BATON ROUGE - Gov. Jeff Landry doubled down on his plans to overhaul how the state's insurance system is managed, as well as his intentions to continue to promote Louisiana's economic growth, during his address at the start of the 2025 legislative session on Monday.

"Despite all the sunshine we have created, a dark cloud continues to linger in the halls of this Capitol," Landry said before the joint session of the legislature. "And this debate is over the ridiculous cost of insurance. It has become a crisis that has gripped the nation and this State."

Landry said that he intends to sign bills coming across his desk that address the "excessive insurance rates" the state faces. Among these bills, Landry said, is a proposal that would "restrict attorney advertising that promises monetary outcomes through dubious testimonials and deceptive claims for fantastic monetary rewards."

The governor also outlined his plans to give the Louisiana Department of Insurance "the power to lower rates."

"I believe it’s time the Commissioner of Insurance should have the authority to reject excessive rates, not just inadequate ones. The proposed legislation expands the Commissioner's oversight by removing legal exemptions and requiring rate filings for more than just informational purposes. These changes will enable the Commissioner to assess and reject excessive rates regardless of market conditions, by removing public hearing barriers and shifting the burden of proof," he said.

Democratic Rep. C. Denise Marcelle said that she supports any plans to "hold insurance companies accountable." 

"(With) all of the insurance reform bills that they have passed, insurance has gone up and not down," she said.

Another part of Landry's plan for the state that he hopes to achieve with the legislature's cooperation is a budget that he said "reflects our ongoing dedication to aligning our state’s finances with sensible and fiscally responsible practices."

"We have actively listened to taxpayer concerns," Landry said. "For too long, our state has prioritized government expansion and tax increases without considering the burden on taxpayers. We are changing this approach."

He said these proposals will benefit "the well-being of our families and businesses."

The budget that will be voted on during the session looks to reduce state funding by $1 billion, which Landry says will only be further cut as his administration continues to implement "historic tax cuts and work towards further reducing personal income tax rates, while still investing in critical infrastructure like roads and bridges."

Landry said that he has launched a state equivalent of the Trump administration's Department of Government Efficiency. 

"We have launched the LA-DOGE initiative, which includes members from this body. Working with you, the LA-DOGE project is focused on eliminating wasteful spending and ensuring expenditures serve meaningful, prudent, and legislatively mandated purposes," he said.

Landry said LA-DOGE, which he playfully pronounced in a Cajun accent, will see results as early as April 26, when he said the state health department and Office of Motor Vehicles "will share data to verify Medicaid users' residency against driver’s license records, potentially saving $50 million annually."

He also said the department had identified spending across all state agencies, including $1 million wasted on unused cellular data plans at the Department of Energy and Natural Resources. 

Landry also celebrated the state's economic gains, highlighting multiple large scale projects bringing thousands of jobs and billions in revenue to the state. Last week, WBRZ reported Landry's announcement of a $4 billion CF Industries ammonia production facility in Donaldsonville. Landry also mentioned the $6 billion Hyundai Steel plant coming to Ascension Parish and a $10 billion Meta data center coming to Richland Parish.

"We've worked tirelessly to improve and streamline various licensing agencies and their policies. We have also made proactive efforts to transform our approach to economic development. Our Positioning Louisiana To Win legislation implements best practices according to national standards within our dynamic Department of Economic Development," Landry said. "The fruits of our labor are being felt throughout the state at unprecedented levels." 

The governor also reignited conversation about a series of failed amendments that would have drastically altered the way the Louisiana tax code works. He called opposition to the four amendments foolish.

He also blamed billionaire Democratic investor George Soros multiple times for the amendments' failure to pass during his address to the State Senate and State House. He said Amendment Three specifically was a missed opportunity to save millions of dollars "to invest in rehabilitation services, and not one juvenile would have been placed in an adult prison."

"We will not let George Soros’ money and the socialist minded who do his handiwork, confuse, manipulate and bully a competent Legislature," Landry said. 

The governor expressed his confidence that the legislature will continue to capitalize on the gains the state has made in both the economy and education, both metrics that Landry highlighted as inflection points of growth in his speech, welcoming the rest of the nation and the world to invest in the state, its industry and its people. 

"Louisiana believes in cooperation not opposition. The people of Louisiana are the hardest-working in America. We trust and know that our Louisiana men and women will work with diligence, honesty and loyalty," he said. Louisiana will make you proud. Louisiana will make you feel valued. Louisiana will make you successful."

The session is scheduled to adjourn Thursday, June 12.