In a victory for constitutional money, Louisiana has enacted legislation recognizing gold and silver as legal tender.
On May 28, Governor Jeff Landry quietly signed Senate Bill No. 232 (S.B. 232) into law. This bill, enacted nearly unanimously by the state Legislature, declares that “any gold or silver coin, specie, or bullion issued by any state or the United States government as legal tender shall be recognized as legal tender in the state of Louisiana.”
With the enactment of S.B. 232, Louisiana is the fifth state to reaffirm gold and silver as legal tender. Previously, Utah (2011), Oklahoma (2014), Wyoming (2018), and Arkansas (2023) have enacted similar laws.
Furthermore, Louisiana is the fifth state to have enacted sound-money legislation in 2024. Alabama, Kentucky, Nebraska, Utah, and Wisconsin passed bills eliminating taxes on precious metals, authorizing state funds to be invested in gold and silver, and pushing back against a potential central bank digital currency (CBDC).
S.B. 232 was authored by Senator Mark Abraham (R-Lake Charles). The final version of the bill passed the state House by a 92-1 vote, and unanimously passed the Senate.
S.B. 232 is a good first step toward enforcing the Constitution’s monetary provisions. Article I, Section 10, of the U.S. Constitution plainly states that “No State shall … make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts.” It’s long overdue that states begin to enforce this provision once again.
Additionally, S.B. 232 is an important step toward nullifying the Federal Reserve. The Fed’s creation in 1913 remains one of the most egregious violations of the U.S. Constitution. In addition to blatantly violating the Constitution by its very existence, it has the ability to single-handedly manipulate the economy and devalue the U.S. dollar.
Article VI of the U.S. Constitution obligates state officials to uphold the Constitution and nullify all laws not “made in Pursuance” of it. Officials at all levels of government must push back against the federal government’s many unconstitutional laws and agencies, and robustly enforce the Constitution and only those laws “made in Pursuance thereof.”
S.B. 232 is a good example of enforcing the constitution in the realm of sound money, and the Louisiana State Legislature would be wise follow up with further action.
To urge your U.S. representative and senators to support and enact H.R. 8421, the “Federal Reserve Board Abolition Act,” visit The John Birch Society’s legislative alert here. Additionally, to urge your state legislators to enact strong legislation nullifying the Federal Reserve, and to view model legislation, visit JBS’s “End the Fed” action-project page here.
