Louisiana

From laundry window to House, Jack McFarland pivotal in budget debates

Published

5 months ago

February 16, 2026

Press Room

From laundry window to House, Jack McFarland pivotal in budget debates

Louisiana House Appropriations Chairman Jack McFarland began his political career after interacting with local officials at his dry-cleaning business.
McFarland, a Republican, is known for his deep knowledge of the state budget and his willingness to work across party lines.
He has prioritized fiscal discipline while also supporting funding for programs like SNAP food benefits and teacher stipends.
Colleagues describe McFarland as people-centered, focusing on what is best for Louisiana residents rather than partisan politics.

BATON ROUGE — When people think of Jack McFarland, they think of the clean-cut, white-haired logger from Winnfield who knows the state budget inside and out as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. What many don’t know is that his career in politics came from something as simple as doing others’ laundry.

When McFarland worked behind the drive-thru window at his dry-cleaning business in Winnfield, Louisiana, he would strike up conversations with customers, including the mayor and sheriff.

“It puts you in the middle of all the politics,” McFarland said. “I met a lot of people.”

He would listen to the complaints the officials had about one another. Then, he would help negotiate solutions.

It was those conversations that helped kick-start McFarland’s interest in a political career — one that led him to be president of the Winn Parish Police Jury, a Republican state representative from District 13 and now one of the most influential people at the Capitol as the Legislature prepares for its spring session.

McFarland, 56, is a conservative who supports fiscal discipline, gun rights and a ban on abortions. But his power comes from his deep knowledge of the budget and his willingness, even in hyper-partisan times, to work with Democrats and talk to advocates across the political spectrum about how to improve the lives of Louisiana residents, including those who are struggling financially.

“Jack’s leadership and decisions were really people-centered, not partisan-centered,” said former Rep. Jason Hughes, a Black Democrat who was the vice chair of the House Appropriations Committee before joining the New Orleans City Council last month. “His guiding question was, ‘Is this good for Louisiana? Is this good for our people?’”

Hughes said McFarland wanted to ensure that every House member had a chance to weigh in on the budget.

“He really loves Louisiana,” Hughes said. “He was committed to fairness for all members of the House and really wanted to see every parish, all 64 parishes, in our state thrive. Parties honestly never came up in our conversations and in our negotiations.”

One example came last fall when the federal government shutdown threatened to disrupt SNAP food benefits, which 18% of Louisiana residents rely on. McFarland worked closely with Gov. Jeff Landry and Republican State Senate President Cameron Henry to make state funds available if needed to keep the assistance flowing.

McFarland said at the time that it was “the Christian thing to do.” He added, “I’m disappointed in the federal level that this population is being held hostage by either party, but I’m also disappointed that anybody would think that people like this should be used as leverage.”

McFarland’s district — which encompasses four parishes in North Louisiana — is rural, isolated and impoverished. Roughly 40% to 45% of those residents rely on Medicaid, and some had to travel at least an hour to see a doctor until federally supported healthcare centers were established in the district.

“Jack is very compassionate when it comes to his constituents,” said Katie Murray, McFarland’s legislative assistant.

McFarland also pays attention to detail. In one part of his laundry business, for instance, he let customers pick the detergents they wanted to use.

“These are the types of things that gained the public’s trust,” he said. “Looking back, it was a good precursor for where I am at.”

When he became the president of the Winn Parish Police Jury in 2008, he quickly resolved debt and other financial issues.

“He treated the jury like a business,” said Karen Tyler, the jury’s secretary-treasurer. “He ran a great office.”

McFarland recognized that the parish garbage tax was collecting more than was needed. With a vote from residents, he put two-thirds of the extra money toward improving existing roads and one-third toward new roads.

When McFarland was elected state representative in 2015, he made a point of entering tough conversations with colleagues, asking them questions and giving his stance on issues. One topic he wanted to master was Louisiana’s budget.

According to McFarland, fewer than 25% of the legislators really understand the budget. But money runs everything.

During his first term, McFarland attended meetings about the budget and met with Henry, who was then the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee before becoming president of the State Senate.

McFarland’s determination landed him a spot on the Appropriations Committee, and he became the chair in early 2024.

As chairman, McFarland is responsible for leading the review and advancement of a $46.9 billion budget for all state agencies and programs.

He has helped find millions of dollars for public teacher stipends. But he also has been cautious about tapping too far into state reserves to expand other spending.

“Everyone wants lower taxes,” McFarland said. “To do that, we have to find a way to be better stewards with the taxpayers’ dollars.”

He has also been involved in recent compromises over spending on one of Gov. Landry’s centerpiece programs, LA GATOR, which provides state money to families to help pay for private school education.

Landry sought more than $90 million for the program last year. But Senate Republicans would agree to only half that amount, and a replay of that debate is coming this spring.

Landry has proposed a standstill budget overall for the coming fiscal year. But the state could face budget shortfalls of more than $300 million a year after that. McFarland also wants to prepare for that.

