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A bipartisan group of Louisiana lawmakers Monday voted against Gov. John Bel Edwards’ coronavirus vaccine requirement for some students, but the Democratic governor intends to overrule the rejection and add the shot to the immunization schedule starting next school year.
The fate of the plan seems likely to be decided by the courts, with Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry and the Edwards administration at odds over whether the vaccine requirement can be legally enacted by the governor without support from the full Legislature.
The House Health and Welfare Committee objected to the requirement in a 13-2 decision. All GOP lawmakers voted in opposition along with an independent and three Democrats. Only Democratic Reps. Dustin Miller of Opelousas and Robby Carter of St. Helena Parish supported adding the COVID-19 vaccine to the state’s immunization schedule for schools.
Landry – who has a history of opposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates – is likely to sue over the matter. He spoke against the school vaccine requirement at the beginning of the hearing, saying it was an overreach by the governor.
“This proposed rule has no merit. It is ill advised. It makes policy and mandates vaccines, powers that are reserved to each and every one of you in this body,” Landry said.
Once added to the list of required vaccines, the COVID-19 vaccine requirement will be implemented in the fall 2022 school semester, according to State Health Official Dr. Joseph Kanter.
This requirement would apply to those ages 16 and up, since the Pfizer vaccine is only fully approved for this age group. When younger age groups get full approval to take the shot from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the requirement will expand to include those groups as well.
A total of 18 children in Louisiana have died from COVID-19 since the pandemic began in March of 2020, according to the health department. The delta variant, which peaked a few months ago, increasingly affected a younger demographic, causing nine of these pediatric COVID-19 deaths.
Louisiana law also gives parents a straight-forward way to circumvent school vaccine requirements. Parents can exempt a child from taking a vaccine by submitting written dissent to the requirement or a note from a physician saying the vaccine is not medically advisable.
Most lawmakers who registered their disapproval of the vaccine requirement said they had been flooded with requests from their constituents, asking them to speak against the requirement.
Packed with anti-vaccine spectators, the meeting included frequent audience outbursts. More than 200 commentary cards were turned in from members of the public who wanted to register their disapproval of the requirement.
The hearing comes in the wake of the discovery of a new COVID-19 variant. The first Louisiana case of the omicron variant of COVID-19 was announced Sunday, and with the severity of omicron unknown, Louisiana officials are advocating for vaccines to dampen the potential spread of this strain in the state.
While Louisiana COVID-19 cases remain low, only around 49% of the state’s population is fully vaccinated — including 22% of residents that have also received the booster shot as last Friday.
Representatives who voted against the COVID-19 vaccine requirement:
Larry Bagley, R-Stonewall
Roy Adams, No Party -Jackson
Kenny Cox, D-Natchitoches
Raymond Crews, R-Bossier City
Michael Echols, R-Monroe
Julie Emerson, R-Carencro
Travis Johnson, D-Vidalia
Ed Larvadain, D-Alexandria
Wayne McMahen, R-Minden
Robert Owen, R-Slidell
Thomas Pressly, R-Shreveport
Joseph Stagni, R-Kenner
Christopher Turner, R-Ruston
Representatives who voted for the COVID-19 vaccine requirement:
Robby Carter, D-Amite
Dustin Miller, D-Opelousas

Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Bryan Maggard has named Michael Desormeaux as the program’s 27th head coach, it was announced on Sunday afternoon.
A record-setting quarterback for Louisiana from 2005-08, Desormeaux has been on the Ragin’ Cajuns’ staff for the last six seasons and served as the Co-Offensive Coordinator during the 2021 campaign when the team won its fourth consecutive Sun Belt West Division title and won its first outright Sun Belt Championship in program history.
Desormeaux served as the interim head coach for the program in 2017 prior to the arrival of former head coach Billy Napier and was the only member of the coaching staff retained by Napier.
Desormeaux has spent the last four years developing as a signal caller under Napier. With his help, the offense ranked third in the Sun Belt in both scoring offense (31.2) and total offense (397.6) during the historic 2021 campaign and helped the team secure a program record 12 wins.
In 2020, Desormeaux saw the Ragin’ Cajuns rank 29th in the nation in scoring offense (33.6 ppg) and played a key role in the team’s rushing attack ranking 21st nationally with 213.0 yards per game.
His offensive prowess was also on display during the 2019 campaign as he helped Louisiana’s offense flourish in record-breaking fashion, ranking eighth nationally in total offense (494.1) and 10th nationally in scoring offense (37.9).
The New Iberia native is also a relentless recruiter, playing an instrumental role in the team securing the top recruiting class in the Sun Belt in 2019, 2020 and 2021. With his influence, the Ragin’ Cajuns currently own the second-ranked class in the league ahead of the 2022 signing period.
Prior to joining the Ragin’ Cajuns staff, he spent three seasons at Lafayette’s Ascension Episcopal School, where he led the Blue Gators to an 11-2 record and the Division IV state semifinals in 2015. He took over an AES program in 2013 that finished 0-9 the year before and led them to five wins in his first season and eight victories in 2014.
A standout player for Louisiana, Desormeaux passed for 3,893 yards and 23 touchdowns while rushing for 2,843 yards and 16 scores. He was named All-Sun Belt Conference three times as an all-purpose specialist before being named the league’s Offensive Player of the Year after throwing for 1,876 yards while rushing for 1,035 yards.
He became the eighth quarterback in NCAA history to post back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing seasons after rushing for 1,141 yards as a junior in 2007. Under his guidance, the Cajuns offense led the SBC in total yards, rushing yards, yards per game, rushing yards per game, yards per play, third down conversion percentage and touchdowns.
Desormeaux led the Sun Belt in passing efficiency in SBC only games and broke Jake Delhomme’s single-season school record for passing efficiency. After concluding his career with the Ragin’ Cajuns, Desormeaux signed a free agent contract as a defensive back with the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars.
Desormeaux was a star athlete at Catholic-New Iberia, where he later got his coaching start as an assistant coach.

Former U.S. senator and Republican presidential nominee Bob Dole has died. He was 98.
His wife’s foundation, The Elizabeth Dole Foundation, confirmed his death on Sunday.
“It is with heavy hearts we announce that Senator Robert Joseph Dole died early this morning in his sleep,” the foundation said on social media. “At his death, at age 98, he had served the United States of America faithfully for 79 years.”
In February, Dole announced that he’d been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer.
“Bob was an American statesman like few in our history,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. “A war hero and among the greatest of the Greatest Generation. And to me, he was also a friend whom I could look to for trusted guidance or a humorous line at just the right moment to settle frayed nerves.
“I will miss my friend. But I am grateful for the times we shared, and for the friendship, Jill and I and our family have built with Liddy and the entire Dole family.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, from 1942 to 1948, he served in the US Army. He was also awarded a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for his service in World War II.
He was first elected to Congress in 1961 and ran for president several times before becoming the Republican nominee in 1996 before losing to Bill Clinton, the New York Times reported.
He is survived by his wife and their daughter, Robin.