THE PELICAN BRIEF
Louisiana Politics and Policy—Without the Noise
August 31, 2026
FOUR LOUISIANA ISSUES WORTH WATCHING
The Louisiana Legislature may be out of session, but consequential public-policy decisions continue to develop.
This week, a legislative task force began examining how Louisiana finances higher education, the state’s Ten Commandments law moved closer to the U.S. Supreme Court, utility regulators prepared for a potentially significant transparency vote, and the Louisiana National Guard concluded its extended mission in New Orleans.
Here is what changed, why it matters and what happens next.
LOUISIANA BEGINS RETHINKING HIGHER-EDUCATION FUNDING
The Legislative Higher Education Funding and Formula Task Force held its first meeting on August 25.
Created during the 2026 legislative session, the task force is charged with reviewing how Louisiana finances its public colleges and universities. It will examine the state’s funding formula, compare Louisiana with other states and recommend possible legislation by February 26, 2027.
Louisiana’s current formula directs approximately 70% of formula funding toward basic operations. The remaining 30% is tied to outcomes and state priorities, including student retention, degree completion and workforce needs.
Why it matters
Recent reporting estimates a gap of approximately $800 million between current funding and what institutions say they need. That is not yet an official state fiscal estimate, but it illustrates the magnitude of the debate.
A revised formula could change how money is distributed among LSU, Southern, the University of Louisiana System and the Louisiana Community and Technical College System. It could also reopen difficult conversations about tuition authority, workforce programs, campus missions and whether Louisiana is attempting to maintain more institutions and programs than it can adequately finance.
The central question is straightforward: Does Louisiana primarily have a funding problem, a formula problem or a structural problem?
What happens next
The task force will continue meeting before delivering its recommendations in February. Any major changes would likely be considered during the 2027 legislative session.
Sources:
Senate Resolution 172
Official task-force agenda
Higher-education funding report
LOUISIANA’S TEN COMMANDMENTS LAW MOVES TOWARD THE SUPREME COURT
New Orleans teacher Chris Dier has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to consider his challenge to Louisiana’s law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in classrooms at state-supported schools and colleges.
Dier argues that the law does more than require students to view a religious message. He contends that it compels teachers to deliver the state’s religious message in their own classrooms, violating their First Amendment rights.
State officials defend the displays as recognition of the Ten Commandments’ historical importance.
Why it matters
Earlier this year, the full Fifth Circuit lifted the preliminary injunction that had prevented the law from taking effect. The court concluded that the challenge was premature because there was not yet a sufficient record showing how individual schools would implement the law.
That ruling did not necessarily declare every possible implementation constitutional.
The teacher’s case introduces a different legal question: Can the government require a public employee to display a religious message as part of the employee’s workplace responsibilities?
School systems also face practical decisions involving the placement, size and context of the displays. Those choices could create additional legal exposure even while the broader law remains in effect.
What happens next
Louisiana will have an opportunity to oppose Supreme Court review. At least four justices must vote to accept the case. Until another court intervenes, implementation of the law continues.
Sources:
WWNO report on the Supreme Court petition
Reuters report on the Fifth Circuit decision
WHO GETS A SEAT AT LOUISIANA’S UTILITY-REGULATION TABLE?
The Louisiana Public Service Commission is preparing to consider a rule requiring organizations and businesses that formally intervene in regulatory proceedings to disclose certain out-of-state funding.
Commissioner Eric Skrmetta proposed the measure as a way to expose potential foreign or outside influence over Louisiana energy policy.
Supporters describe the proposal as a transparency measure. Critics—including an unusual combination of utilities, business organizations, conservative groups, environmental advocates and consumer organizations—warn that overly broad requirements could discourage legitimate participation or raise First Amendment concerns.
Why it matters
This debate may sound procedural, but intervention is how organizations participate meaningfully in utility cases. Intervenors can review evidence, submit testimony, question witnesses and participate in settlement negotiations.
Louisiana is considering billions of dollars in new generation and transmission infrastructure connected to industrial growth and large data centers. A rule that changes who can participate in those proceedings could influence utility policy, consumer rates and infrastructure decisions for years.
The issue is not simply whether financial interests should be disclosed. It is whether the rules will apply equally to utilities, corporations, nonprofit organizations and other participants—and whether disclosure becomes a tool for transparency or a barrier to participation.
What happens next
The commission’s September agenda is expected to be published on September 8. A vote is anticipated at the September 16 meeting.
Sources:
LPSC meeting calendar
August 28 LPSC bulletin
Verite News explanation
NATIONAL GUARD MISSION IN NEW ORLEANS ENDS
The remaining 120 Louisiana National Guard members conclude their assignment in New Orleans on August 31, ending an eight-month mission that began with 350 troops in December 2025.
According to the Guard, troops conducted more than 4,000 patrols and assisted law enforcement with 171 arrests, primarily in the French Quarter.
Governor Jeff Landry maintains that the deployment improved public safety while providing valuable readiness training. New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno, who initially opposed the deployment, thanked the Guard for its service.
Why it matters
The end of the mission returns the visible security responsibility entirely to the New Orleans Police Department and its local partners.
Violent crime in New Orleans was already declining alongside broader national trends. That makes it difficult to determine how much of the improvement resulted from the Guard deployment and how much reflected longer-term policing and crime trends.
The next debate should focus on measurable results: What did the mission cost? Which duties did troops perform? Did their presence produce a demonstrable improvement? Under what circumstances should Louisiana use military personnel for extended urban public-safety assignments?
Source:
Associated Press report
DATES TO WATCH
September 8 — Expected release of the LPSC’s September agenda
September 16 — LPSC meeting and anticipated vote on intervention disclosures
October 5 — In-person and mail voter-registration deadline
October 13 — Online voter-registration deadline
October 20–27 — Early voting
November 3 — U.S. Senate general election, U.S. House open primary and state and local elections
February 26, 2027 — Higher Education Funding and Formula Task Force report due
Official Louisiana election calendar
THE BOTTOM LINE
These four developments share a common theme: Decisions made outside the regular legislative session can shape what happens when lawmakers return.
Higher-education funding recommendations could produce a major 2027 legislative debate. The Ten Commandments dispute could become a national constitutional case. The Public Service Commission’s disclosure rule could change participation in billion-dollar regulatory proceedings. And the end of the National Guard mission creates an opportunity to evaluate whether the policy produced measurable results.
That is where the real story is—not simply in what happened this week, but in what each development sets in motion.
—David Tatman
The Pelican Brief
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