“The only way we can do that is to continue to work with our agencies to diminish wasteful spending, to continue to identify those opportunities when we can save dollars and not create more recurring expenditures,” he said.

McFarland got out of the laundry business years ago but still runs McFarland Timber, a logging-services company that caters to both professional builders and DIY enthusiasts.

He has two years left in the House before he hits his term limit. Talk of McFarland running for state treasurer has been circulating, though he has not decided what comes next.

“As long as I feel like I’m doing something for the people, that’s what I want to do,” he said.

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Louisiana

$604 Mega Millions jackpot has Louisiana players dreaming big

Published

4 hours ago

July 8, 2026

Press Room

4 Mega Millions jackpot has Louisiana players dreaming big

ST. MARTIN PARISH — As the Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $604 million, excitement is growing in St. Martinville, where a quick stop at a convenience store has many imagining what they would do if they won.

The jackpot, the largest Mega Millions prize offered so far this year, drew plenty of attention at Simmis Mart. Some customers were ready to buy tickets, while others simply enjoyed thinking about the possibilities.

Charlotte Wilson said she has noticed that major lottery jackpots often seem to be won outside Louisiana, but that has not stopped her from hoping.

“When they do hit it’s always out of state. It’s never in Louisiana in a little small town, but if you do hit and I win!” Wilson said.

The excitement extended beyond customers. Store employee Vicky Williams admitted she would not mind seeing some of the jackpot come her way.

“I need to get some of that. I could use some of that money,” Williams said.

Among those purchasing a ticket was Shakina Hart, who said playing the lottery is something she has done before, “I’ve played it in the past, but never won the Mega Millions, so yes, I’m hoping I’m winning on this,” Hart said.

For Wilson, hitting the jackpot would be about more than the money. She already knows exactly how she’d put it to use.

“First of all, I’ll buy me a house and a nice car, and I’ll take care of the homeless people because they have a lot of those that need somewhere to live who are hungry and homeless,” Wilson said.

Hart said her priorities would center on her family, especially her children’s education.

“I have one that wants to be a lawyer and one that wants to be a doctor, so the money would definitely help with their school funding and basic care needs,” Hart said.

The next Mega Millions drawing is scheduled for Friday July 10th. While the odds of winning remain long, the growing jackpot has many people holding onto the same thought: What if their numbers are the ones called?

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Louisiana

Leadership Louisiana Health Fellows Welcomes Inaugural Class – Leaders for a Better Louisiana

Published

14 hours ago

July 8, 2026

Press Room

Leadership Louisiana Health Fellows Welcomes Inaugural Class – Leaders for a Better Louisiana

Nearly 40 years after launching Louisiana’s premier statewide leadership development program, Leaders for a Better Louisiana is proud to announce the inaugural class of Leadership Louisiana Health Fellows, marking an important new chapter in the organization’s longstanding commitment to developing informed, connected leaders equipped to address the state’s most pressing challenges.

Building on the proven model and legacy of Leadership Louisiana, the Health Fellows program brings together leaders from across healthcare, business, public policy, higher education, philanthropy, and community organizations to gain a deeper understanding of the systems, opportunities, and challenges shaping health outcomes across Louisiana. Throughout the year, fellows will participate in immersive sessions across the state, engaging directly with healthcare providers, researchers, policymakers, workforce leaders, and innovators while exploring the issues that influence the health and well-being of Louisiana’s people and communities.

“The strength of Leadership Louisiana has always been its ability to bring together accomplished leaders from different sectors and regions to learn from one another while developing a broader understanding of our state,” said Sheree Blanchard, Director of Leadership Louisiana. “The Health Fellows program extends that tradition by focusing on one of Louisiana’s most significant opportunities for improvement. We are excited to welcome this outstanding inaugural class.”

The inaugural class represents a broad cross-section of Louisiana’s healthcare and civic leadership, with participants serving in hospitals, health systems, higher education, business, nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and community-based organizations throughout the state. Together, they bring diverse expertise and perspectives that will strengthen dialogue and collaboration around Louisiana’s health challenges and opportunities.

“From the beginning, our vision was to create a program that mirrors the excellence and impact of Leadership Louisiana while taking a comprehensive look at the many factors that influence health outcomes,” said Blanchard. “This first class reflects the caliber of leadership we hoped to attract, and we look forward to watching these fellows build lasting relationships and develop new ideas that will benefit communities across Louisiana.”

Leadership Louisiana has graduated more than 1,600 leaders over nearly four decades, creating one of the state’s strongest cross-sector leadership networks. Leadership Louisiana Health Fellows builds on that foundation by providing participants with a focused exploration of Louisiana’s healthcare landscape while reinforcing the program’s longstanding commitment to collaboration, informed leadership, and service to the state.

The 2027 Health Fellows class will begin its yearlong experience this summer with sessions held in multiple regions of Louisiana.

View the complete roster of the Leadership Louisiana Health Fellows inaugural class.

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