A Louisiana bill that would’ve implemented government-funded grocery stores died in the Senate by a single vote after Liberty Action and Hazlitt Coalition members mounted a pressure campaign against it. But the fight may not be over.
House Bill 1222 passed the Louisiana House easily before ultimately dying in the Senate by a single vote.
Hazlitt Coalition member and state Rep. Danny McCormick explained what the bill would have done if passed:
“It meant that eventually all grocery stores would have been government-funded and gone into government ownership,” he said. “It would be the Obamacare of the food industry–it would have done the same thing that Obamacare did for the medical industry, driving the prices through the roof and quality and availability down.”
LA sent emails to Louisiana activists, put out a press release and news story, shared social media posts, and ran Facebook ads exposing what the bill would actually do.
LA Senior Legislative Advisor Erik Mortensen praised the campaign messaging’s effectiveness.
“I think comparing it to [New York City] Democrat Socialist Mayor Mamdani, you know, I don't think people drew that parallel,” Mortensen said. “Certainly legislators seem to have failed to draw that parallel. I think it was very effective in saying, ‘This is exactly what the Democrat socialist mayor of New York City is doing.’”
McCormick credited the negative press for putting the nail in the bill’s coffin.
“Their biggest concern is being labeled as a Mamdani socialist,” he said.
McCormick said the legislature votes on over 2,000 bills, so most people don’t take the time to study what they’re voting for.
“In reality, 1222 was backed by the Louisiana Economic Development, and most of the legislators see that and say, ‘Oh, this must be a good program,’” he said. “If they hear that, they just go on about their business. And once you make noise about it, then it gets on their radar.”
The bill ultimately died on the Senate floor. Had it passed, it would have gone to the governor’s desk to be signed or vetoed. McCormick said the grassroots engagement was a major factor.
“I think it was huge, just based on the fact that it came through the House, which is normally the most conservative branch, and then failed in the Senate, which is usually the most non-conservative branch,” he said.
Mortensen believes that if LA hadn’t stepped in, the bill would have sailed through the Senate.
“If we had just been quiet in the night, I think this thing would have passed.”
The fight proves that even bills with establishment backing can be stopped with enough grassroots pressure. McCormick said activists and constituents pressuring and talking to lawmakers makes a difference.
“Their work mattered,” he said. “In a constitutional republic, the rights and the responsibilities belong to the individual. And if things are going wrong in government, it's us as individuals' fault. When we get involved is when we solve these problems.”
Even though HB 1222 was defeated, the fight is far from over.
HB 1194, which authorizes a state study on grocery access programs, has already passed the legislature and is awaiting action from Gov. Jeff Landry. The study could be used to justify future efforts to expand government involvement in the grocery industry.
McCormick said supporters of government-funded grocery stores are unlikely to give up.
"They're going to be coming back next year trying to get us again," he said.
Still, he believes the defeat of HB 1222 dealt a significant blow to those efforts.
"I think by failing, we tremendously diminished the odds of it getting through the whole process again," McCormick said.
For LA activists, the vote serves as a reminder that grassroots pressure can still change the outcome of legislation—even when a bill appears destined to pass.
Now activists are urging Gov. Landry to veto HB 1194 before it can be used as a stepping stone toward future government-funded grocery store programs.
Call Gov. Jeff Landry's office at (225) 342-0991 and urge him to veto HB 1194.
