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Residents unhappy with Louisiana insurance crisis under Jeff Landry, Tim Temple, poll shows

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2 years ago

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Residents unhappy with Louisiana insurance crisis under Jeff Landry, Tim Temple, poll shows


Louisiana voters, unhappy with a property insurance crisis that has caused intense rate hikes, are broadly dissatisfied with Gov. Jeff Landry and Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple’s handling of the issue, according to a statewide poll conducted for the Times-Picayune | The Advocate.

The poll reflects an enduring angst Louisianans feel about property insurance, which has become dramatically more expensive after a dozen insurers went bust following the 2020 and 2021 hurricane seasons and a number of others fled the state. The poll surveyed 800 voters around the state, primarily by cell phone, from April 22-26. It has a margin of error of 3.5%.






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The results point to a political problem for Landry and Temple, both Republicans who took office in January. While Landry enjoys high approval ratings on most issues the poll covered, voters disapproved of his handling of insurance by a net 39 points, a notable outlier in the poll.

For Temple, who took office in January after running unopposed, the problem may be more dire. The poll found that he is unknown to many voters, and that he is underwater with the ones who do know him – perhaps because they associate him with a crisis. Only 21% have a favorable opinion of Temple, while 28% have an unfavorable view.

“It’s an issue that I think the voters are very upset about,” said pollster Ron Faucheux. “When they have an opportunity to state an opinion, it’s pretty negative toward what’s going on. It was by far the biggest negative that the governor has right now.”

The poll comes just after the Legislature passed a sweeping package of bills championed by Temple that would allow insurers to drop policyholders and raise rates more easily, among other things.

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050724 Insurance crisis graphic

Temple, a former insurance executive whose strategy has been endorsed by the insurance industry, argues the effort will attract more insurers to the state, and that the resulting competition will drive down rates. He has remained confident the plan will work, and has encouraged people to blame him if it doesn’t.

“Louisianans are clearly frustrated by the poor property and auto insurance markets they’ve had to deal with for years now,” Temple said Monday in response to the poll’s findings. “I’m frustrated, too. That’s why I’m focused on solutions that will help Louisiana families and businesses by addressing the availability and affordability of insurance in our state.” 

Several of the bills are awaiting the signature of Landry, which is expected. Landry’s office didn’t respond to an email seeking comment. 

The poll results may reflect voters’ basic frustration with the cost of insurance as much as they reflect policy disagreements with Landry and Temple. But to the extent voters are familiar with Temple or his strategy, they tend to disagree with it. Asked about one key change Temple pushed – eliminating a longstanding and unique rule barring insurers from dropping policyholders after three years – 68% of voters said they disagreed with it.

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Even if Temple’s plan to foster competition does work, it could take years for homeowners to feel the effects. Even then, some analysts believe Louisiana will likely continue to see relatively high rates because of rising climate risks.

Landry and Temple both took office in January, meaning they’ve had little time to enact changes that could improve the tumultuous insurance market, which has seen years of rate hikes.

Temple wanted Landry to call the Legislature into a special session to take on insurance shortly after the two were sworn in. But the governor has not made insurance a top issue, and instead held special sessions on redistricting and crime.

Voters appear dissatisfied with Landry’s efforts so far: Those polled said they disapprove of his handling of the insurance issue by a 60%-21% margin.

Not surprisingly, perhaps, the poll found a geographic split, with people in coastal South Louisiana far more perturbed about insurance than those in Central and North Louisiana. It was the No. 1 issue for 23% of those polled in South Louisiana, compared to 13% in the rest of the state.

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Kimberly Powell, who has lived in a townhome in Baton Rouge for 12 years, said her premiums have skyrocketed, squeezing her finances. Her friends in New Orleans are in the same boat, and she said people are being priced out of living in Louisiana generally.

Insurance, she said, is her top issue.

“There are a lot of problems related to that insurance question,” said Powell, who said she votes mostly for Democrats. “Nothing I’ve seen from the current administration seems like it would have the slightest possibility of making things better.”

The only thing she’s heard state leaders like Landry and Temple doing is making it easier for insurers to drop policyholders, which she believes will only worsen the problem. Powell said she’d like to see leaders bolster the insurer of last resort, Citizens, into a viable safety net.

