Today marks the two-year anniversary of when Jeff Landry was sworn in as the state’s 57th governor. Political analyst Bernie Pinsonat says Landry’s biggest accomplishment was the tax reform legislation he urged legislators to approve in 2024.
“The changes he made to our tax system to encourage a business to move to Louisiana. He removed a lot of the state income tax, which was what everybody said we needed to compete. He did it,” Pinsonat explained.
A flat income tax rate of 3% went into effect on January 1st, 2025.
One month after he took office in January 2024, Landry called a special session that resulted in several tough on crime bills being passed, including legislation that rolled back reforms approved in 2017.
His first year in office also saw the passage of a bill that requires public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom. The courts have yet to rule if that legislation is constitutional, but the governor also signed bills that prohibits public school teachers from discussing sexual orientation, and a transgender bathroom ban was enacted. Pinsonat says Landry will focus more on economic development in the next two years of his term.
“A lot of the social issues, they were able to accomplish and get that behind them. Then he had a good session on crime. So, I think you’re going to see him stay away from a lot of the controversial issues that he really doesn’t need to get involved in,” Pinsonat said.
Pinsonat says Landry has done a good job in getting most of his legislative agenda approved. The Louisiana Senate failed to go along with his idea for a constitutional convention, and Landry has received criticism for getting too involved in LSU athletics, the firing of AD Scott Woodward and having a live tiger on the field for the 2024 Alabama game. Pinsonat says those missteps have not hurt him too much.
“His overall accomplishments, which he does a good job of bragging about, far outshadow the little petty stuff that he’s been involved in,” Pinsonat noted.