Governor Landry backs bill to crack down on insurance rates
NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — Governor Jeff Landry testified in support of House Bill 576 this morning, calling for major changes to how insurance companies do business in Louisiana.
The bill would give the state more control over what insurance companies can charge, specifically granting the insurance commissioner greater authority to reject auto insurance rate hikes that are deemed excessive, unfair or discriminatory.
Landry said the legislation is meant to remove roadblocks that have prevented meaningful rate regulation in the past—including lengthy hearings, unclear burdens of proof and automatic rollbacks of competitive market designations.
Meet the man in charge of the beautiful landscaping at The Windsor Court
'I want our insurance commissioner to be successful,' Landry said. 'I really believe that there's not one person in this room, or in this state, that doesn't want him and that department to be successful. However, we are consistently top three in the nation in the highest auto insurance rates in the country.'
Supporters say it's about holding insurance companies accountable and protecting consumers, however, critics, including Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple, warn the bill could actually backfire, pushing insurers out of the state, shrinking competition, and driving prices even higher.
Right now, the average cost of car insurance in Louisiana is nearly $4,000 a year—more than double the national average. Homeowners are feeling it even more, with premiums nearing $14,000 annually.
Mayor LaToya Cantrell to attend African American Mayors Association conference in D.C.
The bill comes in response to a shrinking insurance market, a problem made worse by years of devastating hurricanes that forced many insurers to leave the state. That's left Louisiana residents with fewer options and skyrocketing premiums.
'Insurance companies continue to report record profits. I am going to beg y'all to stop the circus,' Landry said.
The 2025 Regular Legislative Session must adjourn by Thursday, June 12.Governor Landry backs bill to crack down on insurance rates
WATCH: Southeastern baseball coach Bobby Barbier previews series vs. UTRGV
Meet the man in charge of the beautiful landscaping at The Windsor Court
Drugs found in squash at South Texas port of entry, CBP says
NFL Draft Analyst Matt Miller breaks down the New Orleans Saints' first round options
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
American Press
6 hours ago
- American Press
Ethical dilemma for Landry: Governor faces charges while his lawyer seeks changes for future claims
Louisiana's Republican Gov. Jeff Landry. (Associated Press Archives) Louisiana is poised to adopt new measures that watchdogs warn raise barriers to holding public officials accountable via the state's ethics board. The legislation was drafted by the personal attorney of Republican Gov. Jeff Landry, who faces charges brought by the board for violating state ethics laws. Proponents say the measures give those accused of ethics violations more opportunities to respond to allegations, increases transparency and limits abuses of a process they claim is often unjust. But watchdog groups — and the Board of Ethics — warn the changes will undermine the board's ability to hold public officials accountable. While the changes would not apply to Landry's current charges, the legislation further bolsters the governor's power over a state board largely made up of his own appointees. Having overwhelmingly passed in the House and Senate this week — only three lawmakers voted against it — the bill awaits Landry's signature. Republican Rep. Gerald 'Beau' Beaullieu, who sponsored the bill, said it was brought forth after officials complained that the board's investigation process was 'more like being investigated by the Gestapo.' Landry's office declined to comment. Another bill would share the names of complainants with officials they are accusing of wrongdoing, as well as limit the board's ability to launch investigations. Governor's lawyer behind legislation Landry's private attorney, Stephen Gelé, drafted the legislation, which the governor supports. Gelé is defending Landry against ethics charges brought in 2023 for undisclosed free plane rides to Hawaii when he served as the state's attorney general. Gelé said negotiations are progressing to 'amicably resolve the charges.' Last year, Gelé warned lawmakers that the ethics board's investigatory powers are 'dangerous, unwarranted, and threaten well-established fundamental constitutional rights' and he has sought to rein them in with new legislation. The bill's supporters say it gives the board more discretion about whether to pursue investigations and bring charges, cuts down on waste of taxpayer dollars and strengthens due process rights for the accused. Yet these changes are raising red flags. In a letter to lawmakers, the Board of Ethics warned that the bill's requirement to share copies of all subpoenas with officials under investigation allows them to 'influence a witness's documents or responses.' Critics say the bill undercuts the board's authority by granting local courts the power to quash investigations, gives officials opportunities to run out the clock on the board's one-year timeline to bring charges and prevents the board from investigating violations that were disclosed by public officials seeking the board's advisory opinion. The bill also requires a two-thirds board vote to approve an investigation into a sworn complaint and another two-thirds vote on whether to file charges. Current policy requires only majority votes. Barry Erwin, president of the Council for a Better Louisiana, a nonpartisan government accountability group, said the bill's two-thirds vote requirements constitute a 'high bar to overcome' for a board of political appointees. 'I just think in real life, in very political situations, it's hard for some of these board members to act with the independence in the system we had before,' Erwin said. A bill that will reduce complaints The other bill under consideration — which Gelé said he did not craft and Landry has not publicly supported — would require anyone bringing an ethics complaint to disclose their name and file the complaint in person at the ethics board offices in Baton Rouge. The bill passed in the House with only seven lawmakers opposed and is pending final passage in the Senate. In a legislative committee hearing, David Bordelon, general counsel for the ethics board, warned that the bill would enable officials 'to intimidate a witness or potentially alter information that's requested.' Bordelon said the measure would 'drastically reduce the number of complaints.' The legislation's sponsor, Republican Rep. Kellee Hennessey Dickerson, said her bill is part of a fight for 'truth' and 'justice.' 