Reports | Pelican Policy

Uncovering the Grade: A look into Louisiana’s school accountability system

Accountability is the bedrock of all education reforms in the United States. Testing and understanding the progress of students within a school illuminates the effectiveness of the curriculum and, in part, the instruction at the school level. Louisiana has had nearly three decades. of experience in developing and refining its accountability system, long before federal law...

By Sarah Harbison

Drones in Louisiana: Helping the Pelican State Take Flight

The Louisiana economy is struggling, with 155,000 missing jobs in the state since the start of 2020 alone. As the drone industry continues to rapidly grow, Louisiana has a unique opportunity to be a leader in bringing this unique innovation, and jobs that come with it, to the Pelican State. Read the full report HERE

[REPORT] Medicine in a Digital World

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed many paradigms of daily life. While the necessary adjustments have been disruptive, they also present an opportunity for innovation. One lesson from the health care sector during the pandemic is that overly-restrictive regulations can limit much needed innovation in our health care system. Early in the crisis, many governors acted...

Sandboxes will Bring Innovation to Louisiana

Sandboxes are alternative regulatory frameworks for companies with innovative products or business models. These companies still have to meet consumer protection requirements, but don’t have to work through years of red tape. Sandboxes have been introduced both across the country and the world. States like Utah, Wyoming, and Florida have all embraced sandboxes. A study...

Reforming Medicaid in Louisiana

Medicaid enrollment in Louisiana has exceeded initial projections — As of November, 2017, 450,610 people were enrolled, as opposed to the 306,000 that were projected. Because of increased spending on Medicaid, Louisiana has ignored other priorities in the State, such as education and transportation. The Congressional Budget Office thinks that continued reliance on Medicaid will reduce...

By Daniel J. Erspamer

Improving Louisiana’s Business Climate

Louisiana’s business climate consistently ranks among the worst in the nation. The state’s heavy tax burden is already enough to stifle economic investment. Adding Louisiana’s long-standing reputation as a legal swampland further discourages the economic growth needed in the state. Furthermore, the state’s massive and inefficient regulatory environment serves as another major barrier to job...

By John Kay

Reforming the Legal & Regulatory System in Louisiana

Louisiana’s current legal and regulatory environment stifles opportunities for job seekers and working families as more and more businesses move out of state in search of places with fairer, more predictable policies. While Republican and Democratic lawmakers have avoided major reforms over the last two decades, the state’s business and legal climate has continued to...

By Sarah Harbison

Restoring the Right to Earn a Living: A Common-Sense Solution to Occupational Licensing Job Barriers

Louisiana has a problem — a licensing problem. Louisiana has some of the most onerous and unusual licensing requirements in the country. The state also ties for first in licensing the most lower-income professions in the country. An occupational license is a government permission slip to work in one’s chosen field. Occupational licenses have been...

By Daniel J. Erspamer

The Cost of Lawsuit Abuse: An Economic Analysis of Louisiana’s Coastal Litigation

Louisiana has a serious litigation problem when it comes to the state’s economic growth. Economic theory indicates that with increased risk of lawsuits against oil and gas producers comes less investment, and more specifically, less drilling activity. When the risk of getting sued increases, the expected costs faced by companies increases and as a result,...

By Sarah Harbison

Reforming Criminal Justice in Louisiana

Louisiana’s long history as the most incarcerated state in America has not served its citizens well. The legacy of heavy imprisonment has burdened the state with massive social and financial costs. But with a wealth of new data and exceptional bipartisanship on this issue, it’s time for Louisianans to demand better from their criminal justice...

By Sarah Harbison

A Quality Education for Every Louisiana Resident

Louisiana cannot have a bright economic future without a workforce equipped with the skills and training necessary to compete in a 21st century economy. Revamping Louisiana’s educational system stands as an economic imperative—and a moral one, too. Ensuring that every child has access to a high-quality education of their choosing will help ensure that every...

By Daniel J. Erspamer

Reforming Local Government in Louisiana

Many lawmakers have spent the past several years trying to convince the citizens of Louisiana that their state government has a revenue problem. It does not. Rather, the state has a spending problem—one caused in large part by a governance problem. To put it bluntly, local and state government in Louisiana have a dysfunctional relationship,...

By Daniel J. Erspamer

A Tax Reform Plan to Unlock Louisiana’s Economic Potential

Budget Reform: A Jobs and Opportunity Agenda for Louisiana

Over the past several years, Louisiana has lurched from budget crisis to budget crisis, with lawmakers gathering for costly special sessions to patch together yet another stopgap solution. But after years of short-term thinking, policy-makers must at long last embrace a more comprehensive, holistic approach, to prevent the conditions that created the crises in the...

By Daniel J. Erspamer