Jeff Landry Just Broke His Word to the Legislature—And to All of His Voters

The April Promise That Lasted Until June: Why Jeff Landry's Veto of SB 111 Betrays Conservatives in Louisiana

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry made a clear, public promise to sign all insurance reform bills that reached his desk. He then vetoed the one meaningful tort reform bill that could have protected consumers while preventing frivolous lawsuits.

This isn't just broken campaign rhetoric—it's a betrayal of the conservative coalition that put him in office.

The Promise That Wasn't Worth the Breath It Took to Make It

On April 16, 2025, Governor Jeff Landry stood before Louisiana legislators and the public with what seemed like an unambiguous commitment: "Y'all, whatever y'all send to my desk, I'm going to sign."

That wasn't campaign-trail hyperbole or casual conversation. This was the Governor of Louisiana making a specific pledge about insurance reform legislation during a critical session focused on fixing our state's broken insurance market. It was a pledge made under oath before the legislature.

Today, that promise lies in tatters on the floor of the Governor's Mansion, along with Senate Bill 111 by Senator Alan Seabaugh.

What Senate Bill 111 Actually Did (And Why It Mattered)

Before we get to the politics, let's understand what this bill would have accomplished. Senate Bill 111 wasn't some insurance company wish list designed to screw over Louisiana consumers. It was a carefully crafted piece of tort reform that would have:

Clarified Bad Faith Insurance Standards: The bill would have created clearer definitions of what constitutes insurance company "bad faith"—specifically when insurers lie about policy coverage or mislead customers about their rights.

Protected Legitimate Claims While Preventing Abuse: Under SB 111, you still could have sued your insurance company for genuine bad faith practices. But you couldn't file a bad faith lawsuit if:

• The insurance company was still legitimately investigating your claim

• There were genuine questions about fault or injuries

• A third party hadn't made a settlement offer yet

• The company was following proper discovery procedures

Focused Accountability Where It Belongs: The bill would have prevented lawsuits against individual agents or claims representatives, focusing legal action on the insurance companies themselves.

This wasn't about making it easier for insurance companies to deny valid claims. This was about preventing the legal system from being weaponized for frivolous lawsuits while maintaining real accountability for genuine misconduct.

The Veto That Revealed A Lot

So why did Landry veto a bill that aligned perfectly with conservative principles of tort reform and government accountability?

His official statement reads like it was written by a trial lawyer's communications team:

Senate Bill 111 would prevent insured individuals and third-party claimants from challenging an insurer's refusal to settle certain casualty claims unless four specific conditions are met. This change would make it easier for insurance companies to deny valid claims, introduce legal uncertainty, and leave policyholders with limited options for recourse. For these reasons, I cannot allow this bill to become law.

But here's what should alarm every conservative in Louisiana: Landry used the phrase "delay, deny, defend" in his reasoning—language straight out of the trial lawyers' playbook (emphasis mine):

Historically, some large insurers have adopted strategies to delay and deny claims, minimize payouts, and aggressively defend against policyholders who contest low settlements. These tactics-such as stalling, prioritizing company profits over policyholders, and using aggressive legal defenses-have resulted in record profits for some insurers, often at the expense of those they insure.

This is the same terminology that inspired Luigi Mangione's assassination of the UnitedHealthcare CEO, twisted into "deny, defend, depose" and carved into the bullets of a domestic terrorist.

That's not conservative language. That's not responsible governance. That's populist demagoguery borrowed from some of the most extreme anti-business rhetoric in America today.

The Larger Pattern of Broken Conservative Trust

According to Scott McKay at The Hayride, sources indicate that Landry not only encouraged Senator Sebaugh to file this bill but also actively told legislators it was "a great idea" before the session began.

I'm told @LAGovJeffLandry told a bunch of legislators it was a great idea before the session and encouraged Alan Seabaugh to bring the bill. And he pledged he'd sign all the insurance bills. But he vetoed this one.

And that seems an awful lot like a lie.

Not just a lie. An out-and-out, transparent, in-your-face public lie.

I don't get it.

If true, this isn't just a policy disagreement—it's a calculated deception.

This follows a troubling pattern. The only insurance bill Landry actively championed was House Bill 148 (now Act 11), which gives the insurance commissioner unprecedented power to reject rate changes without requiring supporting data. You can hear Insurance Commissioner Tim Temple talk about that on the podcast yesterday.

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That's not conservative policy—that's government price controls that would make Bernie Sanders proud.

Why This Matters Beyond Louisiana Politics

For years, conservative voters in Louisiana have demanded tort reform as a top priority. It was prominently featured on Landry's campaign website (having since been mysteriously disappeared). Conservative organizations across the state rallied behind his candidacy specifically because he promised to tackle our lawsuit-happy legal culture that drives up costs for everyone.

Landry rode conservative support to a first-ballot victory in 2023, avoiding a runoff entirely because the conservative coalition unified behind his candidacy. Tort reform wasn't some minor campaign promise buried in fine print—it was central to his appeal to conservative voters.

Now, when presented with actual tort reform legislation that balanced consumer protection with lawsuit abuse prevention, Landry sided with trial lawyers over the conservative principles that got him elected.

The Strategic Miscalculation

Here's what I don't understand about Landry's political calculation: At what point does he realize alienating his core supporters isn’t a good strategy?

Landry has spent significant political capital consolidating power, pressuring legislators, and building an image as Louisiana's strongman governor. But what's the point of accumulating all that political power if you're going to use it to betray the people who put you in office?

Conservative voters delivered Landry the Governor's Mansion.

Conservative organizations provided the grassroots energy for his campaign.

Conservative principles on tort reform, limited government, and business-friendly policies were supposed to be his governing philosophy.

Instead, we're watching a Republican governor use radical left-wing talking points to justify vetoing modest tort reform while championing government price controls on private industry.

What Comes Next

Louisiana conservatives need to understand that this veto isn't an isolated incident—it's a revelation of priorities. When forced to choose between trial lawyers and conservative principles, Jeff Landry chose trial lawyers. When forced to choose between his public commitments and behind-the-scenes pressure, he chose to break his word.

The question now is whether Louisiana's conservative movement will hold him accountable for this betrayal, or whether we'll continue to accept broken promises as the price of doing business in Louisiana politics.

Senate Bill 111 represented exactly the kind of balanced, reasonable reform that conservatives have been demanding for decades. It would have protected consumers from genuine insurance company misconduct while preventing the legal system abuse that drives up costs for everyone.

Jeff Landry killed it, broke his promise in the process, and handed trial lawyers another victory over Louisiana taxpayers.

Conservative voters deserve better. Louisiana deserves better. And we should remember this betrayal the next time Jeff Landry asks for our trust.