'For those of us who have been through it, it helps develop peace of mind, knowing who your accuser is, especially when you are spending thousands upon thousands of dollars to try and clear your good name,' said Dickerson, who was fined $1,500 for an ethics violation in 2023. She argued people frequently file complaints to harass their political opponents. Bordelon countered that the board dispassionately evaluates complaints and provides the accused with the opportunity to defend themselves if charges are brought. The bill also prevents the ethics board from launching investigations based on non-governmental sources such as media reports. Governor dominates state ethics board Following legislation passed last year, the governor directly appoints nine of the board's 15 members, with the Legislature appointing the rest. Officials with the legislative and executive branches now have more control over those who may be tasked with investigating them, watchdogs note. 'It's gone from a process that was as much arm's length away from politics as we could make it, and we had it that way for many years, to a process now that is very much more political than we've ever seen it,' Erwin said. 'It's going to be very difficult for the board to act in a way that guarantees that kind of oversight we want to have.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Broader campaign spending with less public disclosure still looms in Louisiana
The Louisiana Legislature is advancing legislation that would allow politicians to spend their campaign funds on a broader group of expenses, including country club memberships and gym fees, while providing less transparency about who provided the money. (Photo by Julie O'Donoghue/Louisiana Illuminator) The Louisiana Legislature is advancing legislation that would allow politicians to spend their campaign funds on a broader group of expenses, including country club memberships and gym fees, while providing less transparency about who provided the money. House Republican Caucus Chairman Mark Wright, R-Covington, is the sponsor of House Bill 693 and said several elected officials and campaign finance experts had input on the proposal. The 101-page legislation makes 'little to no change in substantive law' and mostly brings 'practices that have been followed for decades' into the state code, Wright said at a Senate and Governmental Affairs Committee meeting Wednesday. Louisiana's Ethics Administration David Bordelon, who is in charge of enforcing the state's campaign finance laws, had a different take. While the legislation reinforces some of the state ethics board's guidance on campaign finance, it also 'undoes' previous instruction the board has issued about political spending, he said at the same meeting. Republican Gov. Jeff Landry is the driving force behind this massive campaign finance rewrite. Two private attorneys for Landry, Stephen Gelé and Charles Spies, helped draft the proposal. Gelé and Spies are representing the governor in charges he faces from the ethics board over failing to disclose trips he took on a political donor's private plane to Hawaii in 2021. That case isn't affected by Wright's legislation. Gele said the bill is meant to correct over-enforcement of campaign finance laws. The ethics board's aggressive posture has impeded on the public's right to free speech and political expression, he said. 'That right is burdened when you have to pay lawyers and accountants significant amounts of money to make sure you are complying with the law or to fight ethics complaints over the law,' Gele told lawmakers in the committee hearing. Landry, as governor, stands to benefit more from the loosening of campaign finance restrictions than any other elected official in the state. He has more money in his campaign accounts, and his reelection campaign in 2027 will likely be the most expensive. Wright's legislation makes it easier for politicians to raise money and curbs existing public disclosure of that fundraising. It also explicitly permits politicians to spend their campaign cash on expenses the ethics board has been scrutinizing. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Spending more freely As one example, the bill would enshrine the right to spend campaign money on 'events related to the Mardi Gras celebration in Washington D.C.,' a five-day celebration that takes place every year in January. Lawmakers have complained in recent months that the ethics board was questioning their Washington Mardi Gras expenses. But who the board might be scrutinizing hasn't been disclosed publicly because its investigations are confidential. Senate committee members pushed back on other carve outs for campaign spending in the bill. On Wednesday, the committee removed a provision that would have allowed political funds to go toward paying parts of candidates' home mortgages and utility bills. They also tweaked language in the bill permitting politicians to cover their country club dues, gym memberships and Louisiana Mardi Gras krewe fees with campaign funds. The Senate committee replaced the words 'country club' and 'health club' with 'private club' in the legislation. They also added a clause requiring politicians who want to use their money for club memberships to produce 'a preponderance of evidence that the expense was not for personal use.' This means dues for country clubs, gyms and Mardi Gras krewes could still be covered with campaign cash, but the politician might be asked to justify the expense. 'Be very careful about using campaign funds for subsidizing your lifestyle,' said Sen. Greg Miller, R-Norco, who offered the amendment at the committee meeting. 'I don't think we want to encourage that.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE Less disclosure on campaign spending While allowing candidates to spend more freely, the bill includes provisions that would lessen the amount of information available to the public about political donations and spending. Wright's legislation raises the dollar-amount threshold at which a political donation or expense has to be included on a public campaign finance report more than 20 times. For example, the current law requires campaign contributions and expenditures that are over $200 and given within 20 days ahead of an election to be reported on a public campaign finance report within 48 hours. The proposed law would increase that threshold to $5,000. Individuals who are not political candidates or explicitly with a political committee could also spend money on an election without disclosing contributions they accepted for the politicking under the legislation. These nontraditional political campaigns would also only have to disclose campaign spending if it was over $1,000 and included 'express advocacy.' In the bill, 'express advocacy' is defined as political communication that features phrases like 'vote for' and 'defeat' or that includes the candidate's name and the office they are seeking. More subtle campaign expenditures – those that don't mention an election or involve public advertising – wouldn't have to be disclosed by sources that aren't overtly political. Initially, this legislation also eliminated all campaign finance reporting requirements for ballot proposition campaigns, such as state constitutional amendments and tax millages. Wright backed off those changes when they proved unpopular. The bill needs at least three more votes to pass, including from the full House and Senate. Those must be taken before the legislative session ends Thursday.
