Louisiana
From laundry window to House, Jack McFarland pivotal in budget debates
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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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When it comes to retiring, the best places to do so often are affordable, have a high quality of life and access to quality healthcare.
If you’re looking for a place to retire, Niche has identified the best places for retirees in Louisiana.
In its list, Niche has taken into account factors like weather, crime rates, housing costs and access to amenities.
The 5 best places to retire in Louisiana according to Niche
These are the top five best places to retire in Louisiana, according to Niche.
1. Oak Hills Place
Oak Hills Place is a suburb of Baton Rouge and is the overall best place to retire in Louisiana. This suburb, located in East Baton Rouge Parish, has a population of 9,038 and offers residents an urban suburban mix feel. The area is highly rated for families, diversity, as well as health and fitness. Here, the median home value is $437,900 and the median rent is $1,422, according to Niche.
2. Westminster
Westminster is another suburb of Baton Rouge and is the second-best place to retire in Louisiana. Located in East Baton Rouge Parish, this suburb has a population of 2,559 and offers residents an urban suburban mix feel. This area is highly rated for nightlife, diversity, families, health and fitness, as well as commute. The median home value here is $266,100 and the median rent is $1,482, says Niche.
3. River Ridge
River Ridge is a suburb of New Orleans, located in Jefferson Parish, and is the third-best place to retire in Louisiana. This suburb has a population of 13,312 and offers residents a dense suburban feel. The area is highly rated for public schools, family, nightlife and diversity. The median home value is $357,400 and the median rent is $1,127, according to Niche.
4. Westlake
Westlake is a town in Calcasieu Parish that is among the best places to retire in Louisiana. With a population of 4,743, this town offers residents a rural feel. The town is highly rated for public schools, housing, families, jobs, cost of living, nightlife and weather. Here, the median home value is $166,100 and the median rent is $1,049, says Niche.
5. Prien
Prien is another town in Calcasieu Parish that is among the best places to retire in Louisiana. This town has a population of 7,119 and offers residents a suburban rural mix feel. The town is highly rated for public schools, housing, families, nightlife and weather. The median home value here is $278,000 and the median rent is $1,292, according to Niche.
Presley Bo Tyler is the Louisiana Deep South Connect Team reporter for USA Today Network. Find her on X @PresleyTyler02 and email at PTyler@Gannett.com
A motorcyclist is recovering after a West Monroe crash involving an 18-wheeler, while Chevron won a Louisiana Supreme Court ruling shifting a major coastal lawsuit back to lower courts. Ouachita deputies arrested a suspect and recovered more than a dozen guns, Mississippi passed a new school social-media safety requirement, and Louisiana’s House advanced a unanimous state budget. A new recovery center opened, and multiple weekend events are underway across northeast Louisiana, plus national updates include stock-market stress guidance, a Ford F-150 recall, Spirit Airlines uncertainty, and tax-refund tips.
The supreme court handed a win on Friday to oil and gas companies fighting lawsuits over coastal land loss and environmental degradation in Louisiana.
The 8-0 procedural decision gives the companies a new day in federal court after a state jury ordered Chevron to pay upward of $740m to clean up damage to the state’s coastline, one of multiple similar lawsuits.
Backed by the Trump administration, the companies argued the case belongs in federal court because they began oil production and refining during the second world war as US contractors. They deny responsibility for land loss in Louisiana and say it is wrong to sue them for what they did before state environmental regulations were in place.
Louisiana’s coastal parishes have lost more than 2,000 sq miles (5,180 sq km) of land over the past century, according to the US Geological Survey, which has also identified oil and gas infrastructure as a significant cause. The state could lose an additional 3,000 sq miles (7,770 sq km) in the coming decades, its coastal protection agency has warned.
The Republican governor, Jeff Landry, backed the lawsuits when he was attorney general, despite being a longtime oil and gas industry supporter. Attorneys for local Louisiana leaders say the supreme court appeal was a stalling tactic.
The companies appealed to the high court after jurors in Plaquemines parish – a sliver of land straddling the Mississippi River into the Gulf – found that energy giant Texaco, acquired by Chevron in 2001, had for decades violated Louisiana regulations governing coastal resources by failing to restore wetlands affected by dredging canals, drilling wells and billions of gallons of wastewater dumped into the marsh.
The case is one of dozens of lawsuits filed in 2013 alleging oil giants including Chevron and Exxon violated state environmental laws for decades.
The companies asked the justices to overturn a 2024 decision from the US court of appeals for the fifth circuit that allowed the suit to stay in state court.
Justice Samuel Alito recused himself from the case, saying he had financial ties to ConocoPhillips. He had recused himself from other cases due to his stock holdings.
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