Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives

Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives
Incumbent
Taylor Francis Barras

since January 11, 2016
Appointer Louisiana House of Representatives
Term length Four years
Inaugural holder Pierre Bauchet St. Martin
Formation 1812
Succession 6th
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Louisiana

The Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives is the speaker (presiding officer) of the Louisiana House of Representatives, the lower house of the Louisiana State Legislature. He serves as the leader and head of the Louisiana House. The speaker is traditionally suggested by the Governor of Louisiana. The Speaker's counterpart in the State Senate is the President of the Senate, currently former Speaker Republican John Alario.

History

The first speaker, Pierre Bauchet St. Martin, was elected by the House in 1812. During the first years of statehood the speakership and the Louisiana House of Representative was dominated by supporters of Henry Clay, after 1845 the Democratic Party came to dominate politics until the United States Civil War. After the war the state, along with the rest of the southern states, underwent the Reconstruction from 1865 until 1877, during this time politics were dominated by the Republican Party. In 1877 the Democrats came to power again and stayed in power in the House until late 2010. During this time the practice of the Governor appointing the speaker began. In 2008 Republican Governor Bobby Jindal appointed the first Republican speaker in over a hundred years even though the Democrats held a small majority.

Powers

The speaker serves as the presiding officer and highest ranking representative in the Louisiana House of Representatives. He rules on points of order during sessions, makes committee assignments, which are usually actually made by the Governor. The speaker is usually an ally of the Governor and serves as his floor leader in the House, in this role he plays a vital part in passing legislation. The speaker usually is a chief negotiator in getting legislation passed on behalf of the Governor. The speaker leads the coalition of the Governor's supporters in the House, serves as the leader of House of Representatives, he controls the flow of legislation through the House, and serves as an ex officio member of each House committee. The speaker is sixth in the gubernatorial line of succession.

