Pelican Responds to Settlement in Oil and Gas Lawsuits

By Ryan Roberts
03/04/2021
Today, despite the lack of support expressed by state lawmakers, local elected officials, and industry leaders across the coast, state officials announced they have signed onto a proposed agreement seeking to settle coastal land loss claims against a single defendant that no longer operates in Louisiana. The following is a statement from Daniel Erspamer, chief executive...

TAGS: coastal restoration, lawsuit abuse, legal reform

Last Jobs Report of the Year A Mixed Bag

12/29/2020
by Eric Peterson, Director of Policy During the holiday season, Louisianans have more on their mind than the latest state economic reports. Yet as we enter the New Year, it’s important to understand where our state’s economy stands. Two reports, one from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the other from the Bureau of...

TAGS: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau Of Labor Statistics, COVID-19, Economic Analysis, Economy, Gross Domestic Product, jobs and opportunity, lawsuit abuse, legal reform, occupational licensing, regulatory reform, tax reform

Latest Jobs Report Has Bad News for Louisiana

By Daniel J. Erspamer
10/24/2020
This hasn’t been a year of positive news. Over the last few months, however, there have been some bright spots for Louisiana and the nation’s economies, as they have been steadily moving in the right direction. But, the latest jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics has some sobering news for those who expected...

TAGS: Bureau Of Labor Statistics, COVID-19, Economy, jobs and opportunity, legal reform, tax reform

July Sees Major Spike in Louisiana Unemployment Claims

07/09/2020
Following the revelation that Louisiana suffered one of the worst Q1 economic declines in the nation, today’s weekly unemployment claims announcement contains even more bad news for Louisianans. Despite remaining steady over the past six weeks, the Department of Labor reports the week of July 4 saw a 45 percent increase in the number of...

TAGS: Budget, Department of Labor, Get Louisiana Working, legal reform, Unemployment Insurance, Unemployment Rate

Louisiana Economy Appears Stuck in Neutral

06/19/2020
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) recently reported that America gained 2.5 million jobs in the month of May, leaving many in Louisiana wondering how that would translate to the state’s economy. This morning’s BLS report showed Louisiana gaining almost 33,000 jobs in May, leading to a decline in the unemployment rate of 1.8 percent. The state’s...

TAGS: Department of Labor, jobs and opportunity, legal reform, tax reform, Unemployment, Unemployment Insurance, Unemployment Rate

Pelican Statement: Governor Vetoes Key Legal Reform

06/12/2020
Today, Gov. John Bel Edwards vetoed a critical piece of legal reform legislation. Louisiana’s judiciary has adopted a practice to ignore legal liability limits and other protections, instead allowing aggressive plaintiffs to sue entrepreneurs of all sizes. This impacts everyone from small mom and pop shops to large oil and gas companies. HB 313 by Representative...

TAGS: corporate veil, Get Louisiana Working, legal reform, single business enterprise

Pelican Unveils Policy Solutions to Get Louisiana Working in the Aftermath of COVID-19

04/30/2020
Today, the Pelican Institute released its Get Louisiana Working Policy Solutions. This plan outlines reforms to key public policy areas to encourage the return of jobs and opportunity and to strengthen the state’s economy following the destruction resulting from COVID-19 and measures taken to address it. The Pelican Institute is also calling on state leaders...

TAGS: Budget, COVID-19, Criminal Justice Reform, Get Louisiana Working, infrastructure, jobs and opportunity, lawsuit abuse, legal reform, occupational licensing, re-entry ready, regulatory reform, tax reform, transportation

Louisiana’s 2019 GDP Ranked Among The Worst in Nation

04/07/2020
As economic news continues to focus on the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bureau of Economic Analysis’ (BEA) recently released report further underscored Louisiana’s pre-coronavirus economic struggles. In the final quarter of 2019, the BEA report on state Gross Domestic Products (GDP) showed the Louisiana economy grew an anemic 1.1 percent, ranking 43rd in...

TAGS: Bureau of Economic Analysis, Jobs, jobs and opportunity, Labor, legal reform, occupational licensing, tax reform