The 2026 Regular Session is now in the books, and it was another strong year for Louisiana’s franchised new car and heavy truck dealers. Every session, our mission is the same: Protect and promote the franchise dealer model. Louisiana has arguably the strongest franchise laws in the country, and we do not take that for granted.
We went to the Capitol with a clear agenda. On offense, we passed laws that protect your stores and modernize how you do business. On defense, we stopped bad ideas before they reached your showroom floor. We tracked more than 200 pieces of legislation this session, and our 2026 Legislative Session Report breaks down each measure that has a direct impact on your operations. I encourage all dealers to read the report in full and reach out to our team with any questions.
None of the wins outlined in the report happened by accident. Each took months of drafting bills, testifying in committee and lobbying legislators on both sides of the aisle. I’d like to thank the legislators who carried our priority bills this session: Senator Thomas Pressly, Senator Valerie Hodges and Representative Michael Melerine.
Most importantly, I’d like to thank our dealer body. The relationships you build in your communities and with your local elected officials are what make this association a powerful force at the Capitol. When dealers from every corner of the state speak up and engage in the legislative process through grassroots advocacy, legislators listen.
To give the new laws time to take effect and procedures time to be established, we have postponed our Legislative Roadshow to early 2027.
In the meantime, I encourage you to stay engaged with LADA throughout the rest of the year. We are already shaping priorities for the 2027 Fiscal Session and will keep you informed every step of the way.
The LADA executive leadership team will travel to Washington, D.C., in September for the NADA Washington Conference, where we’ll meet with Louisiana’s congressional delegation and dealers from across the country to strengthen our voice at the national level.
Our Charity Golf Tournament, taking place Oct. 26-27, will once again support the NADA Foundation’s Employee Emergency Relief Fund. With hurricane season upon us, we’re reminded of the generous support this fund has provided to Louisiana dealership employees over the years, and LADA is proud to continue giving back as a small token of our gratitude.
In conjunction with the Charity Golf Tournament, members of our NextGen Dealer Program will gather at our inaugural NextGen Pickleball Social. This program continues to grow, giving rising leaders at your dealership a seat at the table in shaping advocacy and the future of our industry.
Thank you for entrusting us to carry your voice to Baton Rouge, and for your continued partnership as we build a stronger future for Louisiana’s automotive industry.
