…and it’s going to be interesting to see how some of the conservative policy reform discussions will go. From a press release Tuesday about the summit…

State and national policy experts will gather to discuss the most critical issues facing Louisiana at the Pelican Institute for Public Policy’s (Pelican Institute) second annual Solutions Summit. The event will feature panels throughout the day, with two feature breakfast and lunch programs focused around the topics of legal reform and education policy.

The breakfast program will bring lawmakers, Pelican Institute leaders and other state and national policy experts together to discuss ways of improving Louisiana’s legal system to lessen its burden on state citizens and foster a climate where jobs and opportunity can thrive. For the lunch program, the Pelican Institute is partnering with National School Choice Week (NSCW) to present individual testimonials on the impacts of school choice from special guest attendees.

The Pelican Institute will also offer inspiration and practical knowledge on key policy issues regarding the state’s tax, budget, infrastructure, pension and criminal justice systems, among others. This ticketed event is open to the public, and registration remains open.

When: Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020

Breakfast Program – Solutions for a Broken Legal System: 9 – 10:30 a.m.

Lunch Program – A School That Fits: 12:15 – 1:45 p.m.

Other programs occurring throughout the day from 10:45 a.m. – 4:45 p.m.

Where: Hilton Baton Rouge Capitol Center

201 Lafayette St.

Baton Rouge, LA 70801

Who: Louisiana State Legislators

Legislators from states around the U.S.

State and national policy experts

Pelican Institute team members

Visuals: Voices of School Choice testimonials from special guests

Lawmakers and other officials interacting with panel and program speakers

Lawmakers engaging with citizens and policy experts on key issues

Obviously there is a legislature in place which has an appetite for aggressive conservative reforms. But there isn’t a governor in place for those; John Bel Edwards might be the most status-quo Louisiana politician in that office since Edwin Edwards, and if you expect to pass an aggressive conservative reform bill you’ll have to find a way to get enough votes for it to overcome Edwards’ veto. We expect that fact will play a significant role in the policy discussions to be had at this year’s summit.

Nonetheless, with the likelihood that House committee assignments will finally come out today and/or tomorrow, we’ll know what the chances are that anything discussed at this year’s summit can become law. Certainly it’s worth forcing items like tort reform and school choice into the bloodstream, if for no other reason to make sure the voters know who constitutes the wheat and who the chaff both in the legislature and the governor’s mansion.