Taylor Barras | |
---|---|
Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives | |
In office January 11, 2016 –January 13, 2020 | |
Preceded by | Chuck Kleckley |
Succeeded by | Clay Schexnayder |
Member of the LouisianaHouseofRepresentatives from the 48th district | |
In office January 14,2008 –January 13,2020 | |
Preceded by | Romo Romero |
Succeeded by | Beau Beaullieu |
Personal details | |
Born | Taylor Francis Barras January 1957 (age 67) New Iberia,Louisiana,U.S. |
Political party | Democratic (Before 2011) Republican (2011–present) |
Spouse | Cheryl Lopez |
Education | Louisiana State University,Baton Rouge (BS) |
Taylor Francis Barras (born January 1957) is an American accountant and banker who served as a Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for the 48th district,based in Iberia Parish. On January 11,2016,as he began his third term in the chamber,Barras was elected House speaker by his colleagues,who in what was considered a political upset on the second ballot rejected Representative Walt Leger,III,of New Orleans,the choice of incoming Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards. [1]
A New Iberia native,Barras is the third of four children of Mazel Borel Barras (1924-deceased) and Elton Joseph Barras (1923–2007),a decorated United States Army first lieutenant in World War II,who operated a country grocery store from 1951 until 1969 and was then from 1969 to 1983 the chief deputy under Iberia Parish Tax Assessor Clegg J. LaBauve,Sr. (1906–1987). The senior Barras was elected to succeed LaBauve as tax assessor in 1983;he handily defeated Erland "Ticky" LaBauve (born May 1947) and held the position from 1984 until his retirement in December 2000. [2]
Taylor Barras graduated in 1975 from New Iberia Senior High School. In 1979,he received a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. [3]
Barras is market president of Iberia Bank. He is married to the former Cheryl Lopez. [4] In 2011,Barras became one of several members to switch to Republican Party affiliation. [5]
In his first term,Barras served on the House and Governmental Affairs Committee Municipal,Parochial and Cultural Affairs Committee,Ways and Means Committee,and Joint Legislative Committee on Capital Outlay. [6]
Barras predicted no shortcuts to the reconciliation of the state budget,the first agenda item in the special legislative session set for mid-February. "None of the choices are easy or ideal,but we have to face them," Barras said. [1]
When Governor John Bel Edwards' proposed increase in the state gasoline tax failed in the House in 2017,key supporters of the governor questioned the effectiveness of Barras' leadership. The Louisiana Republican Party and conservatives in the state House,however,rallied to Barras' defense on the premise that without Barras' leadership,the tax increase may have succeeded. It required a supermajority of seventy votes in the chamber. [7] In a June 1 editorial,the Lafayette Daily Advertiser even called upon Barras to resign:"It may be no one could lead these 105 elected representatives,but Barras has proven he cannot. Barras is a good man but a bad speaker." [8] Ken Naquin,the chief executive officer of Louisiana Associated General Contractors,referred to "the toxic mix that is the House of Representatives as it exists today [with] the total lack of leadership in the House." [8] Naquin said that "in reality" there are three House Speakers,including Barras,Lance Harris of Alexandria,the chairman of the House Republican Caucus,and Cameron Henry of Metairie,the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Harris disputed Naquin's observation and said that Barras is "doing an awesome job." [8]
In July 2017,Governor Edwards sent Barras a letter asking the speaker to formulate his own plan for closing an estimated $1.3 billion budget shortfall for 2018. "If you remain unwilling to undertake comprehensive budget and tax reform,please identify your plan to solve the looming fiscal cliff," Edwards wrote. The governor said that he will not call a second special session to address fiscal matters unless bipartisan solutions are advanced:"At a cost of roughly $60,000 per day,it would be irresponsible to make Louisiana's taxpayers foot the bill for another special session without a firm commitment to act from the House," Edwards wrote. [9]
Lanny Keller,a journalist for The Advocate , wrote in reference to Barras's retirement as speaker that the lawmaker,a compromise choice for the top position,is "a nice guy. But unfortunately,he's been a failure in many ways as speaker,and one who left the House as an institution in far worse shape than he found it. The budget process is a mess,and Barras bears a large share of the responsibility. Some of that is direct and personal,because as a member of the numbers-crunching Revenue Estimating Conference,he blocked ordinary and reasonable budget forecasts in recent months." [10]
Clarence C. "Taddy" Aycock,a conservative Democrat from Franklin in St. Mary Parish,was the only three-term lieutenant governor in 20th century Louisiana history. He served from 1960 to 1972. Aycock failed in his only bid for governor in the 1971 Democratic primary. Few lieutenant governors in Louisiana have been elected directly to the governorship;former Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco of Lafayette,is a prominent exception.
