Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry calls for special session, focused on tough-on-crime policies

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry on Thursday officially called for a highly anticipated crime-focused special legislative session that could overhaul the state's current criminal justice system, reversing hard-fought and historic reforms that happened under Landry's Democratic predecessor.

Among the two dozen tough-on-crime-related items on Landry's broad agenda are expanding methods to carry out death row executions, restricting parole eligibility, harsher penalties for carjackings, “immunity from liability” for law enforcement based upon a certain criteria and publicizing some juvenile court records.

“We will defend and uplift our law enforcement officials and deliver true justice to crime victims who have been overlooked for far too long. I am eager to enact real change that makes Louisiana a safer state for all," Landry said in a statement.

The special session is scheduled to begin Feb. 19 and must conclude by the evening of March 6.

The Republican Landry has long vowed to crack down on crime in Louisiana — a state that in recent years has had one of the highest homicide rates in the country. The issue became a pivotal part of his gubernatorial platform, with him often pointing at New Orleans, which has been in the national spotlight for violent crime and will be the site of the 2025 Super Bowl.

However, up until this point, Landry had evaded discussing specifics about crime-related policies — multiple times equating it to a “battle plan" that he wanted to withhold from criminals. The release of the special session call, which was published on the Louisiana House of Representatives' website Thursday afternoon, is the first and most detailed look at Landry's plan of action to tackle crime in the state.

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