RFK Jr.’s MAHA Platform Is Fueling State-Level Copycats

Kennedy’s role in the Trump administration has emboldened state Republican lawmakers to push a flurry of bills in line with his priorities.

Kennedy Louisiana
Javier Gallegos/AP

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s agenda to overhaul the federal government’s approach to health policy is trickling down to the states.

In Louisiana, which was ranked the least healthy by the United Health Foundation in 2023, Republican state legislators passed legislation that bans dyes, artificial sweeteners and other ingredients from being served in school foods. The state also passed legislation to allow Ivermectin, a medication typically used for parasitic infections, to be distributed as an over-the-counter drug.

These are initiatives Kennedy has been driving on the federal level.