President of the Louisiana State Senate

The President of the Louisiana State Senate is the highest-ranking member of the Louisiana State Senate. As presiding officer, he or she convenes session and calls members to order, but can designate another state senator to preside in his or her place.

President of the Louisiana State Senate
Incumbent
Patrick Page Cortez
since January 13, 2020
AppointerLouisiana State Senate
Term lengthFour years
Inaugural holderJulien Poydras
Formation1812
Succession5th
Louisiana
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Louisiana

The Louisiana state senate president is fifth in gubernatorial line of succession in Louisiana.[1] The president's counterpart in the lower house of the Louisiana Legislature is the Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives, currently Republican Clay Schexnayder.

History

The Louisiana Constitution of 1812 did not provide for a lieutenant governor to preside over the state senate and allowed the president of the state senate to succeed the governor. The first senate president to succeed to the governorship was Henry S. Thibodaux, who succeeded to the position in 1824 after the resignation of Governor Thomas B. Robertson. In 1829, Governor Pierre Derbigny died in a carriage accident, allowing for Armand Beauvais to become acting governor. Beauvais resigned after only three months in 1830 to run in the special election to fill the post. The new senate president, Jacques Dupré, became the new acting governor until he resigned in 1831 and was replaced by governor-elect André B. Roman.

In the Louisiana Constitution of 1846, the Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana assumed the functions of the state senate presidency. During the Civil War there were two lieutenant governors, one union, and one confederate, as there were two separate state governments. The lieutenant governor presided over the Louisiana State Senate from 1853 until the adoption of the Louisiana constitution of 1974. The current president of the state senate is selected by the governor from among the state senators and is confirmed by their vote.

Powers and duties

Although the president is not the only state senator that can serve as a presiding officer, he holds the power to assign the presiding officer in his absence.[2] During session, the presiding officer controls the flow of debate on the Senate floor, and decides questions of order.[2]

The president controls the state senate offices and chamber, determines the physical arrangement and security of the chamber and committee rooms.[3]

As a state senator, the president is entitled to participate in debate and to vote.[2]

According to Article 4, Section 14, of the Louisiana Constitution, the president is fifth in the gubernatorial line of succession.[1]

List of presidents since 1812
# President Party Start of service End of service
1 Julien Poydras Democratic-Republican 1812 1813
2 Fulwar Skipwith Democratic-Republican 1814 1815
3 Nathaniel Meriam Democratic-Republican 1816 1819
4 Julien Poydras Democratic-Republican 1820 1821
5 Bernard de Marigny Democratic-Republican 1822 1822
6 Henry S. Thibodaux National Republican 1823 1826
7 Armand Beauvais National Republican 1827 1829
8 Jacques Dupré Whig 1830 1830
9 Isaac A. Smith Whig 1830 1831
10 Charles Derbigny Whig 1832 1837
11 Joseph E. Johnston Whig 1838 1838
12 Jacques Dupré Whig 1838 1838
13 Felix Garcia Whig 1839 1845
14 Trasimond Landry Democratic 1846 1850
15 Jean Baptiste Plauché Democratic 1850 1853
16 W. W. Farmer Democratic 1853 1854
17 Robert C. Wickliffe Democratic 1854 1856
18 Charles H. Mouton Democratic 1856 1856
19 William F. Griffin Democratic 1856 1860
20 Henry M. Hyams Democratic 1860 1864
21 Benjamin W. Pearce Democratic 1864 1865
22 J. Madison Wells Republican 1864 1864
23 Charles Smith Republican 1864 1864
24 Charles W. Boyce Republican 1864 1864
25 Louis Gastinel Republican 1864 1865
26 Victor Burthe Democratic 1865 1865
27 Albert Voorhies Democratic 1866 1867
28 Oscar J. Dunn Republican 1868 1871
29 P. B. S. Pinchback Republican 1871 1872
30 A. B. Harris Republican 1872 1873
31 C. C. Antoine Republican 1873 1877
32 Louis A. Wiltz Democratic 1877 1880
33 Samuel Douglas McEnery Democratic 1880 1881
34 W. A. Robertson Democratic 1881 1881
35 George L. Walton Democratic 1881 1884
36 Clay Knobloch Democratic 1884 1888
37 James Jeffries Democratic 1888 1892
38 Charles Parlange Democratic 1892 1893
39 Hiram R. Lott Democratic 1893 1896
40 Robert H. Snyder Democratic 1896 1900
41 Albert Estopinal Democratic 1900 1904
42 Jared Y. Sanders, Sr. Democratic 1904 1908
43 Paul M. Lambremont Democratic 1908 1912
44 Thomas C. Barret Democratic 1912 1916
45 Fernand Mouton Democratic 1916 1920
46 Hewitt Bouanchaud Democratic 1920 1924
47 Delos R. Johnson Democratic 1924 1924
48 Oramel H. Simpson Democratic 1924 1926
49 Philip H. Gilbert Democratic 1926 1928
50 Paul N. Cyr Democratic 1932 1931
51 Alvin Olin King Democratic 1931 1932
52 John B. Fournet Democratic 1932 1935
53 Thomas C. Wingate Democratic 1935 1935
54 James A. Noe Democratic 1935 1936
55 Earl K. Long Democratic 1936 1939
56 Coleman Lindsey Democratic 1939 1940
57 Marc M. Mouton Democratic 1940 1944
58 J. Emile Verret Democratic 1944 1948
59 William J. Dodd Democratic 1948 1952
60 C. E. "Cap" Barham Democratic 1952 1956
61 Lether Frazar Democratic 1956 1960
62 C. C. "Taddy" Aycock Democratic 1960 1972
63 James E. Fitzmorris, Jr. Democratic 1972 1976
64 Michael H. O'Keefe Democratic 1976 1983
65 Samuel B. Nunez, Jr. Democratic 1983 1988
66 Allen Bares Democratic 1988 1990
67 Samuel B. Nunez, Jr. Democratic 1990 1996
68 Randy L. Ewing Democratic 1996 2000
69 John J. Hainkel, Jr. Republican 2000 2004
70 Donald E. Hines, M.D. Democratic 2004 2008
71 Joel T. Chaisson, II Democratic 2008 2012
72 John A. Alario, Jr. Republican 2012 2020
73 Patrick Page Cortez Republican 2020 Incumbent

