Louisiana’s 2025 legislative session ends with governor saying he plans to call a special session

By: Ark-La-Tex Staff Writer

With just minutes remaining in the 2025 regular session, Louisiana lawmakers approved a $51 billion budget before rushing out of the Capitol on Thursday. The session ended amid intense last-minute activity, including the failure of a major pharmacy bill and a promise from Governor Jeff Landry to call a special session to revive it at a later date.

The halted legislation aimed to prevent companies from owning both pharmacy benefit managers and drugstores. It sparked fiery legislative debate, a major lobbying campaign by CVS to block it, and threats of legal action from the state Attorney General. With no agreement reached, Landry has announced plans to reconvene the legislature, although the timing remains uncertain.

Among other budget decisions, lawmakers allocated $1.8 million for fugitive recapture efforts following a high-profile jail escape in New Orleans. They also tapped $1.2 billion from a state savings fund for infrastructure projects and redevelopment sites. However, the GOP-controlled Legislature fell short on one of Landry’s priorities: it approved less than half of the $93.5 million he requested to expand the school voucher program.

While the session typically focuses on budget issues, lawmakers introduced hundreds of bills on both fiscal and social policy. Highlights from those that passed include:

     Expanded abortion liability: Allowing citizens to sue out-of-state providers or activists who facilitate abortions through mail-order pregnancy-ending drugs in Louisiana, where abortion is largely banned.
     “Make America Healthy Again” nutrition package: Restricting certain additives in school meals, mandating nutrition education for healthcare providers, requiring labeling of artificial ingredients, and forcing restaurants to disclose use of seed oils.
Insurance reform: Granting the state insurance commissioner more power to block auto-insurance rate increases, while limiting damages recoverable by drivers at fault in accidents.
State-level immigration enforcement: Criminalizing obstruction of federal immigration operations by local officials and requiring state agencies to report undocumented immigrants receiving public services.
Ethics board rollback: Making it harder for Louisiana’s ethics board to investigate and prosecute elected officials, a measure proposed by the governor’s personal attorney.
IVF protections: Shielding in-vitro fertilization providers from legal exposure.
Campaign finance changes: Raising disclosure thresholds and permitting campaign funds to be used for events like Mardi Gras in Washington, D.C.
Ivermectin deregulation: Permitting over-the-counter sales of the antiparasitic medicine.
Weather modification ban: Prohibiting individuals from dispersing chemicals into the atmosphere to alter weather or climate.

Several high-profile proposals failed to pass during the session:

DEI ban: Legislation targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in state government was blocked in the Senate after passionate opposition from Black lawmakers.
Minimum wage increase: Bills proposing an increase from the federal minimum wage of $7.25 stalled once again.
Split jury retrials: A proposal allowing those convicted by split-jury verdicts to seek new trials was defeated.
Expanded abortion exceptions: Attempts to add rape (for victims under 17) to the limited list of exceptions in the abortion ban failed for a third year.
LGBTQ workplace protections: A bill to prohibit employment discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation did not advance out of committee.
Water fluoride ban: A measure to prohibit fluoride in public water systems was rejected.

As the regular session drew to a close, the Legislature passed substantial funding bills and numerous policy changes, but left several contentious issues unresolved. With the governor vowing a special session, lawmakers and stakeholders now turn their focus to negotiating unresolved legislation and preparing for further debate in the near future.