LobbyComply Blog

The Louisiana Legislature adjourned the 2025 First Extraordinary Session sine die on October 29. Lawmakers passed bills concerning the spring 2026 elections, including adjusting the spring primary election date from April 18, 2026 to May 16, 2026 and the spring general election date from May 30, 2026 to June 27, 2026. The adjustment has the potential to give legislators more time prior to the elections to consider any congressional map-related action that might follow a future ruling in the U.S. Supreme Court case Louisiana v. Callais. Per the new bills, PACs participating in the election of a candidate for major office in the May 16, 2026 election, excluding a candidate for party primary office, will have until November 20 to file a pre-election report complete through November 7.

Do you know if your activities are defined as lobbying? We do. Take a walkthrough demo of our guidebooks today.

Gov. Jeff Landry called for the Legislature to convene in extraordinary session beginning on October 23. Lawmakers are being asked to consider bills regarding election dates, deadlines, and plans for the 2026 election cycle. The special session may last up to 22 days, until November 13.

Monitor your registration thresholds by state, by referring to our easy to navigate online guidebooks. Request a web tour to learn more.

The gift limit for food, drink, and refreshments in Louisiana increased from $79 to $81. Lobbyists and non-lobbyists may now give a public servant or public employee any food, drink, or refreshment the total value of which does not exceed $81 for a single event. The $81 limit does not apply to gatherings held in conjunction with a meeting related to a national or regional organization, or to meetings of a statewide organization of governmental officials or employees. The limit is adjusted each year relative to the percentage increase in the consumer price index for the prior year.

Louisiana adjourned sine die June 12. One bill sent to the governor increases the gift limit for public servants to $200 and allows public servants to accept invitations to charitable informational events. If signed it will take effect immediately. Other bills that passed include was pharmacy reforms, medical insurance, and immigration.

Stay up to date with all state and federal lobbying law. Sign up for our online guidebooks and never miss a compliance law change.

The gift limit for food, drink, and refreshments in Louisiana increased from $77 to $79 as part of an annual increase reflecting changes in the consumer price index.

Lobbyists and non-lobbyists may now give a public servant or public employee any food, drink, or refreshment the total value of which does not exceed $79 for a single event.

The $79 limit does not apply to gatherings held in conjunction with a meeting related to a national or regional organization, or to meetings of a statewide organization of governmental officials or employees.

Gov. Jeff Laundry called a special session to redraw the state’s congressional district map.

This comes in the aftermath of a federal judge ruling Louisiana’s congressional map violates the Voting Rights Act by diluting power of Black voters.

The session is scheduled to convene January 15 and could potentially address other issues including a redrawing of state Supreme Court districts and moving from an open primary election system to a closed primary system.

The cap for how much Louisiana’s lobbyists can spend to wine and dine public officials is edging higher July 1.

With the start of the new state budget year, the limit lobbyists can spend on food and drink for state lawmakers, other elected officials and public employees is increasing from $65 to $70 per person, per occasion.

The Louisiana Board of Ethics, which oversees the lobbying spending restrictions, made the adjustment to take effect with the latest state fiscal year.

The lobbying cap enacted more than a decade ago started with a $50 limit.

But the 2008 law allows annual adjustments tied to increases in the federal Consumer Price Index for food and beverages.

Louisiana lawmakers adjourned the 2022 regular session sine die on the evening of June 6.

During the session, legislators balanced the budget as well as spending related to education, healthcare, and critical infrastructure.

Trigger language to Louisiana law will end abortion in the state if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.

Legislation was also drafted to lower the cost of insulin, help hurricane victims deal with their insurance companies and landlords, reform the criminal justice system, and help rural communities and small businesses.

This does not affect lobbyist reporting dates.

Louisiana lawmakers will hold a special veto override session beginning Wednesday, March 30 as Republicans attempt to overturn Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards’ rejection of a new congressional map.

Democrats proposed about a dozen maps that showed enough Black voters live close enough together to allow for a second minority-majority district under the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965. Republicans counter that the Democratic proposals created districts that splintered other populations with shared interests and created districts with too few Black voters to guarantee a minority candidate would win.

The veto session, which is dictated by state law, will commence during the regular legislative session. There is no legal framework to guide lawmakers, so leadership plans to recess the current session, convene a short veto override session, and then resume the current regular session. This does not affect lobbyist reporting dates.

The Louisiana Legislature will hold its special session on political redistricting from February 1 to February 20.

State lawmakers will deliberate on new maps for Louisiana’s U.S. House seats, the state House of Representatives, Senate, Public Service Commission, Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, and Supreme Court of Louisiana.

The majority of legislators in both chambers endorsed the schedule.

This does not affect lobbying reporting dates.

Louisiana lawmakers plan to hold a three-week special session in February 2022 to address redistricting.

Several lawmakers are concerned that if the state’s population doesn’t grow enough, Louisiana could lose a Congressional district after the 2030 census.

The state’s population has only grown 3% over the last decade.

It is not yet clear when the special session is slated to begin.

This does not affect lobbyist reporting.

In light of the devastation brought on by Hurricane Ida, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards ordered the delay of upcoming fall elections that featured important Constitutional questions statewide and municipal elections in New Orleans.

The October 9 primary election will be held instead on November 13 and the November 13 general election will be held on December 11.

The October 9 ballot was full of primaries for three legislative seats, along with the mayor, sheriff, assessor, and the seven city council members in New Orleans.

It also has four Constitutional amendments and a number of questions for locals around the state, such as a renewal of a property tax that funds the bus system in Baton Rouge.

The November 13 general election had been scheduled as runoffs for those contests not decided in the primaries.

Many parts of the state are still without power, some voting locations are damaged and a number of people are still displaced from their homes after Hurricane Ida.

On August 16, the Ethics Review Board of New Orleans voted unanimously to recommend the city’s Code of Ethics be revised to bar City Council members and candidates from accepting political contributions from utility firms regulated by the city.

These firms would include Entergy New Orleans, Cox Communications, and any vendor that works on a contract awarded by the City Council or the Sewerage and Water Board.

Additionally, the recommended rule would ban contributions from any political action committee or executive staff member of the firms.

The Louisiana Legislature ended its first-ever veto override session July 23 after failing to gather enough support to overturn any of the 28 bills Gov. John Bel Edwards had vetoed.

During the session, which could have lasted until midnight July 24, lawmakers failed to reach the necessary two-thirds majority in each chamber to revive the vetoed legislation.

The most noteworthy proposal, Senate Bill 156, would have banned transgender athletes from taking part in girls’ and women’s sports.

The House voted 68-30 July 21 in favor of overriding the governor’s veto of the bill with two votes shy of the 70 needed to make the bill law.

This does not affect lobbyist reporting.