List of Speakers

Speaker Terms of Office Parish Party
Pierre Bauchet St. Martin 1812German Coast Democratic-Republican
Stephen A. Hopkins1813Acadia Democratic-Republican
Magloire Guichard1817Orleans Democratic-Republican
David C. Ker1819–1820Orleans Democratic-Republican
Armand Beauvais 1820–1822Pointe Coupee Democratic-Republican
Andre B. Roman 1822–1826St. James National Republican
Octave Labranche 1827–1828St. Charles Jacksonian
Andre B. Roman 1828–1830St. James National Republican
Alexandre Mouton1831–1832Lafayette Democratic
Alcée Louis la Branche 1833–1837St. Charles Democratic
Joseph Marshall Walker 1837–1838Rapides Democratic
Guillaume Louis DeBuys 1839–1841Orleans Whig
William C. C. Claiborne, II 1842–1843Orleans Whig
Charles Derbigny 1843–1844Jefferson Whig
Antoine Boudousquie 1845St. John the Baptist Whig
David A. Randall 1846Ascension Democratic
Preston W. Farrar 1847–1850Orleans Whig
E. Warren Moise 1850Plaquemines Democratic
John E. King 1852 St. Landry Whig
E. Warren Moise 1853Plaquemines Democratic
John M. Sandidge 1854–1855Bossier Democratic
William W. Pugh 1856–1859Assumption Democratic
Charles H. Morrison 1860Ouachita Democratic
Adolphus Oliver (Confederate)1861–1863unknown Democratic
Joseph Barton Elam (Confederate)1863–1864De Soto Democratic
Simeon Belden (Union)1864–1865St. Martin Republican
Duncan S. Cage 1865–1867Terrebonne Republican
Charles W. Lowell 1868–1869Caddo Republican
Mortimer Carr 1870–1871Orleans Republican
George W. Carter 1871Cameron Republican
O.H. Brewster 1872Ouachita Republican
Charles W. Lowell 1873–1874Caddo Republican
Louis A. Wiltz 1875Orleans Democratic
Michael Hahn1875St. Charles Republican
E. D. Estilette 1876St. Landry Democratic
Michael Hahn (Packard) 1877St. Charles Republican
Louis Bush 1877–1878Orleans Democratic
John Conway Moncure 1879–1880Caddo Democratic
Robert N. Ogden 1880–1884Orleans Democratic
Henry W. Ogden 1884–1888Bossier Democratic
Samuel P. Henry 1888–1892Cameron Democratic
George Washington Bolton 1892–1896Rapides Democratic
Samuel P. Henry1896–1900Cameron Democratic
Jared Y. Sanders, Sr.1900–1904St. Mary Democratic
Robert H. Snyder1904–1906Tensas Democratic
Joseph W. Hyams1906–1908West Baton Rouge Democratic
Henry Garland Dupré1908–1910Orleans Democratic
Lee Emmett Thomas1912–1916Caddo Democratic
Hewitt Leonidas Bouanchaud1916–1920Pointe Coupee Democratic
R. F. Walker1920–1924East Feliciana Democratic
J. Stuart Douglas1924–1926Caddo Democratic
William Clark Hughes1926–1928Bossier Democratic
John B. Fournet1928–1932Jefferson Davis Democratic
Allen J. Ellender1932–1936Terrebonne Democratic
Lorris M. Wimberly1936–1936Bienville Democratic
Ralph Norman Bauer1940–1948St. Mary Democratic
Morris Lottinger, Sr.1948–1950Terrebonne Democratic
Lorris M. Wimberly1950–1952Bienville Democratic
Clarence C. "Taddy" Aycock1952–1956St. Mary Democratic
Lorris M. Wimberly1956–1957Bienville Democratic
Robert Joseph "Bob" Angelle1957–1960St. Martin Democratic
J. Thomas Jewell1960–1964Pointe Coupee Democratic
Vail M. Delony1964–1967East Carroll Democratic
John S. Garrett1968–1972Claiborne Democratic
E. L. "Bubba" Henry1972–1980Jackson Democratic
John J. Hainkel, Jr.1980–1984Orleans Democratic
John A. Alario, Jr 1984–1988 Jefferson Democratic
Jimmy N. Dimos1988–1992Ouachita Democratic
John A. Alario, Jr 1992–1996Jefferson Democratic
Huntington Blair "Hunt" Downer, Jr. 1996–2000Terrebonne Democratic
Charles W. "Charlie" DeWitt, Jr. 2000–2004Rapides Democratic
Joe Reece Salter 2004–2008Sabine Democratic
James Wayne "Jim" Tucker 2008–2012 Jefferson Republican
Charles Edward "Chuck" Kleckley 2012–2016 Calcasieu Republican
Taylor Francis Barras 2016– Iberia Republican

Speaker pro tempore

The speaker pro tempore is appointed in the same way as the speaker. The Speaker pro tempore acts as speaker in the absence of the speaker. If the chair is ever permanently vacated the speaker pro tempore acts as the temporary presiding officer until the House elects a new speaker. The Speaker pro tempore, although not officially a powerful position, generally serves as a major power player in the House. The House of Representatives created the position in 1972.

List of Speakers pro tempore

Speaker pro tempore Terms of Office Parish Party
Kenneth J. Leithman 1972–1980 Jefferson Democratic
Frank P. Simoneaux 1980–1982 East Baton Rouge Democratic
Raymond Laborde 1982–1984 Avoyelles Democratic
Joseph A. Delpit 1984–1988 East Baton Rouge Democratic
Huntington Blair "Hunt" Downer 1988–1992 Terrebonne Democratic
Sherman Copelin 1992–1996 Orleans Democratic
Peppi Bruneau 1996–2004 Orleans Republican
Sharon Weston Broome 2004–2005 East Baton Rouge Democratic
Yvonne Dorsey-Colomb 2005–2008 East Baton Rouge Democratic
Karen Carter Peterson 2008–2010 Orleans Democratic
Joel Craig Robideaux 2010–2011 Lafayette Independent
Joel Craig Robideaux 2011–2012 Lafayette Republican
Walter John "Walt" Leger, III 2012– Orleans Democratic

See also

External links

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