Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry laid out his legislative priorities for the 2026 session that got underway on Monday. Landry, who pushed tough-on-crime legislation in his first year in office, would now like lawmakers to approve a measure that allows the governor to recommend the removal of judges.
“Judges hold enormous power,” Landry said. “They are not social workers with gavels. They are the final gatekeepers of public safety. And when judges treat ankle monitoring like a suggestion, let contracts lapse, and ignore check-ins, they are not ‘mistaken’, they are incompetent.”
Landry used the murder of Jacob Carter as evidence that the legislature needs to pass this proposed constitutional amendment. The out-of-state tourist was killed during a robbery in the French Quarter in 2024. The teenager wore an electronic ankle monitor after he was arrested with guns and drugs, but the battery was dead when he shot Carter in the back.
Landry is also pushing for the approval of House Bill 838, which would eliminate the need for Louisiana residents to get an inspection sticker for non-commercial vehicles.
“The traditional inspection sticker process is annoying, inconvenient, and serves little value to the safety of our roads and to the state agencies that interact with our motorists.
“A QR code sticker, for only $6, placed by you upon your vehicle, besides being cheaper than waiting in line to pay $10, is capable of providing instant information to law enforcement about ownership, year, make, model, and eventually insurance coverage information.”
And despite Senate President Cameron Henry’s opposition to increasing funding for the state’s education voucher program, known as LA GATOR, Landry called on legislators to strengthen it. Henry has expressed concern about the program becoming unaffordable, but Landry does not see it that way.
“Don’t believe the media hype,” Landry said. “The statue allows us to provide opportunity while controlling cost.
“We must find a path so that the hard-earned money of parents, follows their child to the education of their choice.”
Landry’s budget proposal calls for the state funding for La Gator to increase from $44 million to $88 million.