Fox News
2 days ago
- Fox News
SEN ROGER MARSHALL: Trump's One Big, Beautiful Bill will keep our border the most secure it's been in history
Our country stands at a crossroads. Thanks to President Donald Trump's and Homeland Security Secretary Noem's leadership, our border is secure. We can either capitalize on this success and give law enforcement the resources it needs to keep it secure by passing the One Big, Beautiful Bill, or we can let the sacrifice of our men and women on the ground be in vain. Considering the sheer size and prior dismantling of our southern border, what Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Coast Guard, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have managed to accomplish is remarkable. They cut daily encounters with illegal aliens by 95%, seized billions of dollars worth of cocaine and over 3,000 pounds of illicit fentanyl, and deported hundreds of gang members and terrorists. On day one of President Trump's second term, he deployed the U.S. military to help secure our border and protect our homeland. This includes Kansas' own 1st Infantry Division, or "The Big Red One," stationed at Fort Riley, which has been deployed to Fort Huachuca in Sierra Vista, Arizona. Recently, I traveled to the southern border alongside law enforcement officers from Kansas – to personally thank these soldiers and all CBP officers for their service. What I saw was encouraging – morale is high and there is a clear hop in their step. However, resources are stretched thin, and their work is far from over. A full one-third of the cameras used by CBP to monitor the border are not working. While the administration has built nearly 80 miles of border wall, the CBP relies on these cameras to cover the areas that lack a wall. We need those cameras and a completed wall to ensure that no future president can throw open our border to the entire world ever again. CBP also patrols nearly 2,000 miles along the southern border – much of it in hostile and difficult terrain. Yet, its vehicle fleet is simply not up to the task. Cartels are now trying to circumvent our closed land borders by smuggling drugs over the high seas. At the same time, the Coast Guard – charged with securing our maritime border – is facing its greatest readiness crisis since World War II. Its fleet of cutters is aging, a lack of manpower and funding caused six stations to be shut down, and under Biden, it missed its recruitment goals for four straight years. Secretary Noem has stopped the bleeding, and new recruits are flooding in, but only Congress can give the service what it needs to shut the cartels down once and for all. Under Biden, over 1.7 million illegal immigrants evaded Border Patrol. These are the worst of the worst: dangerous gang members, terrorists and violent criminals. ICE is quite literally so successful at arresting these criminals that they are running out of space to house them as they prepare them for removal. And, without sufficient ICE officers on the ground, we will never be able to fulfill President Trump's mandate to deport 1 million illegal aliens per year. Our brave men and women in law enforcement and the military need more funding, they need more materials and they need more personnel. Now that the House has passed the One Big, Beautiful Bill, we must step up and get it to President Trump's desk. Passing this bill is the only way we can ensure that our border stays secure. It will provide more than $46 billion to finish building the border wall and fix those broken cameras. It also appropriates $1 billion for CBP to replace its inadequate vehicle fleet. The Coast Guard will receive $21 billion to help it acquire new cutters, airframes and 15,000 new coasties. Every dollar spent will help them break up smuggling networks and keep fentanyl – the deadly drug that has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans – out of our communities. The bill will also provide ICE with the funding it needs to hire and train 10,000 new agents – reinforcements that are much needed. ICE officers are facing down some of the worst criminals in our country every day, and they are facing a 412% increase in assaults. Just the other week, an ICE officer was injured while arresting a criminal alien. ICE needs backup, and it needed it yesterday. Super Bowl-winning teams know that in the offseason, the work doesn't stop. New players must be drafted, trained and prepped for another championship run. We have bought ourselves a hard-earned reprieve, but the invasion may resume if we fail to capitalize on our success. The men and women out there, on the ground, are fighting the good fight. They have our backs every day. Now, we need to return the favor. It is the very least the Senate can do to give them the tools they need to win that fight. Pass the One Big, Beautiful Bill.
