Louisiana
Budget deal preserves flood insurance for Louisiana, other states through hurricane season
Congress’ temporary budget deal to keep the government open for three months also keeps the National Flood Insurance Program from expiring in Louisiana and other states during hurricane season.
President Joe Biden officially signed Congress’ continuing resolution Thursday to avoid a government shutdown until Dec. 20, but sets up another funding battle at the end when both sides know who control the White House.
“Our state is still picking up the pieces that Hurricane Francine left behind, and our communities need all the help they can get,” Louisiana Republican U.S. Sen. John Kennedy said of the CR. “I’m thankful we’ve delivered Louisianians additional disaster aid and protected their flood insurance so that the program doesn’t expire in the middle of hurricane season.”
Louisiana Republican U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy also voted for the temporary budget deal that propped up the flood insurance program again before it expired Sept. 30.
“Nobody wants a shutdown,” Cassidy said. “We must keep the National Flood Insurance Program going, put more money into FEMA’s disaster relief fund, continue to pay our troops and give the Secret Service additional resources to protect (former) President Trump. While I’m disappointed the SAVE Act was not included, this bill gives us the time to find a lasting solution without harming Americans.”
The Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE Act) would require people to prove they are U.S. citizens before they can vote. It is already illegal for non-citizens to vote in all federal elections and critics believe it would add barriers for legal voters who can’t easily access their citizenship documents.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson of Shreveport had proposed a six-month budget extension that would have included the SAVE Act, but it failed to pass, necessitating the final deal.
“The best play under the circumstances was the CR with the SAVE Act,” Johnson said ahead of this week’s final deal. “But we came a little short of the goal line, so we have to go with the last available play.”
Trump urged House Republicans to let the government shut down if they did not get the voting legislation passed along with a funding extension. But Johnson told his conference that it would be “political malpractice” to do that so close to an election, citing polling indicating voters probably would blame Republicans for a shutdown.
More: Louisiana Congressman Clay Higgins’ Haitian tweet draws sharp criticism as racist
Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.
METAIRIE, La. (WVUE) – Louisiana insurance officials will hold a press conference Wednesday to acknowledge the retirement of bonds issued after hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple and Louisiana Citizens Property Insurance Corporation leadership will provide an update on the state-backed insurer as hurricane season begins.
The press conference is scheduled for 1 p.m.
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CALVIN, La. (WVUE) – A small community in north-central Louisiana is working to preserve an important piece of its history.
During the Great Depression, the Civilian Conservation Corps put young men to work replanting by hand the state’s only national forest.
The tiny community of Calvin, tucked away in the resulting pine forest, holds only a few other remaining crumbling clues of that work, as Dave McNamara finds in the Heart of Louisiana.
For more, visit the Heart of Louisiana archive here.
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Copyright 2026 WVUE. All rights reserved.
BATON ROUGE, La. (Gray Louisiana) – Louisiana drivers will soon no longer need annual vehicle safety inspection stickers for most personal vehicles.
Gov. Jeff Landry signed House Bill 1085 into law Tuesday morning, ending the state’s mandatory vehicle safety inspection sticker program for most personal vehicles. The bill was authored by Rep. Larry Bagley, R-Stonewall, who has worked for years to pass the change.
The law replaces the current inspection sticker, often called a brake tag, with a $6 QR code sticker tied to the vehicle’s registration.
Fifty-nine of Louisiana’s 64 parishes will abolish the inspection stickers and use QR codes instead. Drivers in East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Livingston, Iberville, and Ascension parishes would still need emissions testing under federal law.
The changes are set to take effect Jan. 1, 2027.
There will be a grace period from June 30 until Jan. 1, 2027. During that time, law enforcement will not issue citations for failing to display an inspection sticker.
Supporters of the bill have argued the inspection process is outdated and inconvenient for drivers. Bagley previously said the QR code would include limited vehicle information, such as the VIN, and would be available to law enforcement through special equipment.
The change will not apply to every vehicle. Some commercial vehicles, school buses and certain farm vehicles would still be subject to safety inspections. Some local governments would also still be able to require local inspections.
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Copyright 2026 Gray Media. All rights reserved.
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