Legislature subverts the will of New Orleans voters

A bill that forces a merger between the civil and criminal clerks of court in New Orleans is nearing final passage after clearing the Louisiana House on Thursday. Senate Bill 256 will return to the upper chamber with an amendment and then to the desk of Gov. Jeff Landry, who has vowed to sign the measure. Democratic lawmakers voiced their frustration with the intended consequence of the legislation – to “un-elect” the Criminal Clerk-elect, Calvin Duncan. The Times-Picayune | Baton Rouge Advocate’s Matt Bruce reports: 

Should [SB 256} pass, the Criminal Clerk seat will be abolished days before former life prisoner Calvin Duncan assumes office. … At least two dozen House Democrats stood united at the front of the chamber’s floor in fierce opposition to the bill, saying it crossed a “constitutional line” by subverting the will of some 38,000 voters who backed Duncan. “You do not change the rules of the game after the game has been played,” said Rep. Candace Newell, D-New Orleans, one of 10 Democrats who spoke out against the bill on Thursday.

A new issue brief from Invest in Louisiana’s Sissy Phleger breaks down the Legislature’s targeting of New Orleans judges and courts.

Consumers should not expect tariff refunds

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in February that President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, which were enacted via executive order and not authorized by Congress, were illegal and his administration must repay companies for their enhanced import duties. But American consumers – who bore the brunt of the price increases brought upon by the new tariff policies – will not be receiving tariff refunds from the federal government. The New York Times’ Tony Romm reports: 

(T)he government owes refunds to the importers on its record books — meaning companies, in many cases — even if those businesses ultimately shifted the costs of Mr. Trump’s taxes on to their customers. … Heather Boushey, who served on the White House Council of Economic Advisers under President Joseph R. Biden Jr., described the refund process as a “windfall for businesses,” some of which foisted the tariffs on consumers. “American families,” she added, “are certainly the losers.”

Tariffs act as a nationwide sales tax on consumers. Companies are now deciding what to do with more than $166 billion in tariff refunds: 

At least three, FedEx, UPS and DHL, have said they intend to share tariff refunds directly with customers….  Each said it would help customers recover money. Other businesses have been more circumspect. At an April forum hosted by JPMorgan, John David Rainey, an executive vice president at Walmart, said he expected the big-box retailer to “certainly avail ourselves” of any refund process. But he offered few clues on Walmart’s plans for the money.

Reducing access to healthy foods for kids and new moms

Proposed cuts to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), which were included in the newly released U.S. House Appropriations bill, would take away more than $141 million in healthy food benefits from nearly 5.4 million kids and mothers. That’s according to new estimates from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. CBPP’s Elisabet Eppes and Luis Nuñez explain: 

In addition, the bill cuts WIC funding by $200 million compared to the fiscal year 2026 law. That would risk forcing the program to turn away eligible families for the first time in three decades, especially if food costs rise or participation grows more than expected. Tariffs and the impact of the war in the Middle East could cause spikes in food costs, which are sensitive to oil prices. In addition, unprecedented cuts to SNAP and Medicaid in last year’s harmful Republican megabill and a soft labor market that isn’t generating many jobs make participation harder to predict than usual.

The proposed legislation would take away roughly $1.8 million in fruit and vegetable benefits from 74,000 Louisianans. 

Blocking climate change lawsuits against oil companies

No lawsuits could be filed in Louisiana that aim to hold oil and gas companies accountable for the damages and injuries from global climate change, under legislation that advanced out of a state legislative committee on Thursday. The Times-Picayune | Baton Rouge Advocate’s David J. Mitchell reports on the opposition to House Bill 804:

Speaking for the Sierra Club, Peter Robins-Brown said the group opposed the bill because it would eliminate suits that could be a “tool” for spurring action on climate change globally. “This would remove one of the tools from the toolbox of trying to fight back against climate change,” said Robins-Brown, who is also executive director of the Louisiana Progress advocacy group. He added that it was causing “deep concern.”

Number of the Day

$5,035 – Projected cost of the average homeowners insurance premium in Louisiana in 2026, the third-highest amount in the nation. (Source: Insurify via Governing)