While the Regular Session can feel intimidating to engage with, it’s much easier than you may think! Let’s first review some fundamental aspects of the Legislature.
Louisiana’s state government closely resembles our federal government, and is divided into three branches: Legislative, Executive, and Judicial. “The Legislative Branch makes laws for the state, the Executive Branch enforces the laws passed by the State Legislature, and the Judicial Branch makes sure these laws don’t violate either our state or federal constitutions” (Louisiana State Legislature’s Information and Activity Book). Today we’re going to focus our attention on the Legislative Branch.
The Legislative Branch, also known as Louisiana’s State Legislature, is composed of our elected officials in the House of Representatives and the Senate. In Louisiana we elect 105 house representatives and 39 state senators to represent us every four years (most recently in 2023).
Each year, the State Legislature meets in Baton Rouge at the Louisiana State Capitol building to participate in legislative sessions. During session, our representatives will draft and introduce, debate, and vote on bills. “In even-numbered years we have a Regular Session in which all kinds of bills are introduced. In odd-numbered years we have Fiscal Sessions in which bills dealing with money matters may be introduced” (Louisiana State Legislature’s Information and Activity Book). The 2024 Regular Session started on March 11, 2024 and ended on June 3, 2024.
At the heart of the legislative session is the process by which bills become laws. These bills can address a myriad of concerns ranging from consumer rights to environmental protection and economic development. Each year our elected officials introduce hundreds of bills to be considered. This process is called the lawmaking process and involves four major stages: introduction, committee action, floor action, and enrollment. The first three of these stages occur separately in the House and Senate; however, no bill can become law unless both the House and the Senate approve it.
For instance, in 2024 Representative Matt Willard introduced HB524, a bill to end the legal requirement that insurance from Louisiana Citizens be at least 10% more expensive than any other homeowner insurance plan available in the state (even if it’s the only insurance available to you or your community). This bill was heard in the House Insurance Committee. Since there are so many bills introduced, the House and Senate are split up into committees that hear the bills first to ensure each bill is appropriately considered. Once a bill is heard by a committee, that committee must decide if they want to move the bill forward or if they want to “kill” the bill. “After the chamber in which the bill is introduced completes action on the measure, the bill is sent to the other chamber, where the process is repeated through the three stages. The fourth stage, enrollment, occurs in the originating chamber after both have agreed on the final form of the proposal” (Louisiana State Legislature’s Information and Activity Book). A bill may undergo multiple changes before it’s enacted into law. Generally, only a small number of introduced bills eventually become laws. Check out the graphic to the left for more information on how a bill becomes a law.
The Louisiana Legislature plays a pivotal role in shaping the state’s policies, laws, and budget. As the Regular Legislative Session unfolds each year, it presents a key opportunity for the Alliance for Affordable Energy, other advocacy groups and individuals to engage with lawmakers on issues impacting our communities. The Alliance will continue to educate lawmakers and fight for ratepayers, as well as environmental and climate justice, at the Legislature.
You too can get involved! The Louisiana Legislature’s website (https://legis.la.gov/legis/home.aspx) provides access to bills and live hearings. Using the website you can view draft legislation, monitor bill statuses, and watch hearings virtually.
