Louisiana
One facet of Louisiana’s public records law is never enforced • Alabama Reflector
Officials in Louisiana will soon be free to disregard state public records law at no risk if Gov. Jeff Landry signs into law a bill that currently sits on his desk. One expert says it will change nothing because courts have never enforced that part of the law anyway.
House Bill 768, sponsored by Rep. Les Farnum, R-Sulphur, repeals a statute within the public records law that makes the records custodian of a government agency personally liable for unreasonably withholding records or failing to respond to a public records request.
Under current law, courts can consider custodian liability when a requester sues the government agency that withheld the records. The custodian can be forced to pay a fine of $100 per day and attorney fees of the person who was denied access to the records.
Farnum’s bill repeals that provision, stating that “no person shall be liable for any penalty … attorney fees and other costs of litigation assessed for failure to comply” with the law. Instead, the government body shall be responsible for such penalties.
Some lawmakers argued public records custodians have little authority in how to respond to requests and merely serve as liaisons between the person making the request and the public official who ultimately decides whether to provide or withhold a record.
During House floor debate on the bill in April, Farnum said it is unfair to hold custodians personally liable because they “are probably very low-paid employees just doing what they’re told to do.”
Current law says differently. Such low-level employees don’t fit the definition of “custodian,” and a government agency can choose whether and whom to designate as an official records custodian. At larger agencies, it is often a division head or staff attorney. Many smaller government offices don’t have a designated custodian. If that is the case, the law defines the custodian as the head of the agency or the official who has actual control over a public record.
Also, current law provides an exception that states a custodian shall not be held personally liable if they deny a records request on the advice of an attorney representing the agency.
Rather than providing a shield for low-paid employees just following orders, Farnum’s bill would likely protect the wallets of officials at the very top who issue those orders to withhold records from the public — shifting the entire financial penalty onto taxpayers.
Some lawmakers during the floor debate pointed out that without personal liability, government officials will have little reason to follow the law when it comes to public records. But according to one public records expert, that is pretty much the situation already in Louisiana.
Scott Sternberg, a First Amendment lawyer who represents members of the Louisiana Press Association in public records disputes, said the legislation is unlikely to make things worse than they already are because courts almost never enforce the custodian liability law.
Sternberg defended The Advocate reporter Andrea Gallo, who then-Attorney General Landry sued in 2021 for filing a public records request with his office. Many critics saw the move as an obvious, if not egregious, violation of the public records law. The judge ruled against Landry but denied the reporter’s claim for penalties under the statute that Farnum’s bill is repealing.
“That’s not [a bill] that I was particularly interested in because it never happens anyway,” Sternberg said in a text message.
Farnum’s legislation sailed through the Capitol with little scrutiny in a session that saw multiple bills that threatened to weaken or repeal state public records law, most spearheaded by the governor.
Sternberg focused more on a measure from Sen. Heather Cloud, R-Turkey Creek, that would have almost entirely negated the public records law, and a proposal by Rep. Michael Melerine, R-Shreveport, that would have exempted the governor from having to follow the public records law. Neither made it through the Legislature.
Also notable was a bill from Rep. Steven Jackson, D-Shreveport, that will allow local governments to hide economic development records from the public for up to two years. That proposal passed the Legislature and is also pending consideration by the governor.
Louisiana lawmakers have gradually chipped away at the state’s public records law, adopting hundreds of changes to revoke public access to a long list of government documents since it was enacted in 1940.
U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow and Jamie Davis, a row-crop farmer in Tensas Parish, won their party runoffs Saturday and will now face off for Bill Cassidy’s U.S. Senate seat in November.
Cassidy, one of seven Republican senators who voted to remove President Donald Trump from office after the January 6th insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in 2021, came in third during the Republican primary in May.
Letlow, who received backing from both Trump and Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, nearly won the primary outright with 45% of the vote. While heavily favored, Letlow lost ground in the runoff to Louisiana Treasurer John Fleming, but still won with at least 57% of the vote.
The Associated Press called the race for Letlow shortly before 9 p.m.
“President Trump, thank you for encouraging me to get into this race, thank you for your endorsement, Louisiana loves you,” Letlow said in her victory speech. The second person she thanked was Landry. Trump later congratulated Letlow on Truth Social.
