By KAREN LAGRANGE COX
The following questions were emailed to qualifying Louisiana State Senate District 23 seat candidates for the February 15, 2025, special election. The candidates are Brach Myers, Republican, of Lafayette, and Jesse Regan, Republican, of Broussard.
The candidates were emailed this questionnaire on January 14, 2025. They were advised that their responses were needed by 2 p.m. on Wednesday, January 22, 2025.
Myers submitted his responses to the questionnaire, which are listed below.
1. What are your reasons for running as a candidate for Senate District 23?
Brach Myers
I love Louisiana. I want my son to raise his family here, just as my parents did, and their parents before them. In both my personal and professional life I have always sought to identify complex problems and then find ways to solve them. Becoming a father 14 years ago – after my wife and I experienced multiple miscarriages – I was profoundly changed, and I began pursuing ways to serve others through any means I was able. Then for nearly a decade I worked in volunteer leadership roles with organizations such as Boys and Girls Clubs, Community Foundation of Acadiana, OneAcadiana, and various others. In that service, I witnessed the positive changes to thousands of lives through the service and sacrifice of few. In 2023, my desire to lean deeper into service became a reality when I was elected to the LA House of Representatives to serve the citizens of District 45. In the legislature I found that my ability to identify and solve complex problems was perfectly matched with my desire to serve others; and as such, I had an incredibly successful and impactful four sessions during the year. I’m running for Senate District 23 because my desire to serve and solve complex problems grows every time I hear of another child leaving our State. I believe in always putting my values, principles, and the benefit of others ahead of my own needs. There is nothing I hope to gain other than seeing our State in a better place, and seeing my future grandchildren growing up around the food, people, woods and waters I was raised within.
2. What unique qualities and skills make you the ideal State Senate District 23 candidate?
Brach Myers
I have experienced four sessions in the Louisiana State Capitol as a State Representative. Through the use of the skills I have cultivated through 20 years in my roles in business, I have worked hard, focused on building necessary understanding of the process and meaningful relationships with members. As such I have earned the respect of colleagues in both the House and Senate, which is necessary in gaining support for proposed future legislation that impacts the needs facing District 23. I have learned the legislative process, worked with staff, and collaborated with leadership to author and pass impactful legislation that benefits our area and citizens throughout our State. This election will take place just prior to the start of the 2025 legislative session, and our new Senator will need to be prepared to jump into the role immediately. Unlike being elected into a new term, there will be no extended period of orientation and training with other new members. Our new Senator will need to have extensive knowledge of the process already, and I believe I am best suited for the job on Day 1.
3. What do you see as the most urgent issue in District 23? What are your top priorities if elected?
Brach Myers
My top priority for District 23 is working to lower home and auto insurance premiums and make them more affordable. This is an issue that must be focused on intensely, and should be prioritized in a special session of the legislature. Too many families are choosing between whether to pay for groceries or pay their insurance premiums. We are spending too much time talking about which side is right, when we really need to be placing consumers (our constituents) at the center of the discussion.
Our next priority (closely following insurance) is economic development and job growth for District 23. The path to prosperity for our citizens is through education and strong job availability. In early 2024 I was proud to help pass comprehensive education reform. Then later in the year I was honored to be a member of the Ways and Means Committee that served as the frontline for the historic corporate tax changes passed in the tax special session. I believe those two packages, coupled with our support of the priorities put forth later this year by LED Secretary Susan Bougouis, will be our roadmap for economic development. I was a participant in LED’s regional task force discussion last month, and was proud to work with other leaders in Lafayette Parish to offer our ideas for how to build and attract more businesses to our area.
4. Do you have plans to introduce any new legislation through the Louisiana State Senate branch of the Louisiana State Legislature?
Brach Myers
The 2025 session is a fiscal session, and as such members can only introduce 5 pieces of legislation that are not tax related. I am already working in collaboration with The Boot (the Governor’s new program aimed at recruiting Veteran business owners across the nation to relocate to Louisiana) on legislation that will provide a new incentive to relocating veterans, without any new burden to taxpayers in our State.
In addition, I have legislation working to amend the Remote Patient Monitoring Law that I passed in 2024 to expand the program to include infants with tracheotomies. Like the initial bill, the amendment will assist the Department of Health in offering coverage of care that is more convenient to families affected, while also reducing the overall cost of care by further minimizing the length of stay in high cost settings.
All other legislation I am working on for 2025 remains in process, pending observation of what the administration puts forward relative to insurance and economic development.
5. To help small businesses, how would you simplify the bureaucratic red tape they must endure?
Brach Myers
I will continue to work with Revenue Secretary Nelson and other department stakeholders to simplify the tax filing process for small businesses, invest in new technology to automate routine tasks (such as application screenings), and expand e-government tools like e-signature to eliminate bottlenecks for paper based submissions. In addition, I will work with departments to build legislation that would require every agency to assess the potential effects of proposed regulations on small business before implementation, and build in sunset laws for any old and new regulations so we ensure we are periodically reviewing their effectiveness and necessity.
6. Our elderly, those with developmental disabilities, and military veterans with disabilities are some of our most vulnerable citizens and are at greater risk for abuse and neglect. Do you have plans to ensure the safety, protection, and well-being of our citizens who are elderly, have developmental disabilities, or are military veterans with disabilities? If yes, what are your plans?
Brach Myers
Yes. Through a resolution that was passed last year, a report was just issued to the legislature offering insight into this issue. It is our job to protect everyone in our State, but especially those most vulnerable to abuse and neglect. Through collaboration with Secretary Harrington, Surgeon General Abraham, and our Health and Welfare Chairmen in both houses, I will work to author, or support legislation already being authored, that creates the harshest of penalties for any person abusing or neglecting patients under their care. In addition, it is important that rate and qualification consideration of caregivers be reviewed, and if needed, work to be addressed with the Department of Health.
7. Considering the various issues currently impacting oil and gas companies in Louisiana, could you please share any plans or strategies you intend to implement to stimulate exploration and development in the state?
Brach Myers
Tort reform is one of the highest priorities we need to tackle in the State. I will work with our pro Oil and Gas leaders in Natural Resources to limit frivolous lawsuits related to exploration and production which will reduce legal costs for companies looking to bring much needed jobs and growth to our energy economy. In 2024 we also passed HB418 which reduced severance tax rates on oil and gas produced from orphan wells. This legislation, which I supported, was a big step in incentivizing the reactivation of dormant wells, which will have an impact in the coming years. Ideas like these are coming from industry associations like LOGA (Louisiana Oil and Gas Association), of whom I remain a strong supporter and partner of.
