Louisiana
Louisiana toll bridge P3 back on track
Louisiana’s largest and most complex public-private partnership that will replace an aging bridge over Interstate 10 appears back on track after the state’s new administration hammered out a revised agreement with the concessionaire to assuage political opposition.
The modified agreement lowers tolls and includes a 15% equity contribution for local infrastructure, new
Landry, a Republican, took office after Democrat John Bel Edwards was term-limited out of office. Replacing the Calcasieu River bridge was a top priority for Edwards – and former transportation secretary and gubernatorial candidate Shawn Wilson – but until last week it was uncertain whether Landry would continue that commitment.
“I was pretty surprised that they’ve been able to come to a preliminary new agreement as quickly as they have, just because these P3 things are tough and I wasn’t sure how motivated the incoming governor was,” said Baruch Feigenbaum, senior managing director of transportation policy at Reason Foundation. “That’s a pretty positive step for P3s in the U.S.”
The $2.1 billion project includes a replacement of the nearly 70-year-old Calcasieu River Bridge and renovation and widening of the adjacent nine-mile Interstate 10 corridor in southwest Louisiana.
The Louisiana Legislature’s joint Transportation, Highways and Public Works Committee is set to vote on the revised P3 contract Jan. 30.
The committee in October narrowly killed the previous plan amid opposition to the tolls from Republicans and the trucking lobby.
Louisiana Governor’s Office
The committee’s vote to kill the deal prompted federal transportation officials to warn that it would rescind a $150 million Mega grant if an agreement was not reached by Sept. 30.
Landry announced the deal last week with a group of southwest Louisiana lawmakers. The new agreement lowers tolls by an average of 25%, trimming large commercial truck tolls to $8.25 from $12.50 and allowing all local passenger cars to pay 25 cents, on top of the 15% equity commitment to the region, local lawmakers said in a release.
“We are immensely grateful to Gov. Jeff Landry for his unwavering commitment to securing a deal that truly benefits the people of southwest Louisiana,” the lawmakers said. “This approach signifies a new era of inclusive and transparent governance.”
The state last August
It remains to be seen if the tolls and equity contribution, which still lacks details, will require a revamped financing plan, Feigenbaum said.
“Overall these are not huge changes, it doesn’t change the scope or the amount of the project,” he said. “It’s just playing around with the tolls and making it more friendly to some of the local residents.”
The project is structured as a design-build-finance-operate-maintain.
Louisiana, which
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development announced in December that it had extended the deadline for executing the P3 for 60 days, until Feb. 1. The extension provided more time for “further limited negotiations and to secure necessary approvals, with the ultimate goal being to advance the project,” the DODT said in a release.
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New legislation in Baton Rouge would reclassify some illegal gaming-related offenses as racketeering law violations, elevating potential consequences.
Louisiana has already stepped up its enforcement of its gaming laws related to potential illegal gaming but a new bill in the state legislature would give prosecutors’ actions more teeth. The proposal would elevate certain crimes involving unlicensed gaming in the state to a racketeering charge with more severe penalties linked to convictions.
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Louisiana bill changes classification of gaming-related charges
Louisiana Rep. Bryan Fontenot has pre-filed HB 53, which could rewrite the state code as it pertains to unlicensed gaming sites. The legislation has been provisionally assigned to the House Committee on Administration of Criminal Justice, as the 2026 session does not begin until March 9.
Under the proposal, the state’s definition of racketeering would expand to include “gambling, gambling by computer, gambling on cockfights, gambling by electronic sweepstakes, unlawful wagering, and bribery of sports participants.” Under current statutes, racketeering convictions carry penalties of fines of “not more than one million dollars, or imprisoned at hard labor for not more than 50 years, or both.”
Additionally, racketeering convictions that result in sentences of fines of at least $10,000 revoke recipients’ eligibility for parole. The enactment of this bill as currently composed could have a significant impact on the operation of sweepstakes-based online casino sites for real money in Louisiana.
At the same time, many of the companies in that space have already ceased potentially infringing actions within Louisiana.
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Louisiana has already been off-limits for sweepstakes casinos
In 2025, Louisiana gaming regulators and law enforcement took multiple actions to restrict residents’ access to unlicensed platforms for playing casino games online. Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill shared a public notice about the illegality of sweepstakes-based online gaming sites, in addition to issuing cease-and-desist orders to the companies affiliated with those sites. As a result, many of the operators of those sites geofenced Louisiana out of their service areas.
The Louisiana Gaming Control Board supplemented that action with its additional cease-and-desist letters. Fontenot’s bill could add additional weight to these demands if it becomes law.
There is currently no legal framework for playing online casino games or redeeming casino bonus codes in Louisiana. While online sports wagering is legal in most of the state, officials in Baton Rouge have not yet tackled the issue of iGaming.
Even if voters in Louisiana someday do clear the way for the utilization of Fanatics Casino promo codes, that would involve licensed gaming and not affect the implementation of Fontenot’s bill. However, such deliberations do not seem imminent.
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If HB 53 becomes law, Louisiana could levy some of the toughest penalties for illegal gaming activity in the United States. Many potential targets of prosecution have already pulled out of the state.
Driving Louisiana Forward Program
Commerical Driver’s License (CDL) Training
In partnership with the Louisiana Workforce Commission and South Louisiana Community College, this program aims to provide African American males with financial assistance to obtain Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) training, strengthening the resilience and contributions of this key demographic and improving equitable access to workforce opportunities. This initiative aims to reduce high unemployment rates within this community but also focuses on ensuring participants come from rural and economically disadvantaged areas.
Earn your CDL Class A license with this comprehensive classroom and behind-the-wheel program to drive tractor[1]trailers, dump trucks, tow trucks, delivery trucks, tanker trucks, and flatbed trucks.
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Gov. Jeff Landry is asking Louisiana’s congressional leaders to amend the state’s federal judicial districts, citing caseload growth and public safety concerns.
Landry sent letters to Speaker Mike Johnson, Sen. John Kennedy, Congressman Cleo Fields, and Congresswoman Julia Letlow requesting the change.
The request
Louisiana is currently divided into three federal judicial districts: Eastern, Middle, and Western. Landry is asking that West Feliciana Parish be moved from the Middle District to the Western District.
In the letters, Landry cited significant growth in the Middle District and an increased caseload for its judges. He said a major driver of the Middle District docket is Louisiana State Penitentiary.
Public safety argument
Landry said moving West Feliciana Parish into the Western District would improve judicial efficiency and better address public safety needs in East Baton Rouge Parish and the state.
He said East Baton Rouge Parish continues to battle violent crime. According to the Baton Rouge Police Department, recent numbers show violent crime in the parish has decreased.
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