Business News

By Rajesh P. Narayanan, Ph.D., Louisiana State University The Credit Card Competition Act, sponsored by Senators Durbin and Marshall, aims to inject competition into credit card networks and lower costs for merchants and consumers. The legislation requires issuers with over $100 billion in assets to enable at least two unaffiliated payment networks and gives merchants control over transaction routing. Community banks are explicitly exempt from this threshold. Yet despite thi

Louisiana has secured Business Facilities  magazine’s prestigious Platinum Deal of the Year Award for the second consecutive year, a first in the award’s history and a clear signal that the state has entered a new era of national economic competitiveness. In early January 2026, Business Facilities  named Hyundai Steel’s $5.8 billion investment in Ascension Parish as the Platinum Deal of the Year for 2025, recognizing it as the most significant economic development project ann

By Meghan Thacker Data Centers are coming and they are here to stay. McKinsey has forecast total capital expenditures of  $1.7 trillion  on AI data centers by 2030, excluding the IT hardware involved – which makes for a bigger number.  Louisiana is well-positioned to take advantage of this new industrial era thanks to the state’s robust industrial and energy infrastructure and pro-growth policies being implemented under the leadership of Governor Landry. In addition to the Me

Business First Bancshares, Inc.  has completed its acquisition of Progressive Bancorp, Inc.  and its subsidiary, Progressive Bank, significantly expanding its presence in North Louisiana and pushing total assets to approximately $8.7 billion. The transaction strengthens Business First’s statewide footprint by adding nine North Louisiana branches and deepening its reach in a region that has become increasingly important to Louisiana’s economic growth. “We love this opportunity

At a ribbon-cutting in Vermilion Parish celebrating Cajun Broadband’s latest expansion, there were all the usual trappings of a public milestone: remarks from local officials, a video message from Jeff Landry , and a ceremonial cut of the tape. There was also seafood gumbo — cooked the night before by company co-founder Chris Disher. It was a fitting detail. Cajun Broadband has grown into one of Louisiana’s most important rural infrastructure builders, but it still operates w

Submitted by DK Willard Louisianans are no strangers to hard work. We consistently rank as one of the hardest working  states in the country, with many residents working overtime to pay down loans, invest in their first homes, and create financial stability for themselves and their families. Now, digital assets and new financial technologies are becoming integral to everyday investing, providing new tools to help Americans build financial security in ways previously thought t

Louisiana has secured another major industrial investment with national significance. ElementUSA’s decision to invest $850 million in a rare earth and critical minerals refining facility in St. John Parish marks an important milestone for the state’s economy and its expanding role in strengthening America’s domestic supply chains. The project is expected to create 200 direct jobs with an average annual salary of $90,000, nearly 30 percent above the average wage in St. John Pa

Beginning in 2026, most Louisiana businesses will be required to file their tax returns and payments electronically — part of a broader modernization push by the Louisiana Department of Revenue (LDR) aimed at cutting costs and improving efficiency. The expanded mandate will apply to nearly all business tax returns, forms, payments, and fees, including sales and use taxes, withholding taxes, oilfield site restoration fees, and S corporation filings. LDR Secretary Jarrod Conigl

Tax incentives remain one of the most debated tools in Louisiana’s economic development strategy. Supporters argue incentives can tip the scales on deals that create jobs and revitalize communities. Critics counter that many programs offer costly benefits with inconsistent returns. In 2023, Louisiana issued more than $500 million in incentive programs, including $150 million for the Quality Jobs Program, $134 million for the Motion Picture Investor Tax Credit, and $86 million

Dear Editor,   No matter how strong of a support system someone has, it can’t fix a healthcare structure that seems designed to exhaust people. The biggest frustration I hear, whether it’s from relatives, neighbors, or coworkers, is the constant interference from pharmacy benefit managers.   These middlemen companies don’t treat patients or write prescriptions, yet they have enormous power over what medications people can access. In the end, they profit off everyday families,

Gov. Jeff Landry is turning a moment of political upheaval in America’s largest city into an opportunity for Louisiana. Days after New York City elected democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani as its next mayor, Landry placed a full-page advertisement in the Wall Street Journal urging businesses to rethink their future in the Big Apple — and to consider Louisiana instead. The headline, printed in bold above the fold, delivered the message with unmistakable clarity: “In Louisiana

Louisiana spends heavily on economic incentives — more than $500 million in 2023 alone — in an effort to attract investment, revive communities, and stay competitive with neighboring states. Whether those incentives deliver real value often depends on a simple question: Do they change business decisions that wouldn’t have happened otherwise? To understand which incentives pass that test, we examined perspectives from economic development leaders, business organizations, poli