(The Center Square) − Louisiana’s biggest stories in 2025 ranged from an overhaul of public safety in New Orleans to high-stakes fights over power, politics and industrial development in the rest of the state.
Bourbon Street terror
The news cycle opened on New Year’s Eve with tragedy in New Orleans as a man drove a truck into crowds celebrating on Bourbon Street and then exchanged gunfire with police. The attack killed 14 people and injured at least 57 before the suspect was shot and killed. Nearly a year later, state officials still viewed it as a defining event for how the city plans security around major gatherings.
Attorney General Liz Murrill ordered state investigators to review the security planning and execution around New Year’s Eve and the Sugar Bowl game that coincides with the holiday.
On Monday, Murrill said a federal report has been completed and was being discussed with the city and its law enforcement partners. Security measures for this year’s events included closing streets, searching bags and deploying around 800 local, state and federal law enforcement officers in the downtown area.
Federal interventions
In the closing weeks of the year, federal Border Patrol agents targeted the New Orleans area for the Trump administration’s expanded immigration crackdown. Hundreds of arrests were made as the administration said it was looking for immigrants with criminal histories. Protesters, criticizing the agents’ aggressive tactics and arrests of some citizens without criminal pasts, attended a City Council meeting that was eventually halted.
At the same time, the Louisiana National Guard grew more visible. About 350 Guard members were authorized to patrol New Orleans during New Year’s Eve festivities and remain through February during Carnival season.
Data center boom
Louisiana secured a massive $10 billion data center from Facebook parent Meta that drew heavy scrutiny. Filings and reporting around the project put at least $470 million of related infrastructure costs on Entergy ratepayers, as Meta and Entergy detailed broader transmission and generation plans to meet the site’s enormous electricity demand.
With more large-load projects circling Louisiana, regulators agreed to fast-track new power resources as part of the state’s “lightning speed” pitch to big employers that raised the stakes of long-term decisions for customers and the grid.
Another billion-dollar data center was announced the week before Christmas in West Feliciana Parish, and Shreveport approved a permit for a large data center in the western portion of the city.
Redistricting
As states across the country ramped up efforts to redraw their congressional maps, Louisiana joined them in a particularly significant case. Led by Attorney General Murrill and Gov. Jeff Landry, both Republicans, the state challenged a major portion of the Voting Rights Act before the U.S. Supreme Court.
If successful, state lawmakers will be able to redraw a map that would not require a second Black-majority district. This would almost certainly lead other states to redraw their maps, potentially limiting the ability of Black voters and other minority groups to use the law to force additional majority-minority districts.
Carbon capture
At the state Capitol, carbon capture and sequestration remained one of the year’s biggest policy divides. Lawmakers advanced a narrow bill after hours of testimony and widespread public pushback against proposals viewed as either too permissive or too restrictive. Several bills never made it out of committee.
One that broke through, Senate Bill 73, aimed to elevate local-government input in certain sequestration decisions. Gov. Landry later ordered a pause on new applications in the carbon storage permitting pipeline while the state focused on a backlog of pending reviews.
Rural Louisianas who oppose the projects organized a Facebook group with over 10,000 members, shared their concerns at local government meetings and received support from various state legislators.
Budget crisis
New Orleans’ finances worsened in 2025, and by September major cuts were needed to offset hundreds of millions of dollars. City leaders froze hiring, announced furloughs and proposed changing the city charter to put hard limits on future spending.
New Orleans secured a $125 million state loan to cover its expenses after Gov. Landry suggested a financial takeover. The loan instead includes strict oversight from the state.
The financial issues will pass to the city’s next mayor, Helena Moreno, a Democrat and city council vice president who was elected in October to succeed term-limited LaToya Cantrell.
Cantrell made news in August when she was indicted on federal charges that accused her of defrauding the city to hide a relationship with a police officer assigned to protect her. Cantrell has pleaded not guilty.