Louisiana
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%.
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.
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.
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.
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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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%.
Louisiana ranks among the top 10 most affordable states to retire, according to a new study from Retirement Living, a national journal of retirement research.
Researchers analyzed each state’s housing costs, living expenses and tax friendliness to compile the ranking. Louisiana, they say, is the eighth most affordable state for retirees.
In Louisiana, the median monthly rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $932, the median home sale price is $255,000, monthly grocery spend per capita is $272, the average price per gallon of regular gas is $4, the average Medicare Advantage monthly premium is $13.35 and the average effective property tax rate is 0.55%.
West Virginia is the most affordable state to retire, followed by Mississippi, Alabama, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Louisiana, Indiana and Kansas. Researchers describe the South as “the sweet spot for an affordable retirement.”
The most expensive state to retire, meanwhile, is California, followed by Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, Colorado, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Utah, New York and Minnesota.
Read Retirement Living’s full report here.
BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – With hurricane season approaching, the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority is bringing the community together to prepare before a storm forms.
“We can’t stop disasters from happening. We can’t stop hurricanes from happening. But what we can do is equip our communities with the resources that they need to prepare for these storms ahead of time,” said Jayda Morris, CPRA outreach manager.
The agency hosted an event featuring interactive storm simulations and a full model of the Mississippi River.
“If you do it now, like on a sunny day like today, you’re ready to go for the rest of the season,” Jay Grymes said.
El Niño may reduce storms, but Louisiana still at risk
State Climatologist Jay Grymes said an El Niño pattern may reduce the number of storms in the Atlantic but warned against a false sense of security.
“In those 25 years, Louisiana, some part of the state has been impacted by 29 storms. That’s one a year, regardless of El Niño. So that should tell you something,” Grymes said.
He said the bigger concern is storms that can form in the Gulf with little warning.
“If we’re going to get a storm, it very possibly could be one that bubbles up in the Gulf and doesn’t give us five or seven days to track it coming our way. It gives us 40 hours to get ready for a landfall. So it’s imperative that you go ahead and do it now,” Grymes said.
Preparation goes beyond stocking water
Preparing now includes walking through yards, checking trees, and knowing whether everyone in the family can survive two weeks without power.
PhD students with the LSU College of the Coast and Environment gave the community a virtual reality experience that puts users inside a storm.
“If they wear the goggles or play with the Apple Vision Pro, they can understand how high will the flood be, and they can know how dangerous is the hurricane scenario,” said Yixuan Wang.
The VR simulation uses real historical data to show users what compound flooding looks like in New Orleans and surrounding areas. The goal is to make the science real for people who can’t picture what a flood map means.
“It’s just to let you understand the environment. We will add the audios, the different sound of the wind and the storm. And you can see how tense of the rainfall around you,” Wang said.
Organizers said the event is about making sure that when a storm threatens the area, families already know their plan.
Information from the event is available on CPRA’s website. Hurricane season runs through Nov. 30.
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BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – Louisiana homeowners can get financial help to upgrade their roofs and ensure they can better stand up to strong storms.
According to the Louisiana Department of Insurance, registration for next Louisiana Fortify Homes Program lottery opens at 8 a.m. on Monday, June 1. The registration period will stay open through 5 p.m. on Friday, June 19.
Under the latest round of the program, 3,000 grants of up to $10,000 will go out. After applying, homeowners will get placed into a lottery and will be randomly selected.
There are many specific benefits of having a roof upgraded through the Louisiana Fortify Homes Program. Officials said the roofs have stronger shingles that can protect against hail up to two inches wide, sealed roof decks to help prevent water damage, and stronger edges to keep wind from getting underneath.
Homeowners with a fortified roof can also get a certificate to receive a discount on insurance premiums.
“At the end of the day, this program is about more than just roofs,” said Louisiana Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple. “It is about protecting families, it is about strengthening communities, and it is about putting Louisiana in a stronger position—both physically and economically—to face the challenges ahead.”
Only people living in Ascension Parish, Livingston Parish, Assumption Parish, Tangipahoa Parish, Acadia Parish, Calcasieu Parish, Cameron Parish, Iberia Parish, Jefferson Parish, Jefferson Davis Parish, Lafayette Parish, Lafourche Parish, Orleans Parish, Plaquemines Parish, St. Bernard Parish, St. Charles Parish, St. James Parish, St. John the Baptist Parish, St. Martin Parish, St. Mary Parish, St. Tammany Parish, Terrebonne Parish, and Vermilion Parish are eligible to apply for the latest round of the program.
People living in a newly built home, mobile home, or condominium are not qualified.
For a detailed list of eligibility requirements, click here.
If a person registered for the program previously, he or she must do so again. The person will also need to provide the following information:
- A homestead exemption on the primary residence.
- A policy of insurance that provides wind coverage for the primary residence.
- A flood insurance policy on the primary residence if it is in a special flood hazard area.
For more information about applying, click here.
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Click here to subscribe to our WAFB 9 News daily digest and breaking news alerts delivered straight to your email inbox.
Watch the latest WAFB news and weather now.
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