Louisiana
Louisiana takes first steps toward closed primary elections supported by Gov. Jeff Landry
Louisiana is taking the first steps toward changing its elections to a closed primary system favored by new Republican Gov. Jeff Landry as part of a Special Session of the Legislature.
Republican Lafayette Rep. Julie Emerson’s House Bill 17, which is supported by Landry and legislative leadership, would require closed primary elections for federal and state offices and local judges but keep Louisiana’s current “jungle primary” system for most other local races like sheriffs, district attorneys and police juries.
Emerson’s bill is set to get its first hearing Tuesday morning in the eight-day session that began Monday. Currently, Louisiana only conducts closed primary elections for presidential primaries.
In his address to the Legislature, Landry called Louisiana’s current system in which all candidates regardless of party run against each other in an open primary where all voters can participate “a relic of the past which has left us dead last.”
“It is time to rewrite our story and move to a similar system we have already tried, tested and still use in presidential primaries today,” Landry said.
In a closed primary system, recognized political parties would have their own elections with the winners advancing to a general election in which all voters could participate. Candidates without party affiliations would automatically advance to the general election.
Louisiana’s jungle primary system, in which the two candidates who received the most votes regardless of party affiliation advance to the general unless a candidate takes more than 50% of the votes, is unique in America, although there are many other states with some form of open primary elections.
Supporters in both camps each released competing polls they paid for that bolstered their arguments.
One good government group, Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana, directly opposes closed primaries and a second, Council for a Better Louisiana, said the short session doesn’t provide enough time to fully debate its merits.
“The unnecessary switch could cost more, confuse voters and disenfranchise those that don’t belong to either the Republican or Democratic party,” PAR said in a commentary. “The Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana believes the public receives no benefit from such a move.”
Louisiana Republican U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy has been the most prominent political voice supporting keeping the current system.
“It’s going to cost $90 million, money that could be spent on roads, making our streets safer and lowering the cost of property and casualty insurance instead of spent on more elections,” Cassidy said of moving to closed primary election. “It disenfranchises 800,000 Louisianans who are no party. Sorry, you’re not in our club. We’re not going to let you in.”
But Landry, fresh off his stunning outright primary win last fall, wields enormous power out of the gate with a super majority of Republicans in both the House and Senate who aren’t likely to buck the governor this early in his reign.
He won election to Congress more than a decade ago during Louisiana’s brief experience with closed primaries and has has long supported making the switch permanent.
“It is fair and it is common sense,” he said. “And, for our independent or no party voters who by their own choice decide not to join a political party – their voice is heard and counted … on a simpler, shorter, clearer November election ballot containing generally one Democrat, one Republican and ballot qualified independent candidates.”
More: Jeff Landry calls session to draw new congressional, Supreme Court maps, change elections
Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1.
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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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