A legislation amendment supported by Governor Jeff Landry would permit an appointed director of the Louisiana Racing Commission to keep racehorses, despite the fact that the director is responsible for licensing them as part of his government duties. House Bill 397, a comprehensive piece of legislation that would also amend Louisiana’s ethics code for public servants and elected officials in numerous ways, includes the proposed exception. After the governor appointed new members to the commission’s board in 2024, Stephen Landry was promoted to the position of chief staffer. At the time, two racehorses were partially owned by Stephen Landry, who is unrelated to the governor. A call to Stephen Landry’s office on Thursday went unanswered.
The commission is in charge of overseeing Louisiana’s horse racing and betting laws. Racetracks, training facilities, off-track betting businesses, and racehorse owners like Stephen Landry are among the entities it authorizes. The licenses previously granted to racehorse owners may also be suspended or revoked by commissioners. In an advisory opinion last year, the Louisiana Board of Ethics informed Stephen Landry that state law is “silent” about his ability to possess racehorses while holding the position of executive director for the commission. However, state personnel are not allowed to undertake commerce with their respective agencies. Using that reasoning, the ethics board informed Stephen Landry that if he continues to serve as the executive director of the commission, he will not be eligible to apply for a racehorse owner’s license when it is time for a renewal in 2026. The change the governor is pushing would remove that barrier for Stephen Landry.
