Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry held a news conference Wednesday morning in Bossier City to highlight his efforts on “Reining in Big Government.” And the governor chose the Cyber Innovation Center to sign four bills approved by the state legislature. They, collectively, said Landry, are aimed at helping Louisiana residents become more self-sufficient. The idea: for more citizens to transition from a life of dependence on government social programs and benefits to one of independence. Several measures addressed welfare reforms and unemployment benefits. Those included House Bill 617 and House Bill 624, which create what Landry characterized as a “One Door” system, by making Louisiana Works as a one-stop shop for important social safety net programs..
Landry also signed Senate Bill 59, now known as the REINS ACT. That legislation puts new limits on regulatory agencies. That means in the future major regulation must undergo public scrutiny and legislative review before taking effect.
After the news conference, the governor said these reform measures mirror those of the work conducted by the Louisiana Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. Landry said Louisiana Doge worked closely with the White House on federal DOGE efforts, to better reconcile the records of citizens receiving state benefits.
Landry specifically addressed how this coordination on a state and federal level is helping to eliminate fraud in Medicaid and SNAP benefits. “So that we’re talking people that are deceased off the rolls before it costs us more money. We’re making sure the people who are receiving benefits are in the state, actually live in the state.” Landry added, “You are going to see, I can guarantee by the end of this year that the amount of savings is going to pile up.” Landry says they have already saved more than $70,000 and concluded that those savings could reach into the hundreds of millions of dollars by years end.