“My salary is not doubling every year,” Powell said, even though insurance premiums are.

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Read next: Louisiana voters so far approve of Jeff Landry’s politics, poll shows. Here’s why.

Read next: Jeff Landry, Louisiana lawmakers went too far on permitless concealed carry, poll shows

How the poll was conducted

Faucheux Strategies, a nonpartisan research firm based in Louisiana, interviewed a representative sample of 800 registered voters across Louisiana between April 22-26.

Trained professionals conducted the interviews by telephone; 79% of them were contacted on cell phones and 21% on landlines.

The calls were based on a scientifically selected, random sample of state voters. The racial composition of the sample was 64% White, 30% Black and 6% other. For this poll, “independent” includes people who have no party affiliation and people who are affiliated with a third party. The poll’s margin of error is +/- 3.46%.

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Louisiana’s public universities could break with longstanding accreditor. Here’s why.

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10 hours ago

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April 14, 2026

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Louisiana’s public universities could break with longstanding accreditor. Here’s why.


As higher education bureaucracy comes under scrutiny nationally, Louisiana’s public universities might soon be allowed to seek alternatives to the accreditor that has evaluated institutions in the state for over a century.

The potential change comes as some conservative leaders like President Donald Trump and Gov. Jeff Landry criticize excess spending in higher education and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

Some administrators say, however, that the problems with accreditation lie less with DEI and more with the inefficiency of a geography-based system.

Senate Bill 304 would permit public universities to break with their longstanding accreditor, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, or SACS. The bill follows the recommendations of a task force Landry created last year to review accreditation in the state and consider membership in the newly founded Commission for Public Higher Education.

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At the time he created the task force, Landry said CPHE could be “an alternative to the out-of-touch accreditation system” and that “this task force will ensure Louisiana’s public universities move away from DEI-driven mandates and toward a system rooted in merit-based achievement.”

That alarmed some faculty and higher education advocates, who feared it would impose a political agenda on the accreditation process.

Now, as the Legislature considers SB304, supporters are talking less about political motives. Instead, they say the current system of regional accreditors is obsolete — and that accreditors need to focus more on how universities can operate efficiently.

Cameron Howell, senior adviser at the newly founded commission, urged the public to review its educational standards, which he says are in line with common higher education practices.

“I think what you’ll see is a small-C conservative approach to achieve efficiencies, to lower costs and to make for a process that is less burdensome,” he said.

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“That, I don’t think, is about politics,” he added.

And some state and federal leaders say it might no longer make sense to have regional accreditors. Instead, they argue the organizations should be focused on the type of institution — in this case, public universities.

“We moved from geography, everybody being SACS, to having a broader ability if they are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education,” said Commissioner of Higher Education Kim Hunter Reed.

Why does accreditation matter?

Accreditation is the process of evaluating schools to ensure they meet acceptable education standards. Universities that are not accredited by an approved organization cannot receive federal financial aid dollars.

The Southern Association of Colleges accredits 41 institutions in Louisiana and hundreds more throughout the South, according to February 2026 organizational data. LSU has held continuous accreditation from the organization since 1913.

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The association did not respond to a request for comment.

Though the bill under consideration in the Legislature does not mention the Commission for Public Higher Education specifically, it comes up frequently when the bill is discussed. Landry’s task force also recommended Louisiana join and gain a board seat on the organization.

The commission was launched in 2025 by institutions in six southern states: the State University System of Florida, the University System of Georgia, the University of North Carolina System, the University of South Carolina System, the Texas A&M University System and the University of Tennessee System.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis heralded the commission when it was unveiled in June last year as “an alternative that will break the ideological stronghold” and end “the activist-controlled accreditation monopoly.”

The organization itself does not claim a political ideology. Howell said its standards adhere to conventional norms in the higher education sector.

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He said the commission’s goal is to save universities money in the accreditation process and maximize efficiency, which he argued the commission can achieve by specializing in working with public institutions.

“Having a regional approach to something made sense operationally and economically,” Howell said. “We work in a world now where travel and communication are easier to bridge over long distances and where we can go about devising accreditation on the basis of public mission.”

