Louisiana
Louisiana governor vetoes political deepfakes bill | StateScoop
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry has vetoed a bill that would have made it illegal to deceive voters through the use of artificial intelligence-generated deepfakes.
While similar legislation outlawing the use of deceptive audio, images and videos for political purposes has passed uncontroversially in a growing number of other states, Louisiana’s governor claimed such a law infringes on the First Amendment rights of AI companies.
“While I applaud the efforts to prevent false political attacks, I believe this bill creates serious First Amendment concerns as it relates to emerging technologies,” Landry wrote of his veto last month. “The law is far from settled on this issue, and I believe more information is needed before such regulations are enshrined into law.”
Louisiana’s law would have held that: “No person shall cause to be distributed or transmitted any oral, visual, digital, or written material containing any image, audio, or video of a known candidate or of a person who is known to be affiliated with the candidate which he knows or should be reasonably expected to know has been created or intentionally manipulated to create a realistic but false image, audio, or video with the intent to deceive a voter or injure the reputation of a known candidate in an election.”
In vetoing the bill, the governor also pointed to a resolution directing the state’s Joint Legislative Committee on Technology and Cybersecurity to make recommendations on how the state should be using AI, a process that’s also underway in many other states.
Landry also vetoed a bill that would have required deepfake media to be watermarked, a new requirement in Connecticut, among other states.
Convincing deepfake media threatens to undermine a political process already being confused by social media algorithms. Numerous states are rushing to minimize the potential harm that generative AI tools could wreak on the nation’s information landscape. Arizona, Florida and Wisconsin are among the states that have passed laws adding AI provisions to laws designed to prevent deception in political campaigns.
Megan Bellamy, vice president of law and policy at Voting Rights Lab, recently told StateScoop that deepfakes are an especially pernicious threat to democracy.
“AI-generated content can grab the voter’s attention, reach them faster and spread in more of a viral way than state board of elections and county board of elections and all of these trusted sources can overcome,” she said.
In Arizona, repeatedly failing to label AI-generated political materials, or doing so with the intent to incite violence, was this year made a felony.
Landry, a Republican who formerly served as the state’s attorney general, also currently finds himself amid other controversies — he signed a law last month that will require public classrooms to display the Ten Commandments. The American Civil Liberties Union said it plans to file a lawsuit, a fight it won at least once, including in 2002 when the group’s Maryland branch dismissed a lawsuit against the City and County of Frederick for displaying the biblical text in a public park.
Yasin Gungor
19 April 2026•Update: 19 April 2026
At least eight children were killed and two others were wounded in a shooting in the US state of Louisiana, local police said Sunday.
Shreveport Police Department spokesperson Christopher Bordelon said officers responded to the shooting just after 6 am (1100GMT), following a domestic disturbance call.
The age of the deceased ranged from one to 14 years, he said, adding that the incident involved at least 10 individuals across four separate locations.
The suspect attempted to flee by carjacking a vehicle and driving to neighboring Bossier City, where police located and shot him dead.
Bordelon said Shreveport police officers pursued the suspect’s vehicle into Bossier, where three officers discharged their firearms, killing him. He said investigators believe the suspect was the only person who opened fire at the locations.
Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux described the attack as “maybe the worst tragic situation we’ve ever had,” adding: “It’s a terrible morning.”
No immediate information was available about the condition of the injured.
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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
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