BATON ROUGE, La. – Today, the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry (LABI) released the 2024 edition of its annual Legislative Scorecard, highlighting the legislators who supported bills that LABI’s 2000+ members considered critical to Louisiana’s business climate. This year’s Scorecard details more than two dozen key votes cast by lawmakers throughout the legislative session, with priorities ranging from expanding educational opportunities and revitalizing workforce development to improving the state’s legal climate and insurance market.

“On the heels of a historic election cycle for Louisiana, this session came with high expectations and a mandate for change,” said Will Green, LABI president and CEO. “Guided by LABI’s LA Driven strategic plan, the first regular session of the new term produced huge wins for Louisiana’s business community, including measures that lay the foundation for a brighter business future for our state: expanded educational freedom and data-driven efforts to improve student outcomes; workforce development initiatives that will ensure future workers are prepared to enter high-wage, high-demand jobs; and a more competitive insurance market that attracts and retains insurers in the hopes of driving down insurance costs for families and businesses.”

Each year, LABI works with its diverse membership to determine the issues that most profoundly impact Louisiana’s economy and the ability of our state’s employers to create jobs. These priorities are outlined in LABI’s Program of Work, which guides policy development and advocacy efforts at the Capitol and helps determine the final votes selected and the weight each piece of legislation carries in the Scorecard.

As it’s done for the past 25 years, this year’s Legislative Scorecard shines a spotlight on the most consequential issues for the business community and the lawmakers who championed them. This year’s report is the first since LABI released its LA Driven strategic plan, which outlined priorities that aim to boost Louisiana’s economy and will make our state an economic driver in the South.

Our pro-business partners in the House and Senate—both newcomers and veterans—were eager to file bills that would have previously been seen as pipedreams. Driven by a shared vision of progress and armed with the policy recommendations that will set Louisiana on the path to success, lawmakers endeavored to tackle the problems that have held our state back for decades—resulting in more than 50 bills deemed “LA Driven-Approved” being passed and signed into law. While implementation of LA Driven continues, the 2024 legislative session signaled extraordinary progress—a testament to the work of the LABI advocacy team and countless LABI members who consistently took action, voicing support for consequential measures. Throughout the session, energized lawmakers utilized LA Driven as they worked to usher in a new era for our state.

“While this session was not without its challenges, and plenty of work remains to be done, tangible progress was made, thanks in part to the lawmakers who demonstrated unwavering conviction and leadership when it mattered the most,” Green continued. “We must recognize and appreciate those who stood up for Louisiana job creators and refused to be satisfied with the status quo.”

This year, 75 lawmakers scored 80 percent or above on bills LABI’s members determined were of the utmost importance to Louisiana businesses.

Of that crop of legislators, four are being recognized as “Most Valuable Policymakers” (MVPs) for their perfect scores on legislation prioritized by the business community.

MVPs
Rep. Barbara Freiberg (R), District 70
Rep. Dixon McMakin (R), District 68
Rep. Michael Melerine (R), District 6
Rep. Jerome Zeringue (R), District 52

30 legislators received a ranking of “All-Star,” scoring between 90 and 99 percent on legislation selected for the Scorecard analysis.

All-Stars
Sen. Robert Allain (R), District 21
Sen. Rick Edmonds (R), District 6
Sen. Blake Miguez (R), District 22
Sen. Beth Mizell (R), District 12
Sen. Thomas Pressly (R), District 38
Sen. Alan Seabaugh (R), District 31
Sen. Kirk Talbot (R), District 10
Rep. Josh Carlson (R), District 43
Rep. Kim Carver (R), District 89
Rep. Emily Chenevert (R), District 66
Rep. Raymond Crews (R), District 8
Rep. Paula Davis (R), District 69
Rep. Jason DeWitt (R), District 25
Rep. Michael Echols (R), District 14
Rep. Peter Egan (R), District 74
Rep. Les Farnum (R), District 33
Rep. Gabe Firment (R), District 22
Rep. Jay Galle (R), District 104
Rep. Chance Henry (R), District 42
Rep. John Illg (R), District 78
Rep. Mike Johnson (R), District 27
Rep. Danny McCormick (R), District 1
Rep. Brach Myers (R), District 45
Rep. Joseph Orgeron (R), District 54
Rep. Laurie Schlegel (R), District 82
Rep. Vinney St. Blanc (R), District 50
Rep. Phillip Tarver (R), District 36
Rep. Polly Thomas (R), District 80
Rep. Debbie Villio (R), District 79
Rep. Mark Wright (R), District 77

Also recognized are the legislators who scored between 80-89 percent, receiving the ranking of “Honorable Mention.”

Honorable Mentions
Senate President Cameron Henry (R), District 9
Sen. Mark Abraham (R), District 25
Sen. Adam Bass (R), District 36
Sen. Stewart Cathey (R), District 33
Sen. Heather Cloud (R), District 28
Sen. Mike Fesi (R), District 20
Sen. Bob Hensgens (R), District 26
Sen. Valarie Hodges (R), District 13
Sen. Caleb Kleinpeter (R), District 17
Sen. Mike Reese (R), District 30
Sen. Jeremy Stine (R), District 27
Sen. Bill Wheat (R), District 37
House Speaker Phillip DeVillier (R), District 41
Rep. Tony Bacala (R), District 59
Rep. Dennis Bamburg (R), District 5
Rep. Beau Beaullieu (R), District 48
Rep. Stephanie Berault (R), District 76
Rep. Beth Billings (R), District 56
Rep. Ryan Bourriaque (R), District 47
Rep. Rhonda Butler (R), District 38
Rep. Kimberly Coates (R), District 73
Rep. Daryl Deshotel (R), District 28
Rep. Bryan Fontenot (R), District 55
Rep. Kellee Hennessy Dickerson (R), District 64
Rep. Jessica Domangue (R), District 53
Rep. Kathy Edmonston (R), District 88
Rep. Julie Emerson (R), District 39
Rep. Foy Gadberry (R), District 15
Rep. Troy Hebert (R), District 31
Rep. Dodie Horton (R), District 9
Rep. Timothy Kerner (R), District 84
Rep. Jacob Landry (R), District 49
Rep. Wayne McMahen (R), District 10
Rep. Charles Owen (R), District 30
Rep. Rodney Schamerhorn (R), District 24
Rep. Francis Thompson (R), District 19
Rep. Chris Turner (R), District 12
Rep. Jack McFarland (R), District 13
Rep. Troy Romero (R), District 37
Rep. Jeff Wiley (R), District 81
Rep. John Wyble (R), District 75

Later this month, LABI will award these lawmakers across the state at nine “Regional Rallies.” These events allow LABI to travel the state and connect with local leaders, industry titans and—most importantly—the small businesspeople who are the economic backbone of our communities. Additionally, they offer an opportunity to celebrate pro-business legislators who championed free enterprise priorities during the 2024 legislative session. To learn more about the Regional Rallies and RSVP for a rally near you, click here.

Click HERE to view the 2024 Scorecard.