John Bel Edwards is an American politician and attorney who served as the 56th governor of Louisiana from 2016 to 2024. A member of the Democratic Party,he previously served as the Democratic leader of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 2012 to 2015.
Jeffrey Martin Landry is an American politician and attorney serving since 2024 as the 57th governor of Louisiana. A member of the Republican Party,he served as the 45th attorney general of Louisiana from 2016 to 2024 and as the U.S. representative for Louisiana's 3rd congressional district from 2011 to 2013.
Alan Thomas Seabaugh is an American attorney from Shreveport,Louisiana,who is a Republican member of the Louisiana Senate from District 31. He previously served as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 5 in Caddo Parish.
John Clyde Morris III is a businessman and attorney from Monroe,Louisiana. A Republican,Morris has been a member of the Louisiana State Senate for the 35th district in North Louisiana since 2020. From 2012 until 2020,Morris was a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 14,which encompasses Ouachita and Morehouse parishes in the northeastern portion of his state.
Clay John Schexnayder is an American businessman and politician from Ascension Parish,Louisiana. A Republican,he has served as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 2012 to 2024,and as speaker of the House from 2020 to 2024.
Christopher D. Broadwater,known as Chris Broadwater,is an attorney in Baton Rouge,Louisiana,who was a Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 86,which encompasses within Tangipahoa Parish the communities of Independence,Tickfaw,Natalbany,and northwestern Hammond,Broadwater's own city of residence. Broadwater first won office in 2011 and abruptly resigned in December 2017.
Kenneth Edward Havard, known as Kenny Havard,is an American politician and businessman serving as the president of West Felician Parish. A Republican,he previously served as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from the 62nd district,which encompasses most of East and West Feliciana parishes and the northwest corner of East Baton Rouge Parish,including the city of Zachary.
Russell Barrow Peacock is a former Republican state senator for District 37 in northwestern Louisiana.
Major Thibaut Jr.,is an American politician who served as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for the 18th district from 2008 to 2020. The district encompasses Iberville,West Baton Rouge,West Feliciana,and Pointe Coupee parishes. Thibaut is known for his efforts to obtain infrastructure improvements in his largely rural district.
The 2016 United States Senate election in Louisiana took place on November 8,2016,to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Louisiana,concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election,as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
Ralph Lee Abraham Jr. is an American veterinarian,physician,and politician who served as the U.S. representative for Louisiana's 5th congressional district from 2015 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party,he is a native and resident of Alto,Louisiana.
Garret Neal Graves is an American politician serving as the United States representative from Louisiana's 6th congressional district since 2015. He is a member of the Republican Party.
The 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Louisiana were held on November 8,2016,to elect the six U.S. representatives from the state of Louisiana,one from each of the state's six congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2016 U.S. presidential election,as well as other elections to the House of Representatives,elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections.
The 2019 Louisiana gubernatorial election was held to elect the governor of Louisiana. Incumbent Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards won re-election to a second term,defeating Republican businessman Eddie Rispone. Edwards became the first Democratic Governor of Louisiana to win re-election to a second consecutive term in 44 years since Edwin Edwards in 1975. It was the closest Louisiana gubernatorial election since 1979.
Jean-Paul Philip Coussan,known as JP Coussan,is an American lawyer,small business owner and Republican politician from Lafayette,Louisiana,who has since 2024 represented District 23 in the Louisiana Senate. He previously represented District 45 in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 2016 to 2024.
Edmond Dwayne Jordan is an American attorney and politician. He is a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 29. On May 14,2016,he won a special election runoff to succeed fellow Democrat Ronnie Edwards.
Paula Davis,is a Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives.
The 2023 Louisiana gubernatorial election was held on October 14,2023 to elect the governor of Louisiana. Incumbent Governor John Bel Edwards was term-limited and could not seek re-election to a third consecutive term in office. This race was one of two Democratic-held governorships up for election in 2023 in a state that voted for Donald Trump in 2020.
John M. Stefanski is an American attorney and politician who has served as a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives since 2017. He is a Republican.