BATON ROUGE, La. — In his first day as governor, Jeff Landry heeded calls for a special redistricting session and vetoed new education standards that had been supported by his predecessor.
Although Landry took the oath of office in Baton Rouge on Sunday because of weather concerns, Monday marked the former attorney general's first official day as governor.
As required by federal courts, Governor Landry called for a special session for congressional redistricting as one of his first orders of business.
"The courts have mandated the state of Louisiana redraw our congressional districts," Landry said on Monday. "That is why today, I followed the court order and made the call to convene the legislature of Louisiana into a special session."
The issue had been brought back to the legislature in December when a federal appeals court refused to reconsider its ruling giving the Louisiana legislature until Jan. 15 to create a new congressional map. This ruling comes after a lower court found that the political boundaries had been taking power away from the state's Black voters.
Landry also made his first executive order, vetoing the graduation appeals process. That process, which had been in place since Dec. 20, had allowed students who did not meet standardized test requirements to appeal to get a diploma.
"Ensuring our children have a quality education is a top priority," Governor Landry said on Monday. "Today's executive order will maintain our education standards.
This executive order by Landry marks a shift from the policies of his predecessor Gov. John Bel Edwards. According to The Advocate, the former governor bucked Republican education committee members in November, when he supported an appeals process.
"While standardized tests can be useful, this proposed rule will provide teachers with greater ability to meet the needs of individual students," Edwards said in November.
Landry also established a formal office for his wife, First Lady Sharon Landry, in another executive order.
"First Lady Sharon Landry will be an incredible ambassador to Louisiana," Landry said on Wednesday. "I am proud to fund this important office, and I look forward to seeing the work she will do for folks across the state."
