rachel Jeandron Caluda as its new Director of Development. With an impressive background in law, a passion for community engagement, and a strong commitment to advancing opportunity, Rachel is poised to help the Institute further its mission of...

By Team Pelican

Is Another Fiscal Cliff Coming?

Louisiana’s Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget, the committee of state lawmakers that meets throughout the year to approve state budget-related items, recently met to review the latest five-year budgetary projections. As expected, it doesn’t look good, but it’s important to understand why. Projections FY 2023 FY 2024 FY 2025 FY 2026 FY 2027 Revenues...

By Jamie Tairov

Candidate Questionnaire 2023

Does your candidate support jobs and opportunities in Louisiana? Election Day 2023 is fast approaching. Join us in asking candidates if they support transformational change for Louisiana. Use our candidate questionnaire as a resource.

By Team Pelican

Louisiana Economic Situation—August 2023

Louisiana has many fantastic resources with educated people, eccentric culture, robust ports, abundant oil and gas production, and much more yet poor public policies stifle this potential, highlighted by job losses in July 2023. The Pelican Institute’s “Comeback Agenda” shows the path forward to let people prosper. Table 1 provides Louisiana’s key labor market information...

By Vance Ginn, Ph.D.

Public Comment to BESE: Don’t Water Down Louisiana Graduation Standards

Public Hearing Set for August 25 The official public comment period for the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (BESE’s) proposed new regulations to grant high school diplomas to students who have failed state tests has closed. Sixteen letters – eight from individual citizens and eight from organizations that represent or advocate on behalf...

By Erin Bendily, Ph.D.

LOUISIANA ECONOMIC REPORT: AUGUST 2023

Our new jobs report highlights Louisiana’s economic situation based on the most recent data. The report is based on several key factors that indicate how the economy, labor market, and public policy influence the lives of everyday Louisianans. While some of these data indicate a relatively strong labor market–such as the historically low unemployment rate–there...

By Vance Ginn, Ph.D.

AI: What Are the Real Risks?

A few weeks ago, the White House stunned people all across the world when it convened some of the nation’s largest technology companies and announced a planned executive order regarding artificial intelligence (AI). It wasn’t a celebratory event, as one might expect, to highlight immense advancements in technology, preview how AI can increase educational and...

By Erin Bendily, Ph.D.

Don’t Just Pay Teachers, Empower Them

Don’t Just Pay Teachers, Empower Them

Poll Shows Strong Support for Tax Reform as Pelican Unveils Plan

Poll Shows Strong Support for Tax Reform as Pelican Unveils Plan

Government Searching For Reasons To Run the Internet

Government Searching For Reasons To Run the Internet

Union Contracts Trample Louisiana Public School Teachers’ and Employees’ Rights

Union Contracts Trample Louisiana Public School Teachers’ and Employees’ Rights

Kirk Williamson: From World Records to Astropolitics, by Way of Louisiana

Kirk Williamson: From World Records to Astropolitics, by Way of Louisiana

A Winning Message—and Winning Strategy—for Crime in Louisiana

A Winning Message—and Winning Strategy—for Crime in Louisiana

How Congress Stalling on Spectrum Will Slow Louisiana’s Connectivity

How Congress Stalling on Spectrum Will Slow Louisiana’s Connectivity

Pelican Institute Welcomes Rachel Jeandron Caluda as New Director of Development

Pelican Institute Welcomes Rachel Jeandron Caluda as New Director of Development

Is Another Fiscal Cliff Coming?

Is Another Fiscal Cliff Coming?

Candidate Questionnaire 2023

Candidate Questionnaire 2023

Louisiana Economic Situation—August 2023

Louisiana Economic Situation—August 2023

Public Comment to BESE: Don’t Water Down Louisiana Graduation Standards

Public Comment to BESE: Don’t Water Down Louisiana Graduation Standards

LOUISIANA ECONOMIC REPORT: AUGUST 2023

LOUISIANA ECONOMIC REPORT: AUGUST 2023

AI: What Are the Real Risks?

AI: What Are the Real Risks?

Learn How We Can Write Louisiana's Comeback Story!