Higher education standards

President Donald Trump made overhauling higher education bureaucracy a focus of his education department, issuing an executive order in April 2025 that urged increased competition in the accreditation sphere, prioritization of intellectual diversity among faculty and lower costs for students.

Louisiana’s accreditation reform will align with both Trump and Landry’s interests, Reed said.

SB304 “was a result of the governor’s executive order saying we want to support the Trump administration’s interest in broadening competition around accreditors,” Reed said.

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Though sometimes juxtaposed politically, SACS and CPHE do not contain references to politics in their accreditation standards (in CPHE’s case, draft accreditation standards, as the commission is not yet formally recognized by the U.S. Department of Education).

They share criteria on institutional integrity, sound finances and a commitment to “continuous improvement.” Both include references to academic freedom, though CPHE goes a step further to include a standard for “intellectual diversity.”

The proposed law mandates that universities must be accredited through an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, so Louisiana’s institutions would need to maintain their SACS accreditation for the time being even if it passes.

CPHE plans to finalize its application by summer 2027, Howell said, with the timeline for approval then set by the U.S. Department of Education.



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Louisiana State Police investigating deadly hit-and-run involving bicyclist

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22 hours ago

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April 14, 2026

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Louisiana State Police investigating deadly hit-and-run involving bicyclist


Louisiana State Police investigating deadly hit-and-run involving bicyclist

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THE DRAFT STARTS AT 6:00. ALL RIGHT. ALSO WARM. TURNING TO WEATHER NOW A LIVE LOOK OUTSIDE ON YOUR MONDAY. WARM AND BREEZY. A COUPLE OF CLOUDS OUT THERE, BUT OVERALL A BEAUTIFUL START TO THE WORKWEEK. YEAH AND NO RAIN. LET’S GET STRAIGHT TO WDSU FIRST WARNING WEATHER METEOROLOGIST JIM SIREN. IT’S GOING TO BE PRETTY NICE ALL WEEK. YES IT IS. WE MAY SEE A COUPLE OF SPOTTY SHOWERS AS WE LOOK A LITTLE FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD, BUT MAYBE I’M OVERPLAYING THAT CHANCE FOR RAIN JUST BECAUSE WE NEED THE RAIN. HOWEVER, AS WE LOOK FARTHER DOWN THE ROAD, NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE A COLD FRONT, BUT WE HAVE A REAL GOOD CHANCE FOR RAIN, I THINK. BUT THAT’S IN THE EXTENDED EXTENDED FORECAST RIGHT NOW. SHORT TERM THINGS ARE LOOKING GOOD. PONTCHARTRAIN CONSERVANCY CAMERA SHOWING US MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES AND WITH THE SUNSHINE, WE’VE MADE IT TO THE MID 80S IN A COUPLE OF SPOTS. 85 BOGALUSA WE’RE AT 83 IN BATON ROUGE, 81 THE CURRENT TEMPERATURE IN SLIDELL. I ACTUALLY OVERHEARD A COWORKER SAY, IT’S KIND OF HOT TODAY AND I GUESS 85 DEGREES IF YOU’RE WORKING IN THE YARD. YEAH, THAT’S KIND OF HOT WINDS RIGHT NOW AT ABOUT TEN, 12, 15MPH. SOUTHEASTERLY WINDS BECOMING A BIT MORE SOUTHERLY BY MIDWEEK. THAT WILL BRING US A LITTLE MORE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE. THE DEW POINT TEMPERATURE IS GOING TO COME UP. WE’VE EVEN SEEN SOME WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 20MPH HERE OVER THE LAST HALF HOUR OR SO. SO A BREEZY DAY TODAY, A BREEZY DAY TOMORROW. OFFICIALLY RIGHT NOW AT LOUIS ARMSTRONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. WINDS BECOMING SOUTHERLY AT ABOUT 13 WITH A DEW POINT OF 61. THAT DEW POINT LIKELY COMING