On March 19, the Louisiana House & Government Affairs Committee passed HB 193. It lets independent candidates use the ballot label “independent” instead of “no party.” Thanks to Jim Riley for this news.
A somewhat similar bill that failed in a Senate Committee a few days ago also included a provision, permitting the creation of a party named the “Independent Party.” That latter part of the bill is probably what caused it to fail. HB 193 retains the ban on any party being called “Independent Party”, so it seems somewhat likely that HB 193 will pass the Senate Committee, if it passes the House.