Reform News
Reform
Louisiana among five states to enact expert evidence rule reform
In the last few months, five states have adopted amendments to their expert evidence admissibility rules to conform with an recently amended federal rule.
Reform
Proposal to convene state constitutional convention passes Louisiana House
Louisiana’s House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a measure to convene a constitutional convention in August to overhaul the state’s governing principles and give lawmakers the tools to make major reforms.
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Reform
Legislation would stop foreign third-party litigation funding
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and John Kennedy (R-La.) recently introduced legislation that would stop foreign entities and governments from funding litigation in American courts.
Reform
New Orleans legal climate results in tort tax of over $3,000 per person annually, study finds
Louisiana loses almost 50,000 jobs annually and struggles with a “tort tax” of $1,200 per resident as a result of excessive civil court costs, according to data released this week by Louisiana Lawsuit Abuse Watch.
Reform
Pelican Institute launches litigation campaign to end restrictive occupational licensing rules
The Pelican Institute is launching an initiative this week to strike down excessive occupational licensing requirements in the state that the institute says have barred residents from practicing their chosen profession.
Reform
Louisiana floats proposal for pilot program to test road mileage fee
Louisiana’s retiring transportation secretary is proposing a pilot program to test the feasibility of a road mileage fee to eventually replace the state’s gas tax, which is generating less revenue due to the popularity of electric cars and improved gas mileage.
Reform
Louisiana among top 10 states for local government dependence on fines, fees, study finds
Louisiana’s local governments take in $31.49 per capita annually from fines and fees to fund courts and other public agencies, representing the seventh highest fee dependence among the 50 states and raising red flags among public policy experts.
Reform
Louisiana state prisons routinely hold inmates beyond their release dates, federal report finds
A U.S. Justice Department probe has concluded that the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections has consistently held inmates past their release dates in violation of their 14th Amendment rights.
Reform
Reform of industrial tax break system boosts revenues flowing to parishes, study finds
Changes to Louisiana’s process for approving industrial tax exemptions have led to annual revenue increases for schools, law enforcement and other local services to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars, a new economic study concluded.
Reform
Louisiana tax panel to clarify rules on companies' property tax exemptions
The Louisiana Tax Commission seems poised to clarify the rules for when parish assessors can take large commercial properties off of local tax rolls, potentially saving taxpayers in the New Orleans area alone millions of dollars.
Reform
New civil litigation reforms facing uphill battle as Louisiana's car insurance rates remain high
Rising auto insurance rates in Louisiana and frustrations over insurers’ responses to Hurricane Ida may be dampening some state lawmakers’ support for civil litigation reforms, but tort-reform advocates say previously passed reforms will pay off in time.
Reform
Senator tries again to curtail trial lawyer advertising after Gov. Bel Edwards veto
Sen. Barrow Peacock (R-37) has re-introduced a bill that would have reined in lawyer advertising last year had it not been for Democrat Gov. John Bel Edwards’ veto
Reform
Louisiana must reform rules governing occupational licensing, new study says.
Louisiana needs to reform its stringent occupational licensing system to improve economic mobility for low- and moderate-income residents and expand job opportunities, according to a new Pelican Institute for Public Policy report.
Reform
Louisiana legal system blamed for rising auto insurance rates
Some observers of Louisiana's auto insurance market are raising concerns that last year’s Civil Justice Reform Act has yet to put downward pressure on the state’s auto rates, which one consumer website recently found is the highest in the U.S.
Reform
Louisiana earns spot on 'Everlasting Judicial Hellholes' list
Louisiana this month earned a spot on the American Tort Reform Foundation’s “Everlasting Judicial Hellholes” list, placing the Pelican State among seven jurisdictions that were cited for chronic civil justice problems.
Reform
Legislative panel looks at funding alternatives for Louisiana courts
A commission set up by the state legislature is taking a holistic look at how the state’s court system is funded, with a focus on whether the system is overly dependent on fines and fees assessed on indigent defendants convicted of crimes.
Reform
Legal reform advocate lauds SB 43 as necessary to protect patients from misleading lawyer advertising
A legal reform advocate is hopeful that Gov. John Bel Edward will approve a bill that reins in trial lawyer advertising based on the overwhelming support it received in the legislature.
Reform
State's high court OKs new rules to help root out misleading attorney ads
The Louisiana Supreme Court has adopted new rules on attorney advertising in an attempt to make such commercial messaging more transparent and to root out false or misleading ads.
Reform
Bill to expand Louisiana Supreme Court passes state Senate
The number of justices on the Louisiana Supreme Court would increase from seven to nine under a bill that easily passed the state Senate last week.
Reform
Louisiana lawmakers urged to use future sports betting funds for early childhood learning
Early childhood education advocates are urging the state legislature to dedicate potentially tens of millions of dollars in future revenues from sports betting in Louisiana to better prepare children under 3 years old for success later in life.