Pelican Institute for Public Policy

09/03/2026

Louisiana's economy grew faster than Texas, Tennessee, and Mississippi last quarter. Income growth led the region. Employers added roughly 16,700 jobs, and for the second year running, more people call Louisiana home.

Louisiana also still ranks 44th in the country for people moving in.

Both of those things are true at the same time, and that's exactly what makes this worth talking about.

Catch us twice on the Moon Griffon Show ( ) this morning. Pelican CEO Daniel Erspamer joins Moon at 9:30, and Senior Economic Fellow Vance Ginn ( ) follows at 10:00 to walk through our new Summer 2026 Louisiana Economic Report — the progress showing up in the data, and the work still ahead.

The Louisiana Comeback is real. It isn't finished.

Listen live: https://moongriffon.com/

Read the full report: https://pelicanpolicy.org/LAeconomicreport_sum2026

09/03/2026

🚐 CASE FILE #009: The Competition Complaint

Want to open a new RV dealership in Louisiana?

First, your competition gets a say.

Under a law passed in 2025, existing same-line RV dealers can protest certain new dealerships, relocations, or expansions in their territory. And the new entrant can be required to prove that the existing dealer won't be "substantially harmed."

But... isn't that what competition does?

A new business might offer better prices, better service, or more choices. It might even take customers from an existing business.

That's not a flaw in a competitive market. That's the point.

Government shouldn't be in the business of protecting established businesses from new competitors. Consumers should get to decide who earns their business.

🔎 Why should your competitor get a say in whether you're allowed to compete?

Another Rule Worth a Second Look.

09/03/2026

World Letter Writing Day was Tuesday.

For a long time, the most common letter Louisianans sent was a forwarding address. People left for work, and the mail followed them out.

That's changing. Our Summer 2026 Economic Report found more people moved here than left for the second year in a row, and last quarter our economy grew faster than the nation and faster than every neighboring state.

So write someone a letter this week. And if you're writing to someone who left, tell them what they're missing. Whatever the stamp costs now, that one's worth it.

Speaking of which — what did a stamp cost when you were a kid? Tell us in the comments:

A nickel, and no A/C
A dime, simpler times
A quarter, felt steep
I've only known 50¢+

09/02/2026

Louisiana's economy grew faster than Texas, Tennessee, and Mississippi last quarter.

Our Summer 2026 Louisiana Economic Report finds real momentum: GDP growth 6th best in the nation, personal income growth leading the region, roughly 16,700 more jobs than a year ago, and a second straight year of population growth.

But the report also shows the work left to do. Louisiana still ranks 44th in net interstate migration, having lost more than 110,000 residents and $3.6 billion in income between 2018 and 2023.

Louisiana's Comeback is real. It isn't finished. The reforms are working — accelerating and sustaining that momentum means finishing the job.

Read the full report: https://pelicanpolicy.org/tax-budget/summer-2026-economic-report/

People Prosper

The Summer 2026 Economic Report details the current state and future projections for the economy of Louisiana, highlighting key trends and sector performance.

08/31/2026

Huey Long promised to make “every man a king.” Louisiana has spent nearly a century dealing with what followed.

The political culture that followed concentrated power in Baton Rouge, rewarded political favorites, and left generations of Louisianans paying the price.

That history matters today as populist ideas find new champions across the political spectrum.

In a new Wall Street Journal op-ed, Pelican CEO Daniel Erspamer makes the case that Louisiana’s experience should serve as a warning: lasting prosperity doesn’t come from politicians promising to deliver everything. It comes from freedom, competitive markets, limited government, and people having greater control over their own lives.

State leaders have begun moving away from some of that legacy. The rest of the country shouldn’t repeat it.

Read Daniel’s op-ed: https://www.wsj.com/opinion/free-expression/from-a-hillbilly-to-a-king-2f832271

08/29/2026

Twenty-one years ago today, Hurricane Katrina made landfall and forever changed New Orleans, southeast Louisiana, and communities across the Gulf Coast.

Today, we remember those who lost their lives, the families who lost homes and livelihoods, and everyone whose life was changed by the storm.

But Katrina is also part of a story Louisianans know well: when our communities are knocked down, people step up. Neighbors help neighbors. Families rebuild. Businesses reopen. Communities find a way forward.

Twenty-one years later, there is still much to learn from Katrina—and much to admire about the people who refused to give up on Louisiana.

We remember them today.

08/28/2026

What happens next in Louisiana’s coastal litigation could have implications far beyond one $744.6 million verdict.

The Fifth Circuit has returned the Plaquemines Parish case to federal district court after the U.S. Supreme Court’s April decision involving Chevron’s effort to move the litigation into federal court.

Chevron says its entities are defendants in 35 Louisiana coastal lawsuits.

When litigation involves hundreds of millions of dollars—and potentially billions more—the public deserves a legal process that is transparent, consistent, and grounded in the rule of law.

More from The Center Square:

(The Center Square) — A federal appeals court has put Plaquemines Parish’s $744.6 million coastal-damage verdict against Chevron back in jeopardy, sending the case to a federal judge and temporarily

08/26/2026

Thursday, August 27th is "Just Because Day", which sounds like permission to do whatever you want. In Louisiana, that depends on what you want.

Selling food you cooked. Cutting hair. Driving people around. Each one comes with hours to log, fees to pay, and a renewal notice waiting for you next year.

What would you do tomorrow if the state didn't need to approve it first?

🍲 Sell my baking to strangers
💇 Cut hair at my kitchen table
🔨 Build something out back
🤷 Honestly? Nap. Still legal.

[Cast your vote in the comments →]
**No permit required to answer.**

08/25/2026

Welcome to Louisiana, Elon! You are now part of Louisiana's comeback.

08/25/2026

What happens when your union dues help support political candidates you don't?

Recent reporting found teacher unions in states including California, Illinois, Texas, and New York directing campaign contributions almost exclusively to Democratic candidates. One California teacher told reporters it was “very difficult” knowing his dues were largely supporting candidates from one party.

Until recently, Louisiana public employees who wanted to leave their union could face another hurdle: a narrow annual “drop window” for stopping automatic dues deductions. Miss it, and they could be locked in for another year.

That changed August 1.
Louisiana public employees can now resign from their union—and stop dues withholding—at any time.

Workers shouldn't have to wait for a once-a-year window to decide what happens with their own paycheck. The freedom to associate also means the freedom to walk away.

Read more:
https://f.mtr.cool/thsn8tfh1z


tability

(The Center Square) – The two largest national teacher unions and their state affiliates have directed millions of taxpayer-funded membership dues to Democratic state lawmakers' campaigns, an investigation by The