After just a few months as Louisiana’s governor, Jeff Landry has already drawn comparisons to Huey Long, and as Governing writes in a new profile, it’s not hard to see why.
The Republican has convinced legislators to overhaul the state’s approach to issues including crime, education and insurance, while strengthening the institutional powers of his office.
“I don’t think it’s any surprise that he’s put out an ambitious agenda,” says Steven Procopio, president of the nonpartisan Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana. “That’s what governors do everywhere—you strike when the iron is hot.”
As Governing writes, Landry benefits from a set of favorable circumstances. He is working with Republican supermajorities in both legislative chambers, making it easier to get things done. Earlier this month, for example, legislators decided to shift $717 million out of a revenue stabilization trust fund to spend on transportation, campus facilities and public safety. Legislators had rejected a similar proposal last year under Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards.
