Insurance reform -- both property and auto -- is at the top of the latest agenda for the Louisiana legislature, according to Cameron Henry, president of the Louisiana State Senate.
Henry joined Newell Normand on WWL to discuss the first regular session under Gov. Jeff Landry, saying "I think we'll be able to do a good bit with insurance reform. I think you'll see some bills move next week."
Insurance reform is not an easy thing to do, he added, but he thinks they'll make some good headway. They also plan to make headway on 37 education bills.
"We've ranked so low for so long that we have to take some drastic steps," he said, adding that school choice while not decimating public education is at the top of the education agenda.
They need to eliminate any issues that cloud a focus on education, he said. "Obviously we have a governor who supports public education but obviously we need options," Henry said.
Addressing a $450 million budget shortfall is also high on the agenda, he said, as is making plans to repeal income tax, something the governor has supported. Henry conceded with the budgetary constraints that's a plan they're going to have to 'ease into.'
"Our state budget is about $40 billion," Henry said. "But at the end of the day the legislature gets to maneuver about $10 billion of that," he said. "About half of that is federal dollars and then we have constitutionally dedicated funds."