Press Releases

Release: Pelican Institute Unveils Ambitious Campaign for Transformational Policy Change

Release: Pelican Institute Unveils Ambitious Campaign for Transformational Policy Change

Today, the Pelican Institute for Public Policy released “Louisiana’s Comeback Agenda,” a bold vision for policy change in Louisiana and a statewide campaign to support the effort. The agenda is intended to serve as a guide for lawmakers, candidates, and community leaders to spark discussion and debate toward proven policies to bring jobs and opportunity...

By Chris Lowery

SCOTUS Rightly Concerned Over Executive Overreach In Student Loan Cases

SCOTUS Rightly Concerned Over Executive Overreach In Student Loan Cases

Sarah Harbison, General Counsel at the Pelican Institute Center for Justice, released the following statement after the Supreme Court held oral arguments in Biden v. Nebraska and Department of Education v. Brown regarding the Biden Administration’s student loan debt cancellation program: “The Justices were rightly concerned that forgiving half a trillion dollars in student loan...

By Chris Lowery

Agenda for Solutions Summit 2023!

Agenda for Solutions Summit 2023!

There’s still time to reserve your spot at Solutions Summit 2023!. This year’s summit will be held on March 9th at the Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center. You can sign up here to reserve tickets. Throughout the Summit, attendees will hear about Louisiana’s most pressing issues and discuss the roadmap for solving them. Our morning keynote...

By Aly Rau

Solutions Summit 2023: Registration Is Now Open!

Solutions Summit 2023: Registration Is Now Open!

Registration for Solutions Summit 2023 is now open! The Pelican Institute for Public Policy will host its annual Solutions Summit on March 9th, bringing policy experts and elected officials from across the country and state together to discuss the most critical policy issues facing Louisiana. Our previous Summits were huge successes and featured speakers such...

By Aly Rau

Release: Louisiana’s Sales Tax System is Unconstitutionally Complex

Release: Louisiana’s Sales Tax System is Unconstitutionally Complex

For media inquiries, please contact Chris Lowery at (225) 726-1822 or chris@pelicaninstitute.org New Orleans — Yesterday, Halstead Bead’s attorneys filed a reply brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. The brief is part of its legal challenge to Louisiana that forces out-of-state small businesses to comply with an overly complex local tax...

By Chris Lowery

Statement: BESE Elects New Leadership

Statement: BESE Elects New Leadership

For media inquiries please contact Chris Lowery (225) 726-1822 or chris@pelicaninstitute.org. BATON ROUGE–CEO of the Pelican Institute, Daniel Erspamer, released the following statement after BESE elected new leadership: “Congratulations to Holly Boffy, Preston Castille, and Ronnie Morris on their election as officers to the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education. We thank former president Jim...

By Chris Lowery

STATEMENT: Pentagon Ends COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate After Pelican Center For Justice Filed Lawsuit

STATEMENT: Pentagon Ends COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate After Pelican Center For Justice Filed Lawsuit

For media inquiries, please contact Chris Lowery (225) 726-1822 or chris@pelicaninstitute.org. New Orleans — General Counsel for the Pelican Center for Justice, James Baehr released the following statement after the military vaccine mandate was ended. This comes on the heels of a recent lawsuit the Center filed on behalf of Master Sergeant Robert W. Galey, Jr....

By Chris Lowery

Solutions Summit 2023

Solutions Summit 2023

On March 9th, 2023, the Pelican Institute will be hosting our 2023 Annual Solutions Summit at the Hilton Capitol Center in Baton Rouge. Solutions Summit attendees will get an exciting opportunity to listen and engage with high-profile policy, community, and legislative leaders from Louisiana and around the nation. (Read about past summits!) Throughout the day,...

By Aly Rau

Release: Fort Polk Master Sergeant Files Suit Against Biden Administration Over Religious Exemption Denial for Vaccine Mandate

Release: Fort Polk Master Sergeant Files Suit Against Biden Administration Over Religious Exemption Denial for Vaccine Mandate

For media inquiries, please contact Chris Lowery (225) 726-1822 or chris@pelicaninstitute.org. New Orleans–Today, the Pelican Center for Justice filed suit against the Biden Administration in the Western District of Louisiana. The suit was filed on behalf of Master Sergeant Robert W. Galey, Jr., and seeks an injunction against the administration’s unjust COVID-19 vaccine mandate for...

By Chris Lowery

Release: Pelican Institute Releases New Report: “Crime In Louisiana: Analyzing the Data” 

Release: Pelican Institute Releases New Report: “Crime In Louisiana: Analyzing the Data” 

For media inquiries please contact Chris Lowery (225) 726-1822 or chris@pelicaninstitute.org. New Orleans—On Wednesday, the Pelican Institute for Public Policy released a report titled “Crime in Louisiana: Analyzing the Data.” The report is a data-driven look at Louisiana’s crime numbers and seeks to inform the ongoing debate over criminal justice policy with real facts and...

By Chris Lowery

Statement: Department of Education Releases K-12 School Performance Scores

Statement: Department of Education Releases K-12 School Performance Scores

For media inquiries please contact Chris Lowery (225) 726-1822 or chris@pelicaninstitute.org. BATON ROUGE–CEO of the Pelican Institute, Daniel Erspamer, released the following statement after the Department of Education released their K-12 school ratings. The release comes just days after BESE rejected a proposal that would’ve made the ratings more transparent: “When Louisiana’s accountability system isn’t transparent,...

By Chris Lowery

Statement: BESE Rejects Accountability Measure

Statement: BESE Rejects Accountability Measure

For media inquiries please contact Chris Lowery (225) 726-1822 or chris@pelicaninstitute.org. BATON ROUGE– CEO of the Pelican Institute, Daniel Erspamer, released the following statement after BESE board members voted to reject a proposal that would’ve made Louisiana’s K-12 accountability system more transparent: “BESE failed Louisiana’s kids today, siding with a deeply entrenched education status quo to...

By Chris Lowery

Release: Pelican Institute Sues Biden Administration On Student Loan Debt Cancellation

Release: Pelican Institute Sues Biden Administration On Student Loan Debt Cancellation

For media inquiries please contact Chris Lowery (225) 726-1822 or chris@pelicaninstitute.org. Today, the Pelican Institute for Public Policy filed suit on behalf of Louisiana attorney Tommy Badeaux, challenging the Biden Administration’s illegal student loan debt cancellation program. ”You can’t carte blanche cancel half a trillion dollars of debts owed to the taxpayers without consulting them,”...

By Chris Lowery

Release: Statement From The Pelican Institute On Freeport-McMoran Deal

Release: Statement From The Pelican Institute On Freeport-McMoran Deal

For media inquiries please contact Chris Lowery (225) 726-1822 or chris@pelicaninstitute.org. Baton Rouge — CEO of the Pelican Institute, Daniel Erspamer, released the following statement after the Department of Natural Resources usurped the wishes of Lafourche, St. Mary, St. Martin and Iberia Parishes, and signed for them in the proposed Freeport-McMoran settlement: “Government bureaucrats and trial...

By Chris Lowery