BATON ROUGE - Blight is an issue lawmakers have tried to tackle every year, but now there’s an attempt to change strategy.

Friday, state leaders met at the capitol, discussing potential policies and incentives to stop the dumping of tires and encourage restoration of abandoned buildings. State Sen. Regina Barrow, D-Baton Rouge, says statewide policies don’t work when the definition of blight is inconsistent.

Seven bills were proposed to tackle blight during the 2026 legislative session, three in 2025 and in total three became law. Barrow says the state needs to change course.

“What has been proposed to us is incentivizing people to do the right thing, incentivizing people to turn in tires,” Barrow said.

Picking up litter is one thing, but managing piles of trash or vacant buildings takes real enforcement, enforcement that Barrow admits doesn’t exist in Louisiana.

Business owner Diane Baum has taken matters into her own hands, investing millions of dollars into restoring a once abandoned, blighted building off of Scenic Highway and using it to recycle car tires.

"We can make 50 bills saying, 'Here are the laws, here are the restrictions and fines', but what does it matter if there's nobody out there enforcing the laws," Baum said.

Baum says the tire recycling concept has the potential to transform Baton Rouge, doing her part to eliminate blight in more ways than one.

"They always talk about North Baton Rouge needing more revitalization; this is an example of trying to bring something back," Baum said.

The committee is scheduled to meet again in December and January.