Davis captured 80% of the vote in the Democratic runoff over New Orleans businessman Gary Crockett. He led in every parish.
“ I’ve always been raised and trained that if you do the work, you should reap a harvest,” Davis said in his victory speech. “I didn’t know what the harvest was going to be, but I knew that we would reap a harvest, and it just happened to be a win to go to the United States Senate.”
Like Letlow, Davis almost captured enough votes in the May 16th primary to win with 47%. His initial runoff opponent, Nick Albares, ended his campaign in late May.
History will be made regardless of the outcome in November.
Davis’ victory Saturday made him the first Black U.S. Senate finalist in Louisiana since Reconstruction.
Letlow is the first Republican woman to represent Louisiana in the U.S. House. If she wins in November, she would be the second woman elected from Louisiana to the U.S. Senate and the first Republican. Democrat Mary Landrieu served in the Senate from 1997 until 2014.
A hotly contested Republican race
The biggest issue Letlow and Fleming, conservative Republicans, appeared to differ on was carbon sequestration: the process of capturing and storing carbon dioxide underground.
Fleming completely opposes projects in the state, while Letlow said she trusts Gov. Jeff Landry to decide what’s best and support his moratorium on new permits.
“If a project is not safe, not transparent, and does not have local buy-in, it should not move forward,” Letlow said.
Fleming, who is MAGA-aligned, said his campaign relied on “grassroots support” and was endorsed by eight parish-level Republican committees and four regional assemblies.
“It’s been a tough year-and-a-half campaigning, but I asked for this,” Fleming said in his concession speech. “I felt that the Lord led me this way. It didn’t turn out as we had hoped, but that’s OK.
“This is a very healthy process, what we have in Democracy, where we battle it out, tough it out and hopefully we get the best.”
Letlow’s platform
Letlow’s political career began in 2020 after her husband, Luke, who had just been elected to the U.S. House, died from complications from COVID-19.
She ran for his seat in a special election, won and later used her platform to encourage people to get vaccinated against the infectious disease.
Letlow, a mother of two who worked in higher education administration before entering politics, has become an increasingly vocal supporter of Trump and of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, a vaccine skeptic.
Her campaign received more than $1 million from the MAHA PAC, a political group affiliated with Kennedy.
Letlow said her proudest legislative accomplishment is a Parents’ Bill of Rights she passed in the House in 2023, which stalled in the Senate.
“The bill gives parents greater transparency into curriculum, school budgets, and what is happening in their children’s classrooms,” Letlow said. “It puts families back in charge and protects children from political agendas that don’t belong in schools.”
She said her top three priorities, if elected to the U.S. Senate, will be border security and public safety, growing Louisiana’s economy and education, including school choice and parents’ rights.
Davis’ platform
Davis, a former Tensas Parish Police Juror, is running on a platform of affordability, healthcare, opportunity and upholding voting rights.
He said he took it personally when Gov. Jeff Landry canceled the congressional race where mail-in ballots had already been cast. The Democratic candidate also attended legislative committee hearings to oppose the 5-1 Republican-favored congressional voting map that the legislature eventually passed and the governor signed into law for use in the November election.
“A national ban on gerrymandering is one of the top things for me, because we need to get past this power grab that’s happening all over the nation. It needs to end so that America can just focus on the issues and not power grabs,” said Davis.
The third-generation farmer said he’ll work toward a new Farm Bill with crop insurance reform.
“So farmers can just have the opportunity to grow a crop, be able to sell it on an open market for a fair price and be able to make an honest living,” said Davis.
The 55-year-old grandfather said he’ll defend Medicaid, strengthen rural hospitals at risk of closing, focus on lowering prescription drug costs and protect Social Security and Medicare and the subsidies that keep premiums affordable.
He also supports a woman’s right to choose when it comes to abortion.
On immigration, Davis said he’s in favor of securing the border but also wants to give immigrants a simple path to citizenship.
Davis has the endorsements of the Louisiana Democratic Party, Congressman Troy Carter, New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno, former opponent Nick Albares and Indivisible groups across the state.
