A bill aimed to increase compensation for wrongfully convicted individuals passed unanimously in Louisiana’s House and Senate but marked Governor Jeff Landry’s first vetoed bill of 2026 .
Senate Bill 125, presented by Lafayette Sen. Gerald Boudreaux, would have increased the maximum compensation for wrongly convicted individuals award cap by 50 percent. The current maximum compensation is $400,000 and the bill proposed increasing it to a $600,000 cap. Landry cited families struggling with rising costs, the denial of permanent teacher’s pay, and concerns about abuse as reasons for the veto.
According to Governor Landry, the bill lacks abuse protection regarding the increased funds, including not having the same safeguards against double recovery and other exploits that other civil claims do. It also comes with a possible cost increase to taxpayers, from $4.5 million to an estimated $9 million, due to many already pending petitions.
“The people of Louisiana expect their government to protect taxpayer dollars, uphold the integrity of our legal system, and provide lawmakers with accurate information before committing millions in public funds.” Gov. Landry wrote in his veto message, “Senate Bill 125 fails on all three counts.”
In addition, Gov. Landry’s expressed concern for potentially increasing pays-outs for wrongful conviction claims after an amendment to give teachers a permanent pay raise was struck down on May 16th, 2026. Amendment 3 would have raised teachers’ pay by $2,250 and given a $1,125 pay raise for supporting staff, but it was defeated.
In a press release after the veto was announced, Innocence & Justice Louisiana expressed disappointment with the decision. The non-profit law firm, which is dedicated to providing legal representation to individuals who have been wrongly convicted, noted that Louisiana provides much less compensation than many other states.
“By vetoing SB 125, Governor Landry kept Louisiana behind the national standard and left innocent people uncompensated for years, even decades, of wrongful imprisonment,” said the firm.
Read Gov. Landry’s full veto message below:
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