State legislative leaders brief Ruston council on 2025 session, funding priorities

Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins and Representative Jake Fey presented the City of Ruston with a summary of the 2025 legislative session and answered council questions about housing, public safety, and transportation. Jinkins said the 105-day session sent 421 bills to the governor, with 274 passing and key operating, capital and transportation budgets approved.

Jinkins highlighted housing bills including HB 1217 (rent-stabilization proposals), HB 1461 (expanding housing options near transit), and SB 5184 (removing minimum parking requirements). She described HB 2015 as a major community-safety measure that provides $100 million in one-time grants for law enforcement and $110 million for community reinvestment programs. Representative Fey emphasized ongoing work on housing, transit, and sewer and water improvements to support future development in the region.

Councilmembers raised local concerns about infill, accessory dwelling units and whether density policy had reached a peak as other municipalities push back on Growth Management Act changes. Jinkins said several related bills have passed in recent years but that future legislation is uncertain. On public safety staffing, Jinkins noted training capacity and demographic trends affecting recruitment; she said current recruiting classes are full.

Why it matters: the session’s capital and transportation investments include projects in the 27th District that touch Ruston-area transportation and mobility, and the community-safety grants could fund locally determined approaches to safety. The council used the briefing to identify state actions that may affect city planning, budgets and infrastructure priorities.