Governors in Florida and Louisiana Call Special Legislative Sessions

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called two distinct special legislative sessions in 2026: one beginning April 28 through May 1 to address congressional redistricting, and another beginning June 1 focused on property tax reform. Separately, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry called a three-week special session starting in October 2025 to address plans for the 2026 election cycle. Each governor used formal executive authority—proclamations in Florida and a gubernatorial call in Louisiana—to convene lawmakers outside the regular session calendar. In Florida, the redistricting session was confirmed via a memo from Senate President Ben Albritton, though specific legislative proposals to be considered were not detailed in available reporting. The subsequent property tax session aimed to place a ballot measure before voters in November, proposing to exempt the first $250,000 of a homestead's value, which supporters say would eliminate property taxes for more than 90% of Florida homeowners. In Louisiana, Senate President Cameron Henry said the session's priority was adjusting candidate qualifying deadlines for the 2026 elections in anticipation of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Callais v. Louisiana, a case that could affect the state's congressional district maps. Lawmakers were permitted to file bills covering election code, dates, deadlines, and funding for the upcoming cycle. The outcomes of all three sessions—whether the Florida ballot measure passed, how redistricting proposals were resolved, or what election-related legislation Louisiana lawmakers ultimately approved—are not addressed in the available reporting. The timing and scope of the Callais v. Louisiana ruling, and its eventual effect on Louisiana's district maps, also remain unresolved based on the supplied sources. No source disputes the basic facts of when or why these sessions were called, but details on final legislative results were not included.