UP JUST A LITTLE BIT BY WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. IN THE SHORT TERM THOUGH, LET’S ENJOY THE NICE BREEZY WEATHER CLOUDS INCREASING TO THE WEST OF US, BUT IT’S REALLY HIGH PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE THAT’S GOING TO BRING US THE SOUTH TO SOUTHEASTERLY WIND TODAY, BECOMING MORE SOUTHERLY BY WEDNESDAY. THAT’S WHEN WE COULD SEE A FEW SPOTTY SHOWERS. BUT THE REAL THING THAT’S GOING TO CHANGE OUR WEATHER A LITTLE BIT IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE A COLD FRONT THAT’S GOING TO BE HERE THIS WEEKEND. WILL IT HOLD TOGETHER AS OF RIGHT NOW? I THINK SO. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS US THIS. A LOT OF DRY AIR THAT’S GOING TO BE MOVING IN. SO TOMORROW I THINK IS GOING TO BE ANOTHER DAY WITH PLENTY OF SUNSHINE. ANY CLOUD COVER, JUST LOW LEVEL CUMULUS CLOUDS THAT REALLY WON’T BUILD INTO ANYTHING. LET’S GO HOUR BY HOUR. AND FIRST OF ALL, SHOW YOU THE EVENING WALK AROUND THE BLOCK AFTER DINNER. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. TEMPERATURES ARE GOING TO BE IN THE LOW 70S ON THE NORTH SHORE. ACTUALLY LOW 70S, JUST ABOUT EVERYWHERE. CLOUD COVER, VERY LIMITED. STILL A LITTLE BIT BREEZY TOMORROW MORNING, BUT RATHER THAN THE 50S, WE WOKE UP IN THE 50S OVER THE WEEKEND. NOW WE’RE GOING TO BE IN THE LOW 60S ON THE NORTH SHORE, MID TO UPPER 60S IN THE METRO. A TOUCH MUGGY, BUT THAT BREEZE STILL AT ABOUT 5 TO 10MPH. TOMORROW, ANOTHER MOSTLY SUNNY DAY WITH A HIGH TEMPERATURE IN THE LOW TO MID 80S. BOGALUSA. LOOKS LIKE YOU’LL GET TO THE MID 80S AGAIN TOMORROW. NOW HERE COMES THE CHANGE ON WEDNESDAY. AND GRANTED, IT’S NOT A MAJOR CHANGE, BUT HERE’S A SOUTHERLY WIND. SO THIS MODEL IS ACTUALLY PICKING UP ON 1 OR 2 SHOWERS IN THE MORNING. I THINK THIS MODEL MAY BE A LITTLE AGGRESSIVE, BUT IN THE AFTERNOON A FEW MORE SHOWERS. WE’RE PUTTING A 20% CHANCE FOR SHOWERS IN THE FORECAST ON WEDNESDAY AS WELL AS THURSDAY. IF YOU SEE A SHOWER, COUNT YOURSELF AS ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES AND YOU’LL NOTICE THAT THOSE SHOWERS SHOULD BE VERY, VERY LIGHT AT BEST. SLIGHTLY BETTER CHANCE FOR RAIN THIS WEEKEND. LET’S TRACK THIS COLD FRONT. SATURDAY, 7 A.M. GETTING CLOSER TO US BY 7 P.M. CLOUDS STARTING TO INCREASE JUST A LITTLE BIT. IT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE THIS FRONT IS GOING TO BRING US A LOT OF RAIN IN 24 HOURS AGO, I THOUGHT THE FRONT WAS GOING TO WASH OUT BEFORE IT GOT HERE. NOW IT LOOKS LIKE THE FRONT IS ACTUALLY GOING TO MAKE IT. WE’LL PUT ABOUT A 20 TO 30% CHANCE FOR SHOWERS IN THE FORECAST ON SUNDAY. THIS MODEL REALLY DOESN’T HAVE MUCH SIGNIFICANT RAIN AT ALL, BUT THE FRONT SHOULD MAKE IT THROUGH. SO BY THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK, THINGS GETTING A LITTLE BIT COOLER, A LITTLE BIT DRIER FOR US, A LITTLE LESS HUMID AS WELL. SO YOUR FORECAST FOR THIS EVENING CALLING FOR MAINLY CLEAR SKIES, A LITTLE BIT MUGGY, TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW 60S ON THE NORTH SHORE MID TO UPPER 60S ELSEWHERE. TOMORROW WE’LL DO IT AGAIN A LOT LIKE TODAY. MOSTLY SUNNY, BREEZY AND WARM, 83 TO 86 FOR THE AFTERNOON HIGH. THERE’S THAT 20% CHANCE FOR SHOWERS ONCE WE GET TO WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. VERY SPOTTY SHOWERS AT BEST. COLD FRONT SHOULD BE MOVING THROUGH SUNDAY, MAYBE LATE MORNING EARLY AFTERNOON. SO BY LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON WE’LL NOTICE THE HUMIDITY DROPPING JUST A LITTLE BIT. I THINK THINGS ARE LOOKING GREAT FOR FRENCH QUARTER FEST. JUST BE PREPARED, YOU KNOW, TO GET THOSE $2 DISPOSABLE RAIN PONCHOS PUT IN YOUR BACK POCKET. IF YOU SEE ONE OF THE SHOWERS ON SUNDAY, IT’S NOT GOING TO LAST ALL THAT LONG. AND THEN WE’RE COOLER AND DRIER AND VERY PLEASANT ON MONDAY. A MUCH BETTER CHANCE FOR RAIN IN OUR EXTENDED EXTENDED FORECAST,

