LOUISIANA STATE LEGISLATURE
Legislators: 900 North 3rd Street
Senator Valarie Hodges Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70802
Senator J. Adam Bass
Senator Heather Miley Cloud
Senator Rick Edmonds
Senator Michael "Big Mike" Fesi
Senator Caleb Kleinpeter
Senator Blake Miguez
Senator Thomas A. Pressly
Senator Jeremy Stine
Rep. Beryl Amedee
Rep. Raymond J. Crews
Rep. Kellee Hennessy Dickerson
Rep. Kathy Edmonston January 16, 2025
Rep. Dodie Horton
Rep. Dixon McMakin
Rep. Charles Anthony Owen
Rep. Roger William Wilder, III
Mr. Phillip B. Sherman, Chairman Mr. Robert Vosbien, Jr., Chairman
Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation The Louisiana Stadium and Expo Dist.
320 Metairie-Hammond Hwy., Suite 300 1500 Sugar Bowl Dr.
Metairie, LA 70005 New Orleans, LA 70112
Re: 2025 New Orleans Super Bowl halftime performance
Dear Chairmen;
The Louisiana Legislature has a strong record of financially supporting sports and athletic
activities, due in large part because those activities have traditionally provided family-friendly
entertainment and encouraged young people to engage in physical fitness. It is well settled that when
our young people play team sports, they reap many benefits, including improved physical and mental
health, improved academic performance, as well as the development of team work and networking
skills.
Further, as members of the Legislature, we are aware that the Super Bowl generates hundreds
of millions of dollars in positive economic impact for Louisiana, in particular to the greater New
Orleans area. We are also aware that the NFL and the host committee fund-raise and distribute
millions of dollars to local charities and nonprofit organizations in Orleans and the surrounding
parishes.
While those benefits are certainly worthy of notice, those economic benefits did not come to
Louisiana without a significant up-front cost to the Louisiana taxpayers. Our fiscal staff has reported
that, in 2024, $10 million state taxpayer dollars were taken from the La. State Major Events Incentive
Fund and were given to the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, including a specific
appropriation of $5 million from that incentive fund, for "economic development initiatives related
to Super Bowl LIX" (see Act 4, HB 1, of the 2024 Regular Session, page 183, lines 29 through 36).
To use a sports analogy, when it comes to the Super Bowl in New Orleans, the Louisiana
taxpayers certainly have "skin in the game."
Page 1 of 4
While certainly a large amount of support exists among many Louisianians who are excited
about the Super Bowl coming back to New Orleans, many are also hardworking taxpayers with
children who have serious concerns about the fact that past Super Bowl halftime
performances have been less than family-friendly. For example, in 2020, Jennifer Lopez wore
little clothing and was groped by male and female dancers on stage, while the performer made
sexually suggestive gestures and performed on a stripper pole. It was widely reported in 2020 that
Lopez's performance generated thousands upon thousands of viewer complaints to the Federal
Communications Commission (FCC) and on social media. Based upon the large number of
complaints, clearly other Americans found this performance violated basic community decency
standards. Further, who can forget the infamous 2004 halftime show with Janet Jackson disrobing?
Jackson's exposed bare breast was excused by one of her fellow performers as a "wardrobe
malfunction" but it initially generated a fine against CBS from the FCC for more than $500,000.
Had that 2004 performance taken place in Louisiana and been proven to be intentional, it would have
violated Louisiana's obscenity law (R.S. 14:106) which prohibits such public exposure. At the 2023
halftime show, performer Rihanna was shown groping herself while she sang song lyrics that were
so offensive that few Louisiana adults could read those lyrics before an audience without shame.
The irony is that, although we (the signers of this letter) refuse to repeat these lyrics in writing in this
letter because they are so offensive, the national promoters of 2023 performance had no such qualms
about allowing the singing of such lewd lyrics in front of millions of children in the stadium and on
television.
We realize that these past vulgar performances may have been acceptable to the residents of
those states where those Super Bowls were held but, in Louisiana, these lewd acts are inappropriate
for viewing by children, objectify women, and are simply NOT welcomed by the majority of
Louisiana parents. Throughout our tenure, the legislature has taken seriously the protection of
children and have consistently opposed the objectification of women. Considering the increasingly
vile halftime performances at past Super Bowls, it can be reasonably anticipated that the halftime
performance this year in New Orleans will be inappropriate for children to watch.
This past 2024 Regular Session enacted, and the governor signed into law, multiple bills that
protect children from writings and digital materials, all of which were signed into law by the
governor. Considering the foregoing and out of respect for the taxpayers of Louisiana, we are asking
each of you who are appointed to your positions by the governor, in accordance with authorization
enacted by the Legislature, to use whatever means are at your disposal to ensure that this year's Super
Bowl halftime event is as family friendly as possible. We realize that the master contract for this
year's Super Bowl was long ago executed (effective on May 22, 2018) by the NFL for use of the
Super Dome facility and we understand that the terms of the contract have already been negotiated
and finalized. We do, however, request that future contracts for the use of facilities that are funded
and paid for by Louisiana taxpayers ensure, in writing as part of the contract, that any performers'
conduct adheres to Louisiana's community decency standards.
Page 2 of 4
Thank you for your attention to this matter. Sincerely,
Senator Valarie Hodges Senator Jeremy Stine
Senate District 13 Senate District 27
Senator Caleb Kleinpeter Senator Thomas A. Pressly
Senate District 17 Senate District 38
Senator J. Adam Bass Senator Rick Edmonds
Senate District 36 Senate District 6
Senator Blake Miguez Senator Michael "Big Mike" Fesi
Senate District 22 Senate District 20
Senator Heather Miley Cloud Representative Beryl Amedee
Senate District 28 House District 51
Representative Kathy Edmonston Representative Dodie Horton
House District 88 House District 9
Representative Raymond J. Crews Rep. Kellee Hennessy Dickerson
House District 8 House District 64
Representative Dixon McMakin Representative Charles Anthony Owen
House District 68 House District 30
Page 3 of 4
Representative Roger William Wilder, III
House District 71
cc: Governor Jeff Landry
Attorney General Liz Murrill
John J. Cicero, Exec. Dir., New Orleans
Super Bowl Host Committee, Inc.
PRO-FAMILY ORGANIZATION IN SUPPORT:
Tony Perkins, President Gene Mills, President
Family Research Council Louisiana Family Forum
Marena Pizzolatto J. Christopher Alexander
We the People Bayou Community Louisiana Citizens Advocacy Group
Pastor Tony Spell James Crumling
Life Tabernacle Church Acadiana Patriots
Seth Scott Paige Lowry
La. College Republicans of America Moms for Liberty East Baton Rouge
Christy Haik Hollis Day
Louisiana Republican Assembly Restore Liberty Louisiana
Susie Labry Sylvia Jaynes
Louisiana Sunshine Remnant
Adele Shafferman Martha Huckabay
We the People of Northwest Louisiana Women's Republican Club of New
Orleans
Lisa Townsend
Intercessors for American, Louisiana
Page 4 of 4
