Jimmy Harris (Louisiana politician)

James Charles "Jimmy" Harris, III
Louisiana State Representative for District 99 (Orleans Parish)
Incumbent
Assumed office January 11, 2016
Preceded by	Wesley T. Bishop
Personal details
Born	June 1974 New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Political party	Democratic
Residence	New Orleans, Louisiana
Alma mater	St. Augustine High School Morehouse College Southern University Law Center
Occupation	Lawyer Government agency employee

James Charles Harris, III, known as Jimmy Harris (born June 1974),^[1] is an African-American Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 99 in his native Orleans Parish, Louisiana. He was first elected on November 21, 2015, and assumed his seat on January 11, 2016.

Background

Harris graduated from St. Augustine High School, a Roman Catholic parochial school in New Orleans and received his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, and earned his Juris Doctorate from the historically black Southern University Law Center in Baton Rouge.^[2]

Political life

Having worked in three levels of government, he is the director of special projects for U.S. Representative Cedric Richmond of Louisiana's 2nd congressional district, another African-American Democrat. Formerly, he was the director of state relations for the City of New Orleans and earlier was the legislative advisor to Richmond when the congressman was the state representative for District 101.^[2]

To claim his House seat, Harris defeated another Democrat, Ray Crawford, 61 to 39 percent, in a runoff contest.^[3] House District 99 encompasses portions of Gentilly, Bywater, Faubourg Marigny, the Ninth Ward, and eastern New Orleans. Harris succeeded Representative Wesley T. Bishop, who ran instead successfully for the Louisiana State Senate.^[2]

In March 2016, Harris joined a House bipartisan majority to enact a one-cent increase in the state sales tax. State representatives voted 76 to 28 for the tax hike, a part of the revenue-raising measures pushed by Democrat Governor John Bel Edwards.^[4] A House and Senate conference committee subsequently trimmed the duration of the tax from five years to twenty-seven months, effective from April 1, 2016 to June 30, 2018. Even the sale of Bibles and religious publications and Girl Scout cookies are now subject to the tax.^[5]

References

1. "James Harris, June 1974". Louisiana Secretary of State. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
2. "James "Jimmy" Harris, III Announces Candidacy For Louisiana House of Representatives, District 99". myemail.constantcontact.com. August 12, 2015. Retrieved April 6, 2016.
3. "Election Returns". Louisiana Secretary of State. November 21, 2015. Retrieved April 5, 2016.
4. "State House of Representatives Vote to Increase Sales Tax". KEEL. February 25, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
5. "See the list: Examples of goods, services that'll now be taxed in Louisiana". The Baton Rouge Advocate. Retrieved April 1, 2016.