Louisiana State Legislature

Louisiana State Legislature

*Législature de l'État de Louisiane*
*Legislatura del Estado de Luisiana*
Louisiana State Legislature ; Législature de l'État de Louisiane; Legislatura del Estado de Luisiana
(R) ; since January 8, 2024
Structure
Seats	144 voting members 39 senators; 105 representatives;
	Republican (71) Democratic (33); Independent (1);
Length of term	Senate 4 years; House 4 years
Salary	$16,800/year + expenses/per diem
Elections
Last State Senate election	October 14 and November 18, 2023
Last House of Representatives election	October 14 and November 18, 2023
Next State Senate election	October 23 and November 20, 2027
Next House of Representatives election	October 23 and November 20, 2027
Redistricting	Legislative control
Motto
	Union, justice, and confidence
Meeting place
	Louisiana State Capitol; Baton Rouge
Website
	http://www.legis.state.la.us/

The Louisiana State Legislature (

bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana State Senate with 39 senators. Members of each house are elected from single-member districts

of roughly equal populations.

The Louisiana State Legislature meets in the

Baton Rouge. In March 2023, Republicans gained a supermajority of the Louisiana legislature for a first in the history of Louisiana.^[2]

Early history

Allan Bowie Magruder were selected by the joint legislature to be Louisiana's first United States Senators on September 3, 1812. Destréhan resigned within a month and was replaced with Thomas Posey.^[3]

Terms

Members of both houses of the legislature serve a four-year term, with a

Louisiana Constitution

. In 2007, some legislators had served their maximum terms and could not run again, being "termed out of office". The term limits are consecutive rather than lifetime.

Officers

The officers of each house of the legislature are elected at the beginning of each term to serve for four-year terms. The

president of the Senate, from among its membership; the position is also traditionally recommended by the governor. The current president is Cameron Henry

. Each house provides for the election of its officers.

From 1853 until the adoption of the

Louisiana constitution of 1974, the lieutenant governor was designated to preside over the Louisiana Senate. In the 21st century, the lieutenant governor exercises powers delegated to him by the governor as provided by law. He also serves as governor in the event of a vacancy in the office, if the governor is unable to act as governor, or is out of the state. Since the lieutenant governor no longer serves as president of the Senate, he has been made an ex-officio member of each committee, board and commission on which the governor serves. (Louisiana Constitution Article IV, Section 6) Additionally, the lieutenant governor serves as head of the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation & Tourism

.

Sessions and quorum

The legislature is required to convene in the state capitol in Baton Rouge for regular annual sessions. In even-numbered years, a general session convenes at noon on the second Monday in March to extend for no longer than 60 legislative days during a period of 85 days. In odd-numbered years, a limited jurisdiction session convenes at noon on the second Monday in April for no longer than 45 legislative days during a period of 60 days. The legislature also may convene for extraordinary sessions and for veto sessions.

The legislature is required to meet in an organizational session, which cannot exceed three days, on the date its members take office. A special session may be called by the governor or may be convened by the presiding officers of both houses upon a written petition of a majority of the elected members of each house. A special session is limited to the number of days stated in the proclamation, not to exceed 30 days. The power to legislate in a special session is limited to the objects specifically enumerated in the proclamation.[5]

In order to constitute a quorum, both houses require a majority of members present; 53 members of the House of Representatives and 20 members of the Senate. A smaller number may adjourn from day to day and may compel the attendance of absent members. Each house is required to also keep a journal of its proceedings and have it published immediately after the close of each session.

Political immunity

Members of both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature are free from arrest, except for felony, during their attendance at sessions and committee meetings of their house and while going to and from them. No member shall be questioned elsewhere for any speech in either house.

Veto powers

The governor of Louisiana carries the power of the line-item veto. However, the legislature has the constitutional power to override a gubernatorial veto by a vote of two-thirds from each house.

Notes

^ A common name for the Louisiana State Legislature is "the General Assembly", a name used first in English in the 1812 Louisiana Constitution,([1]) which in turn is a translation of French Assemblée générale and found in other states to designate the lower house.
^ Hazard, Charlotte. Democrat in Louisiana Legislature switches to GOP, giving Republicans a supermajority, Just the News, March 18, 2023.
^ "Joint Credentials for the State of Louisiana's First Senators, September 3, 1812". The Center for Legislative Archives. August 15, 2016. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
^ Velasco, Donna (May 24, 2021). "Louisiana State House Passes Resolution for Term Limits on Congress - U.S. Term Limits". Retrieved May 24, 2023.
^ "Sessions of the Legislature". Louisiana State Legislature. Retrieved October 30, 2020.

External links

[1] A common name for the Louisiana State Legislature is "the General Assembly", a name used first in English in the 1812 Louisiana Constitution,([1]) which in turn is a translation of French Assemblée générale and found in other states to designate the lower house.

[2] Hazard, Charlotte. Democrat in Louisiana Legislature switches to GOP, giving Republicans a supermajority, Just the News, March 18, 2023.

[3] "Joint Credentials for the State of Louisiana's First Senators, September 3, 1812". The Center for Legislative Archives. August 15, 2016. Retrieved March 14, 2022.

[4] Velasco, Donna (May 24, 2021). "Louisiana State House Passes Resolution for Term Limits on Congress - U.S. Term Limits". Retrieved May 24, 2023.

[5] "Sessions of the Legislature". Louisiana State Legislature. Retrieved October 30, 2020.

