Hello to District 91 constituents!

Dear District 91 Constituent:

Thank you for contacting my office. You are receiving this email because you've written to me since I was sworn in to the Louisiana House of Representatives in January 2020. I am writing to give you a brief update on the recent legislative sessions, along with information on events upcoming in our district. (Map of 91 here.)

You may also be a Louisiana resident outside of my district, but have contacted our office for assistance on another matter (either way, welcome!)

Legislative Session Recap

The state legislature ended the regular legislative session on June 10, 2021, at 6pm. The session focused mostly on tax issues (you will have several proposed tax-related amendments on your ballot in the fall), but there were some significant changes to unemployment (federal benefits will be cut July 31); marijuana (personal use under 14 grams is now a misdemeanor ticket); an addition of 3 extra days for early voting; and 21 is now the minimum age to purchase tobacco/vape products. For a very detailed description of what the legislature passed this year, and what the governor vetoed, please see this helpful compilation of the session prepared by our amazing legislative staff. I am always happy to answer questions at hse091@legis.la.gov.

The Orleans Delegation was busy working for you as well. In addition to securing $20 million in state capital outlay funds for S&WB's new power structure, Rep. Freeman passed a bill that ends the "pink tax" on diapers and menstrual products; Rep. Willard expanded health care coverage for midwives and doulas; Rep. Hughes was able to completely remove the statute of limitations for civil suits involving child sex abuse victims; Rep. Duplessis ended fees in the juvenile justice system; and Rep. Newell came very close to passing the Crown Act statewide. I passed a tax credit for families who experienced a maternal death during childbirth; passed a resolution that will, hopefully, expand Medicaid postpartum for 10,000 new mothers within the next year; and will continue working on incarcerated women's health issues and the ending of solitary confinement over the next year. For more details on my work from this past session, you can read (and sign up for) my more regular newsletter here.

Louisiana's first ever veto override session occurred last week. Although the governor vetoed a total of 28 bills, only one, SB 156, made it to the House for an override vote. This bill would have forbid transgender children from playing sports on a team that reflects their gender identity. Although the Senate voted to override the governor's veto on SB 156, the House fell two votes short of doing so (I voted "no" on override). The legislature adjourned last Wednesday evening, and we do not expect to go into session again until early next year.

If you'd like to learn more about a bill, you can start your research at this link. Bills can be searched by year, author, number, committee, or even by word search. I made a short video that shows how to find a bill on the legislature's website. All committee hearings are posted here as well.

If you or a friend or family member needs assistance with unemployment, SNAP, the Office of Motor Vehicles, or any other state benefit or state agency, please email me at hse091@legis.la.gov or leave a message at (504) 895-2526. My district director, Nicole Hershey, has helped hundreds of constituents, and we will do all we can to assist you.

If you are having trouble paying rent, please visit the State of Louisiana's Emergency Rental Assistance Program.

I am always happy to speak to neighborhood associations, school groups, advocacy groups, or anything that you might think I could provide assistance with.

If you have ideas for legislation, please reach out!

You can always keep up with what I've been doing in the news, and I'm very active on both Twitter and Instagram.

Stay safe.

Rep. Mandie Landry

Louisiana House

District 91 - New Orleans

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Did you know that the Capitol is open to anyone who wants to visit? Session days can be long and some days are more interesting than others, but you're always welcome to come and observe in the public seating areas during the days we are in Session. Pictured here are friends, Oliver, Cat, and Charlie who visited this Session

COVID

Please, please, please consider getting the vaccine if you have not. The delta variant is extremely dangerous. You can get the vaccine OR a covid test at many, many locations nearby. (I went to the drive through location at the CVS on Carrollton just yesterday for a post session "just in case" test - it took five minutes.) If you have the LA Wallet app, you can upload your vaccine information there as well.