NEW ORLEANS — As Louisiana’s 2026 Legislative Session continues, the Urban League of Louisiana today released its comprehensive Legislative Agenda, outlining a bold policy roadmap to expand opportunity, protect rights, and improve outcomes for residents across the state.
Framed around the theme “Safe Louisiana. Strong Louisiana. Smart Louisiana,” the agenda identifies key legislation aiming to shape the state’s future and calls on lawmakers and residents alike to prioritize policies that move Louisiana forward.
This legislative session has featured a wide range of proposals that should concern all Louisianians. There has been a troubling pattern of advancing policies that overlook the lived realities and priorities of residents across the state.
“What we are seeing is not a failure of our people, but a result of continuing to advance failed policies,” said Charles Phipps, Vice President for Policy, Advocacy & Legal Affairs. “This agenda is about making decisions that create opportunity, protect communities, and build a stronger future for everyone.”
The Urban League’s agenda focuses on three core pillars:
- Safe Louisiana — advancing civil rights, criminal justice reform, public safety, and mental health investments
- Strong Louisiana — strengthening the economy through fair wages, workforce development, homeownership, and wealth-building opportunities
- Smart Louisiana — improving education, governance, and forward-looking policy to prepare the state for long-term success
The agenda includes support for major legislative efforts such as increasing the state minimum wage, expanding workforce training opportunities, improving food access, supporting first-generation homebuyers, and strengthening reentry pathways for returning citizens.
At the same time, the Urban League is opposing a number of bills it says could undermine civil liberties, restrict access to opportunity, or weaken local governance – particularly measures that would shift power away from New Orleans and other communities.
“This session includes a number of proposals that would fundamentally alter how local communities govern themselves,” said Judy Reese Morse, President & CEO of the Urban League of Louisiana. “We believe decisions about our communities should include the voices of the people who live in them. Equity, representation, and local accountability matter.”
The organization emphasized that the agenda is not just a policy document, but a call to action.
“We are encouraging residents across Louisiana to engage, understand what’s at stake, and to make their voices heard,” Morse added. “A stronger Louisiana requires participation from all of us.”
The full Legislative Agenda includes a curated list of priority bills the Urban League is advancing, as well as key legislation the organization supports or opposes based on its impact on Black communities, low-income residents, and other historically underserved populations.
The Urban League of Louisiana will continue to track legislation throughout the session, provide public updates, and advocate for policies that ensure all Louisianans are being considered this legislative cycle and beyond.
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