WEST MONROE, La. (KNOE) – The City of West Monroe announced the 2026 Louisiana State Games are coming to West Monroe this weekend, with athletes from across the state set to compete at The Rec at 7th Square.
According to officials matches begin at 6 p.m. Saturday and continue at 1 p.m. Sunday. Spectators are invited to attend and support the boxers.
- Event location: The Rec at 7th Square on 1802 North 7th Street
- Dates: Saturday–Sunday, June 27–28
Admission details, boxer registration information, and sponsorship opportunities are available in the event graphics, here.
Copyright 2026 KNOE. All rights reserved.
NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) – It’s Election Day, and many voters are deciding on some closely watched primary run-offs, which will determine who appears on the ballot in November.
Polls are open as of 7 a.m. on June 27 and will close at 8 p.m. You will still be able to vote as long as you are in line by 8 p.m.
Election coverage
Fox 8 will bring you analysis as the numbers come in. Our election coverage starts at 9 p.m. on our streaming apps and online.
Who’s on the ballot?
Today is the Republican primary runoff between Stephanie Hilferty and John Young for Louisiana Public Service Commission District 1.
And in the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education District 1 race, Joseph Cao and Ellie Schroder are going head-to-head.
Louisiana State Treasurer John Fleming and Congresswoman Julia Letlow face off for the Republican U.S Senate nomination.
This week, a JMC Analytics poll put Fleming five points higher than Letlow.
Gary Crockett and Jamie Davis are the two candidates on the U.S Senate Democratic ballot.
On May 16, Davis got 47 percent of the vote statewide in the Democratic primary. Crockett got 26 percent of the vote.
Fox 8 interviewed the Republican and Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate. You can watch those interviews below:
Voters will also decide how much they want to fund 140 St. Tammany sheriff’s deputies. Fox 8 covered this proposal extensively, and voters can learn more HERE.
New party primary rules
In June 27th’s runoff, voters must stick with the same party they selected in the May election. For example, those who voted Republican in May must vote Republican in this runoff.
However, in the November general election, all voters can select any candidate on the ballot regardless of party.
The Louisiana Secretary of State website lists requirements voters should know before heading to the polls.
What should I bring?
Be prepared to show one of the following before voting:
- a driver’s license;
- a Louisiana Special ID;
- LA Wallet digital driver’s license;
- a United States military identification card that contains your name and picture; or
- some other generally recognized picture ID that contains your name and signature.
Where do I vote?
You can use the Louisiana Voter Portal to find where you vote on election day, or you can call your parish Registrar of Voters Office. Your voter information card, which is sent by mail, lists your polling place.
Click HERE to find your voting precinct by entering personal information, such as your zip code. This method gives you the most specific information.
Can I vote by mail?
In Louisiana, only certain citizens can vote by mail, including:
- military or overseas citizens;
- senior citizens (65+);
- voters with disabilities;
- higher education students & professors;
- religious clergy;
- voters temporarily absent during early voting and election day;
- voters who moved to a new parish more than 100 miles from former residence within 30 days of election;
- persons involuntarily confined to institution;
- sequestered jurors;
- voters hospitalized or who expect to be hospitalized during early voting and election day;
- voters employed upon state waters;
- voters incarcerated for non-felony with sheriff’s certification; and
- participants in the state’s address confidentiality program.
For more information, click HERE.
What if I have a disability?
People with visual impairments and the person assisting them in voting may go to the front of the line at their polling place.
According to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website, a voter is entitled to receive assistance while voting if they are unable to read or unable to vote without assistance because of a physical disability, including being visually impaired. A voter may choose to use the audio ballot instead of receiving assistance.
However, voters must either file a statement with the registrar in person or by mail before the election if they need assistance in voting or complete an affidavit and/or provide specific documentation to the commissioner on election day.
For more information, click HERE.
Rules on advocating
According to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website, you should never wear, hand out, or display anything advocating for or against any candidate, proposition, or political party appearing on the ballot in the election while voting. All polling places have a 600 foot campaign free zone.
To see what exactly will be on your ballot, find polling locations, and more, you can go to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website HERE.
See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.
Subscribe to the Fox 8 YouTube channel.
Copyright 2026 WVUE. All rights reserved.
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