The insurance crisis in Louisiana just got a serious check-up—and some prescriptions might actually work.
This past session, lawmakers passed several important bills aimed at bringing insurance costs down and protecting homeowners who make their homes stronger.
Fortified Roofs Get the Spotlight
The biggest win? A continuation of the $10,000 state tax credit for homeowners who install a fortified roof. Fortified roofs are designed to survive hurricane winds, rain, and hail. In return, many insurance companies offer 20-30% premium discounts.
Louisiana’s fortified roof program isn’t new—but what happened this legislative session changes everything. Lawmakers didn’t just renew interest in storm-resistant roofing—they passed a series of bills that make the program permanent, expand who qualifies, and add financial tools like tax credits and a statewide registry. The result? A once-limited lottery program is evolving into a foundational strategy for reducing insurance costs and protecting homes across the state.
The state also created a roof registry to track certified upgrades, and set up long-term funding for the program. That’s a big deal. Before, funding ran out in days. Now it will be more stable.
Other Insurance Reforms
Lawmakers also:
- Banned insurance companies from counting their marketing costs when raising rates.
- Required more transparency around rate hikes and slow claim processing.
- Clarified how damages are assigned in car accidents (a win for drivers).
- Blocked bad actors from delaying rental reimbursements after wrecks.
But not everything made it. A major tort reform bill—backed by big insurers—was vetoed by the governor. That move has frustrated conservatives who wanted more changes to lawsuits.
Related: In Louisiana Insurance is Too Damn High
Real Relief—or Political Theater?
The big question is whether these reforms actually lower your premium. That will take time. But fortified roofs are already saving some homeowners $800 or more a year. That’s real money.
And while Landry’s team couldn’t fully deliver the tort reform they promised, these smaller reforms—and the roof incentive—show real movement.
What to Watch Next
Homeowners in New Orleans need to act fast. If you’re planning a roof upgrade, apply for that tax credit. Grants move fast, and demand is sky-high.
At the same time, watch how insurance companies respond. Will they pass savings to customers—or pocket the difference?
In a state where one hurricane can collapse the market, this may be the best chance we’ve had in years to fix what’s broken.
Jeff Thomas
Publisher • Opinion Columnist • Licensed General Contractor • Real Estate Appraiser • New Orleans
Jeff Thomas is the publisher of Black Source Media and one of New Orleans’ most direct voices on civic affairs, economic justice, and Louisiana politics. He writes from the intersection of experience and accountability — as a licensed general contractor,a tech company founder and executive with over 30 years experience, and a businessman who has worked across the city’s civic, media, and construction ecosystems for decades.
His Sunday column covers Louisiana legislative politics, insurance discrimination, housing policy, and the forces shaping Black community life in New Orleans and across the state. Thomas writes in the tradition of Black journalists who hold power accountable without apology — building arguments from data, delivering verdicts from evidence, and speaking to Black New Orleans with the directness the moment demands.
He is also the principal of EA Inspection Services, LLC, a government inspection services company. Black Source Media is his platform for the civic conversation New Orleans has needed and too rarely had.
Selected Articles by Jeff Thomas
Black Neighborhoods Pay the Highest Insurance Rates in Louisiana. Here’s What They Don’t Want You to Know.
They Didn’t Yell the N-Word. They Went to Law School, Bided Their Time, and Rewrote the Constitution Instead.
Vappie vs. Morrell: Why Does Justice Look Different in New Orleans?
The State Has the Money. New Orleans East Just Needs Them to Use It.
The Failure of Mitch Landrieu
Publisher — Black Source Media
Jeff Thomas
Publisher • Opinion Columnist • Licensed General Contractor • Real Estate Appraiser • New Orleans
Jeff Thomas is the publisher of Black Source Media and one of New Orleans’ most direct voices on civic affairs, economic justice, and Louisiana politics. He writes from the intersection of experience and accountability — as a licensed general contractor,a tech company founder and executive with over 30 years experience, and a businessman who has worked across the city’s civic, media, and construction ecosystems for decades.
His Sunday column covers Louisiana legislative politics, insurance discrimination, housing policy, and the forces shaping Black community life in New Orleans and across the state. Thomas writes in the tradition of Black journalists who hold power accountable without apology — building arguments from data, delivering verdicts from evidence, and speaking to Black New Orleans with the directness the moment demands.
He is also the principal of EA Inspection Services, LLC, a government inspection services company. Black Source Media is his platform for the civic conversation New Orleans has needed and too rarely had.
Selected Articles by Jeff Thomas
Black Neighborhoods Pay the Highest Insurance Rates in Louisiana. Here’s What They Don’t Want You to Know.
They Didn’t Yell the N-Word. They Went to Law School, Bided Their Time, and Rewrote the Constitution Instead.
Vappie vs. Morrell: Why Does Justice Look Different in New Orleans?
The State Has the Money. New Orleans East Just Needs Them to Use It.
The Failure of Mitch Landrieu