List of speakers of the Louisiana House of Representatives

The Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the Louisiana House of Representatives, the lower house of the Louisiana State Legislature. The speaker 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 Republican Cameron Henry.

Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives
since January 8, 2024
AppointerLouisiana House of Representatives
Term lengthFour years
Inaugural holderPierre Bauchet St. Martin
Formation1812
Succession6th

History

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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.

When Democrat John Bel Edwards succeeded Jindal in 2016, his choice as Speaker, Democrat Walt Leger III of New Orleans, was rejected by house's Republican majority, which instead elected fellow Republican Taylor Barras of New Iberia.

Powers

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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

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Speaker Terms of office Parish Party
Pierre Bauchet St. Martin 1812 German Coast Democratic-Republican
Stephen A. Hopkins 1813 Acadia Democratic-Republican
Magloire Guichard 1814-1817 Orleans Democratic-Republican
David C. Ker 1819–1820 Orleans Democratic-Republican
Armand Beauvais 1820–1822 Pointe Coupee Democratic-Republican
Andre B. Roman 1822–1826 St. James National Republican
Octave LaBranche 1827–1828 St. Charles Jacksonian
Andre B. Roman 1828–1830 St. James National Republican
Alexandre Mouton 1831–1832 Lafayette Democratic
Alcée Louis la Branche 1833–1837 St. Charles Democratic
Joseph Marshall Walker 1837–1838 Rapides Democratic
Guillaume Louis DeBuys 1839–1841 Orleans Whig
William C. C. Claiborne II 1842–1843 Orleans Whig
Charles Derbigny 1843–1844 Jefferson Whig
Antoine Boudousquie 1845 St. John the Baptist Whig
David A. Randall 1846 Ascension Democratic
Preston W. Farrar 1847–1850 Orleans Whig
E. Warren Moise 1850 Plaquemines Democratic
John Edward King 1852 St. Landry Whig
E. Warren Moise 1853 Plaquemines Democratic
John M. Sandidge 1854–1855 Bossier Democratic
William W. Pugh 1856–1859 Assumption Democratic
Charles H. Morrison 1860 Ouachita Democratic
Adolphus Oliver (Confederate) 1861–1863 unknown Democratic
Joseph Barton Elam (Confederate) 1863–1864 De Soto Democratic
Simeon Belden (Union) 1864–1865 St. Martin Republican
Duncan S. Cage 1865–1867 Terrebonne Republican
Charles W. Lowell 1868–1869 Caddo Republican
Mortimer Carr 1870–1871 Orleans Republican
George W. Carter 1871 Cameron Republican
O. H. Brewster 1872 Ouachita Republican
Charles W. Lowell 1873–1874 Caddo Republican
Louis A. Wiltz 1875 Orleans Democratic
Michael Hahn 1875 St. Charles Republican
E. D. Estilette 1875–1876 St. Landry Democratic
Michael Hahn (Packard legislature) 1877 St. Charles Republican
Louis Bush 1877–1878 Orleans Democratic
John Conway Moncure 1879–1880 Caddo Democratic
Robert N. Ogden 1880–1884 Orleans Democratic
Henry W. Ogden 1884–1888 Bossier Democratic
Samuel P. Henry 1888–1892 Cameron Democratic
George Washington Bolton 1892–1896 Rapides Democratic
Samuel P. Henry 1896–1900 Cameron Democratic
Jared Y. Sanders Sr. 1900–1904[1] St. Mary Democratic
Robert H. Snyder 1904–1906 Tensas Democratic
Joseph W. Hyams 1906–1908 West Baton Rouge Democratic
Henry Garland Dupré 1908–1910 Orleans Democratic
Lee Emmett Thomas 1912–1916 Caddo Democratic
Hewitt Leonidas Bouanchaud 1916–1920 Pointe Coupee Democratic
R. F. Walker 1920–1924 East Feliciana Democratic
J. Stuart Douglas 1924–1926 Caddo Democratic
William Clark Hughes 1926–1928 Bossier Democratic
John B. Fournet 1928–1932 Jefferson Davis Democratic
Allen J. Ellender 1932–1936 Terrebonne Democratic
Lorris M. Wimberly 1936–1936 Bienville Democratic
Ralph Norman Bauer 1940–1948 St. Mary Democratic
Morris Lottinger Sr. 1948–1950 Terrebonne Democratic
Lorris M. Wimberly 1950–1952 Bienville Democratic
Clarence C. "Taddy" Aycock 1952–1956 St. Mary Democratic
Lorris M. Wimberly 1956–1957 Bienville Democratic
Robert Joseph "Bob" Angelle 1957–1960 St. Martin Democratic
J. Thomas Jewell 1960–1964 Pointe Coupee Democratic
Vail M. Delony 1964–1967 East Carroll Democratic
John S. Garrett 1968–1972 Claiborne Democratic
E. L. "Bubba" Henry 1972–1980 Jackson Democratic
John J. Hainkel Jr. 1980–1984 Orleans Democratic
John A. Alario Jr. 1984–1988 Jefferson Democratic
Jimmy N. Dimos 1988–1992 Ouachita Democratic
John A. Alario Jr. 1992–1996 Jefferson Democratic
Huntington Blair "Hunt" Downer Jr. 1996–2000 Terrebonne Democratic
Charles W. "Charlie" DeWitt Jr. 2000–2004 Rapides Democratic
Joe Reece Salter 2004–2008 Sabine Democratic
James Wayne "Jim" Tucker 2008–2012 Jefferson Republican
Charles Edward "Chuck" Kleckley 2012–2016 Calcasieu Republican
Taylor Francis Barras 2016–2020 Iberia Republican
Clay Schexnayder 2020–2024 Ascension Republican
Phillip DeVillier 2024– St. Landry Republican

Speaker pro tempore

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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

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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 2012–2020 Orleans Democratic
Tanner Magee 2020–2024 Terrebonne Republican
Michael T. Johnson 2024– Rapides Republican

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Goodspeed, Weston Arthur (April 19, 1904). "Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Indian territory". Weston historical association – via Google Books.
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