[2]

[3]

v t e Members of the Louisiana State Senate
President of the Senate Cameron Henry (R) President pro tempore Regina Barrow (D)
▌Bob Owen (R) ▌Ed Price (D) ▌Joseph Bouie (D) ▌Jimmy Harris (D) ▌Royce Duplessis (D) ▌Rick Edmonds (R) ▌Gary Carter Jr. (D) ▌Patrick Connick (R) ▌Cameron Henry (R) ▌Kirk Talbot (R) ▌Patrick McMath (R) ▌Beth Mizell (R) ▌Valarie Hodges (R) ▌Cleo Fields (D) ▌Regina Barrow (D) ▌Franklin Foil (R) ▌Caleb Kleinpeter (R) ▌Eddie J. Lambert (R) ▌Gregory A. Miller (R) ▌Mike Fesi (R) ▌Robert Allain III (R) ▌Blake Miguez (R) ▌Jean-Paul Coussan (R) ▌Gerald Boudreaux (D) ▌Mark Abraham (R) ▌Bob Hensgens (R) ▌Jeremy Stine (R) ▌Heather Cloud (R) ▌Jay Luneau (D) ▌Mike Reese (R) ▌Alan Seabaugh (R) ▌Glen Womack (R) ▌Stewart Cathey Jr. (R) ▌Katrina Jackson (D) ▌Jay Morris (R) ▌Adam Bass (R) ▌Bill Wheat (R) ▌Thomas Pressly (R) ▌Sam Jenkins (D)
▌Republican (28) ▌Democratic (11) Louisiana Legislature Louisiana House of Representatives Louisiana State Senate

v t e Members of the Louisiana House of Representatives
Speaker of the House Phillip DeVillier (R) Speaker pro tempore Michael T. Johnson (R)
▌Danny McCormick (R) ▌Steven Jackson (D) ▌Tammy Phelps (D) ▌Joy Walters (D) ▌Dennis Bamburg Jr. (R) ▌Michael Melerine (R) ▌Larry Bagley (R) ▌Raymond Crews (R) ▌Dodie Horton (R) ▌Wayne McMahen (R) ▌Rashid Armand Young (D) ▌Chris Turner (R) ▌Jack McFarland (R) ▌Michael Echols (R) ▌Foy Gadberry (R) ▌Adrian Fisher (D) ▌Pat Moore (D) ▌Jeremy LaCombe (R) ▌Francis C. Thompson (R) ▌Neil Riser (R) ▌C. Travis Johnson (D) ▌Gabe Firment (R) ▌Shaun Mena (D) ▌Rodney Schamerhorn (R) ▌Jason Brian DeWitt (R) ▌Ed Larvadain III (D) ▌Michael T. Johnson (R) ▌Daryl Deshotel (R) ▌Edmond Jordan (D) ▌Charles Owen (R) ▌Troy Hebert (R) ▌R. Dewith Carrier (R) ▌Les Farnum (R) ▌Wilford Carter Sr. (D) ▌Brett F. Geymann (R) ▌Phillip Tarver (R) ▌Troy Romero (R) ▌Rhonda Butler (R) ▌Julie Emerson (R) ▌Dustin Miller (D) ▌Phillip DeVillier (R) ▌Chance Keith Henry (R) ▌ Josh Carlson (R) ▌Tehmi Jahi Chassion (D) ▌Brach Myers (R) ▌Chad Michael Boyer (R) ▌Ryan Bourriaque (R) ▌ Beau Beaulieu (R) ▌Jacob Jules Gabriel Landry (R) ▌Vincent St. Blanc III (R) ▌Beryl Amedee (R) ▌Jerome Zeringue (R) ▌Jessica Domangue (R) ▌Joseph Orgeron (R) ▌Bryan Fontenot (R) ▌Beth Anne Billings (R) ▌Sylvia Elaine Taylor (D) ▌Ken Brass (D) ▌Tony Bacala (R) ▌Chad Brown (D) ▌C. Denise Marcelle (D) ▌Roy Daryl Adams (D) ▌Barbara West Carpenter (D) ▌Kellee Hennessy Dickerson (R) ▌Lauren Ventrella (R) ▌Emily Chenevert (R) ▌Larry Selders (D) ▌Dixon McMakin (R) ▌Paula Davis (R) ▌Barbara Reich Freiberg (R) ▌Roger William Wilder, III (R) ▌Robby Carter (D) ▌Kimberly Coates (R) ▌Peter F. Egan, Sr. (R) ▌John Wyble (R) ▌Stephanie Berault (R) ▌Mark Wright (R) ▌John Illg (R) ▌Debbie Villio (R) ▌Polly Thomas (R) ▌Jeffrey Wiley (R) ▌Laurie Schlegel (R) ▌Kyle Green (D) ▌Timothy P. Kerner Sr. (R) ▌Vincent Cox III (R) ▌Nicholas Muscarello (R) ▌Rodney Lyons (D) ▌Kathy Edmonston (R) ▌Christopher Kim Carver (R) ▌Brian Glorioso (R) ▌Mandie Landry (D) ▌Joseph A. Stagni (R) ▌Alonzo Knox (D) ▌Stephanie Hilferty (R) ▌Shane Mack (R) ▌Marcus Bryant (D) ▌Matthew Willard (D) ▌Aimee Adatto Freeman (D) ▌Candace Newell (D) ▌Jason Hughes (D) ▌Vanessa Caston LaFleur (D) ▌Delisha Boyd (D) ▌Michael Bayham (R) ▌Jack Galle (R) ▌Jacob Braud (R)
▌Republican (73) ▌Democratic (32) Louisiana Legislature Louisiana House of Representatives Louisiana State Senate

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