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Louisiana State Police investigating deadly hit-and-run involving bicyclist

Updated: 9:31 PM CDT Apr 13, 2026

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A Folsom man was killed in a hit-and-run in St. Tammany over the weekend.Louisiana State Police say Rodrigo Ornelas Jr., 24, of Folsom, was riding his bike on Sunday morning around 12:30 a.m. on LA Highway 40 at Blackwell Cemetery Road. At the same time, an unknown dark-colored sedan or small SUV was traveling east on LA Highway 40, struck Ornelas Jr., and left the scene.Police say the area was poorly lit and that he was not wearing a helmet but was dressed in light-colored clothing. Ornelas sustained serious injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment, where he later died. According to troopers, they have determined that the bicycle was equipped with reflectors but was not equipped with lights. The crash remains under investigation.

FOLSOM, La. —

A Folsom man was killed in a hit-and-run in St. Tammany over the weekend.

Louisiana State Police say Rodrigo Ornelas Jr., 24, of Folsom, was riding his bike on Sunday morning around 12:30 a.m. on LA Highway 40 at Blackwell Cemetery Road.

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At the same time, an unknown dark-colored sedan or small SUV was traveling east on LA Highway 40, struck Ornelas Jr., and left the scene.

Police say the area was poorly lit and that he was not wearing a helmet but was dressed in light-colored clothing.

Ornelas sustained serious injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment, where he later died.

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According to troopers, they have determined that the bicycle was equipped with reflectors but was not equipped with lights.

The crash remains under investigation.

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Raceland man charged in fatal March wreck, Louisiana State Police report

Published

1 day ago

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April 13, 2026

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Raceland man charged in fatal March wreck, Louisiana State Police report


A Raceland man has been charged with vehicular homicide for a March crash that left a Chauvin man dead.

Aljean Ledet, 58, of Chauvin died, March 25, after Michael Boudreaux, 21, of Raceland, rear-ended him at the intersection of LA 56 and Josie Court, according to a news release by the Louisiana State Police. Ledet was not wearing a seatbelt. 

Police gathered toxicology samples from the two men at the time of the incident and later found that Boudreaux’s blood alcohol content was over the legal limit at the time of the crash. Boudreaux has been charged with vehicular homicide, DWI (first offense), reckless operation, no seatbelt and driving under suspension.

Louisiana news: Oil discovery in Gulf near existing platform south of Louisiana coast

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Boudreaux turned himself in to Troopers, April 9, 2026, and was booked into the Terrebonne Parish jail.

On March 25, Ledet was traveling north on LA 56 in a 2008 Chevrolet Colorado. At the same time Boudreaux was in a 2006 Pontiac G6 also traveling north, the release said. Boudreaux failed to slow down and struck the rear of Ledet’s Chevrolet.

After the impact, Ledet’s vehicle was sent off the road on the right and overturned. He was unrestrained and sustained fatal injuries.



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