By Staff, Baptist Message
BATON ROUGE – In a resounding victory for Louisiana Pro-Life advocates and Louisiana Southern Baptists, New Iberia Republican Taylor Barras was elected as the new Speaker of the House in a stunning vote and Gerald Long (R-Natchitoches) was unanimously elected as President Pro Tempre of the Louisiana Senate.
The Republican-dominated Louisiana legislature broke ranks with incoming Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards (the first Democratic Governor since 2008) and elected New Iberia Rep. Taylor Barras as their speaker with 56 of the 105 House member’s votes.
“We congratulate Rep. Barras on his election as Speaker of the House,” said Ben Clapper, Executive Director of Louisiana Right to Life. “Rep. Barras has a 100 percent pro-life voting record with Louisiana Right to Life, and we are confident the House of Representatives and the Health and Welfare Committee will be under pro-life guidance.”
The speaker’s race originally featured four candidates — Barras, New Orleans Democrat Walter Leger III, New Orleans Democrat Neil Abramson and Metairie Republican Cameron Henry. In the first round of voting, Henry and Leger got the most votes.
Henry, however, ended up dropping out of the race, throwing his support behind Barras.
“We congratulate Rep. Cameron Henry on his courageous and selfless action to withdraw during the runoff, and we also thank Rep. Leger for reaching out to Louisiana Right to Life during the process of the campaign for Speaker of the House,” said Clapper. “We congratulate Rep. Leger for being elected Speaker Pro Tempore.
A last minute candidate, New Iberia Rep. Taylor Barras, who recently turned Republican, sneaked past the two partisan candidates (who had battled for the top legislative job since the election.) Barras won the election on the second ballot.
Leger ended up being elected Speaker Pro Tempore, the second-in-command in the House.
“This was a historic event for the state of Louisiana,” said Rep. Mike Johnson (R-Bossier City). “In the election of Rep. Taylor Barras as Speaker, we followed the clear mandate of our Constitution, and the essential doctrine of separation of powers.
“An independent Speaker will be a healthy and refreshing change for our state, and is an important step towards a better government,” continued Johnson. “We were not sent here to repeat the mistakes of the past, but to return to the sound principles of government that represent the will of the people.”
The Senate unanimously re-elected John Alario to his third and final term in the upper chamber of the state legislature as Senate president, using a secret ballot in a break from tradition.
Senators unanimously voted to re-elect Alario, a Westwego Republican, shortly before the state’s incoming governor, John Bel Edwards, was scheduled to deliver his inaugural address. Electing Alario by secret ballot was ostensibly seen as a way to limit the governor’s customary role in picking the Senate president, but Edwards has said he didn’t object to Alario’s selection.
Long, a Natchitoches Republican and a member of First Baptist Church Natchitoches, was elected President Pro Tempore — the Senate’s number two leadership positions.
Both men have a 100 percent pro-life scorecard according to Louisiana Right to Life.
“We are excited to move forward to work with Gov. Edwards, Speaker Barras, Speaker Pro Tempore Leger and all elected officials to defend life in Louisiana,” said Clapper.
