Legal & Regulatory

To bring jobs and opportunity back to Louisiana, the state needs to ensure a friendly, fair, and legally consistent legal and regulatory environment. Louisiana’s history of litigation abuse and government red tape continues to stifle opportunities for job seekers and working families to find good-paying jobs as businesses flee Louisiana for states with fairer, more predictable policies. Louisiana’s burdensome regulations and state government overreach only hinders our ability to create quality jobs for hard-working Louisiana families. Regulatory reform that limit strict government oversight is necessary to prevent jobs and opportunity from fleeing Louisiana to neighboring states currently experiencing economic booms.

Federal Judge Blocks Overreaching Government Mandates on Head Start

Today, a judge in Louisiana’s Western District ruled that the federal government cannot mandate Head Start program teachers, staff, and volunteers in twenty-four states to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, nor can it require that adults and students wear masks. This ruling marks the second time the Pelican Institute and Liberty Justice Center clients have stopped...

By Sarah Harbison

REPORTS

The Proposed Freeport McMoran Settlement: Ineffective by Design

A Principled Pathway to a Model Louisiana Constitution

Environmental Credits: Do They Live Up To Their Promises?

The Proper Role For States In Antitrust Lawsuits

Memo: Information about the Freeport/Mosaic Settlement Agreement

Lawsuit Abuse is Not a Solution for Louisiana’s Coast

In Louisiana, we have a knack for running job creators off to our neighboring states. One of the clearest examples of pushing businesses out of Louisiana is the slew of frivolous lawsuits levied against oil and gas companies that have caused countless jobs and opportunities to leave our state. A 2019 study found that two...

By Ryan Roberts

Steps to Build a Model Louisiana Constitution

Louisiana’s 1974 constitution has outlived its usefulness. Since its ratification more than forty years ago, the Louisiana constitution has more than doubled its size through the amendment process. It contains over 72,000 words and voters have approved 203 amendments to date. By contrast, the U.S. Constitution, which was ratified in 1789 and provides a framework...

By Sarah Harbison

OpEd: Coastal Credit Schemes Are a Paper Tiger for Coastal Restoration

Originally Appeared in the Center Square For years, frivolous lawsuits levied by a few coastal parishes against hundreds of oil and gas companies have created a chilling effect that has stopped investment and pushed countless jobs out of Louisiana. While Louisiana’s coastline is a vital resource that protects our state from natural disasters, these lawsuits...

By Daniel J. Erspamer

New Orleans Cracks Down on Small Businesses

Fresh off a decisive re-election victory, New Orleans Mayor, LaToya Cantrell has decided to begin “coordinated sweeps” to crack down on unregistered food vendors operating pop-up venues across the city. The city is attempting to generate tax revenue by cracking down on these entrepreneurs. New Orleans has misdiagnosed the problem and failed to realize that...

By Raheem Williams, Ryan Roberts

RELEASE: New Report Uncovers the Truth Behind the Proposed Freeport-McMoRan Settlement

The Pelican Institute’s report shows that despite claims that the proposed Freeport-McMoRan settlement would help the coast, there will be questionable impact on coastal restoration. For media inquires contact Ryan Roberts at ryan@pelicaninstitute.org NEW ORLEANS– Lawsuits targeting oil and gas companies with the promise of bringing dollars for coastal restoration have had a chilling effect that...

By Ryan Roberts

How States Should Think About Antitrust

There are fewer policy topics more talked about, and less understood than antitrust. Many Americans are aware that the government has from time to time broken up companies when they have amassed too much power, but how do we know when that line has been crossed? How should market power be balanced against benefits to consumers...

163,000 State Regulations Stifle Opportunity in Louisiana

Last week, A new report from FreedomWorks Foundation came out grading all 50 states on the openness and transparency of their regulatory processes. While laws are passed through the legislative process, regulations are created by government agencies not always subject to check by the people, even though most go through a comment period or some...

By Daniel J. Erspamer

How Does a Veto Override Session Work?

It’s official. As of midnight on Thursday, July 15, 2021, the Louisiana legislature is heading into its first-ever veto session. Legislators will meet to consider the 28 bills passed this session that were subsequently vetoed by the governor. Among the bills vetoed are a fiscal transparency requirement for school boards, a bill that would allow...

By Sarah Harbison

Changes to the Public Records Request Laws are a Potential Roadblock to Government Transparency

Louisiana’s public records statutes are designed to facilitate, rather than hinder, public access to records. In enacting these statutes, the legislature recognized that the public has a right to know about the decisions and deliberations that are part of the policy-making process. Unfortunately, a bill that would annihilate public access to government records is currently...

By Sarah Harbison

Its Time to Bring Reform to the River Pilots

Louisiana has a long history of boards and commissions that lock out competition and exert enormous political pressure. The board that oversees river boat pilots on the Mississippi River is the clearest example of a system that hinders true government reform that our state desperately needs. Never heard of the river boat pilot board? You’re...

By Daniel J. Erspamer

Emergency Powers Bill Passes Committee, Statement from Pelican CEO

Today, the Louisiana House and Government Affairs Committee passed House Bill 4, which will add checks and balances to Louisiana’s emergency declarations process. Pelican Institute CEO Daniel Erspamer released the following statement in response to the passage of the legislation: “Balancing executive power in Louisiana’s emergency declarations process has become one of the most consequential issues...

By Daniel J. Erspamer