List of speakers of the Louisiana House of Representatives explained

Post:	Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives
Incumbent:	Phillip DeVillier
Incumbentsince:	January 8, 2024
Predecessor:	Taylor Francis Barras
Appointer:	Louisiana House of Representatives
Termlength:	Four years
Formation:	1812
Succession:	6th
Inaugural:	Pierre Bauchet St. Martin

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.

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.

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

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
	1812		Democratic-Republican
	1813			Democratic-Republican
	1814-1817			Democratic-Republican
	1819–1820			Democratic-Republican
	1820–1822			Democratic-Republican
	1822–1826			National Republican
	1827–1828			Jacksonian
	1828–1830			National Republican
	1831–1832			Democratic
	1833–1837			Democratic
	1837–1838			Democratic
	1839–1841			Whig
	1842–1843			Whig
	1843–1844			Whig
	1845			Whig
	1846			Democratic
	1847–1850			Whig
	1850			Democratic
	1852			Whig
	1853			Democratic
	1854–1855			Democratic
	1856–1859			Democratic
	1860			Democratic
Adolphus Oliver (Confederate)	1861–1863	unknown		Democratic
Joseph Barton Elam (Confederate)	1863–1864			Democratic
Simeon Belden (Union)	1864–1865			Republican
	1865–1867			Republican
	1868–1869			Republican
	1870–1871			Republican
	1871			Republican
	1872			Republican
	1873–1874			Republican
	1875			Democratic
	1875			Republican
	1875–1876			Democratic
Michael Hahn (Packard)	1877			Republican
	1877–1878			Democratic
	1879–1880			Democratic
	1880–1884			Democratic
	1884–1888			Democratic
	1888–1892			Democratic
	1892–1896			Democratic
	1896–1900			Democratic
	1900–1904^[1]			Democratic
	1904–1906			Democratic
	1906–1908			Democratic
	1908–1910			Democratic
	1912–1916			Democratic
	1916–1920			Democratic
	1920–1924			Democratic
	1924–1926			Democratic
	1926–1928			Democratic
	1928–1932			Democratic
	1932–1936			Democratic
	1936–1936			Democratic
	1940–1948			Democratic
	1948–1950			Democratic
	1950–1952			Democratic
	1952–1956			Democratic
	1956–1957			Democratic
	1957–1960			Democratic
	1960–1964			Democratic
	1964–1967			Democratic
	1968–1972			Democratic
	1972–1980			Democratic
	1980–1984			Democratic
	1984–1988			Democratic
	1988–1992			Democratic
	1992–1996			Democratic
	1996–2000			Democratic
	2000–2004			Democratic
	2004–2008			Democratic
	2008–2012			Republican
	2012–2016			Republican
	2016–2020			Republican
	2020–2024			Republican
	2024–			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
	1972–1980			Democratic
	1980–1982			Democratic
	1982–1984			Democratic
	1984–1988			Democratic
	1988–1992			Democratic
	1992–1996			Democratic
	1996–2004			Republican
	2004–2005			Democratic
	2005–2008			Democratic
	2008–2010			Democratic
	2010–2011			Independent
	2011–2012			Republican
	2012–2020			Democratic
	2020–2024			Republican
	2024–			Republican

External links

http://house.legis.state.la.us/

Notes and References

Web site: Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Indian territory. Weston Arthur. Goodspeed. April 19, 1904. Weston historical association. Google Books.