BATON ROUGE, LA – Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill announced Monday a new proposal requiring valid government-issued photo identification before residents can purchase king cake during Mardi Gras season, citing “widespread abuse” of bakery lines across the state.
According to Murrill, the policy is designed to ensure king cakes are only enjoyed by “legitimate Louisiana residents,” not out-of-state opportunists who “show up, buy three cream filled cheese cakes, and immediately return to Mississippi or Texas to flip them.”
“This isn’t about restricting access,” Murrill said at a press conference held outside a local bakery with a three-hour wait. “It’s about protecting the integrity of king cake. When people with no connection to this state are buying up limited inventory, real Louisianans suffer.”
Under the proposal, customers would be required to present a Louisiana driver’s license, voter registration card, or Facebook screenshots proving they’ve argued online about which bakery is overrated. Bakeries would also be allowed to challenge customers they believe “just learned what king cake is this week.”
Civil liberties groups criticized the plan as excessive, noting that no other baked goods in America require this level of scrutiny. Murrill dismissed those concerns, stating that “king cake was more than just a baked good.”
As the press conference wrapped up, Murrill was seen carefully packing up the remaining king cake slices, explaining that unused props would be transferred to a secure location “where it will be responsibly disposed of by staff.”