President pro tempore

The President pro tempore is appointed in the same way as the president. The President pro tempore acts as presiding officer in the absence of the president. If the chair is ever permanently vacated the President pro tempore acts as the temporary presiding officer until the Senate elects a new president. The President pro tempore, though not vested with much power, is usually a senior and influence senator. The position has existed since the foundation of the Senate in 1812, but it did not become a permanent position until 1880.

List of presidents pro tempore since 1880
# President pro tempore Party Start of service End of service
1 W. A. Robertson Democratic 1880 1881
2 George L. Walton Democratic 1881 1884
3 Robert C. Davey Democratic 1884 1888
4 Murphy J. Foster Democratic 1888 1892
5 Hiram R. Lott Democratic 1892 1896
6 Albert Estopinal Democratic 1896 1900
7 Hugh C. Cage Democratic 1900 1904
8 Paul M. Lambremont Democratic 1904 1908
9 Thomas C. Barret Democratic 1908 1912
10 Joseph Voegtle Democratic 1912 1913
11 A. K. Amacker Democratic 1913 1916
12 E. M. Stafford Democratic 1916 1920
13 Delos R. Johnson Democratic 1920 1924
14 Philip H. Gilbert Democratic 1924 1928
15 Alvin Olin King Democratic 1928 1932
16 Thomas C. Wingate Democratic 1932 1935
17 James A. Noe Democratic 1935 1936
18 Coleman Lindsey Democratic 1936 1940
19 Frank B. Ellis Democratic 1940 1944
20 Grove Stafford Democratic 1944 1948
21 Dudley J. LeBlanc Democratic 1948 1952
22 Robert A. Ainsworth, Jr. Democratic 1952 1956
23 W. J. Cleveland Democratic 1956 1960
24 Robert A. Ainsworth, Jr. Democratic 1960 1961
25 Sylvan Friedman Democratic 1961 1964
26 E. W. Gravolet, Jr. Democratic 1964 1968
27 Jamar W. Adcock Democratic 1968 1972
28 Michael H. O’Keefe Democratic 1972 1976
29 Edgar G. Mouton Democratic 1976 1980
30 Samuel B. Nunez, Jr. Democratic 1980 1983
31 Theodore M. Hickey Democratic 1983 1984
32 Thomas H. Hudson Democratic 1984 1988
33 Samuel B. Nunez, Jr. Democratic 1988 1990
34 Leonard J. Chabert Democratic 1990 1992
35 Dennis R. Bagneris, Sr. Democratic 1992 1999
36 Ronald Clarence Bean Republican 1999 2000
37 Louis J. Lambert Democratic 2000 2004
38 Diana E. Bajoie Democratic 2004 2008
39 Sharon Weston Broome Democratic 2008 2016
40 Gerald Long Republican 2016 2020
41 Beth Mizell Republican 2020 Incumbent
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See also

References
  1. Louisiana Constitution, Article 4, Section 14 (accessed August 15, 2013)
  2. Rules of Order, Chapter 3: Officers, Louisiana Legislature. (accessed August 15, 2013)
  3. Rules of Order, CHAPTER 1. SENATE CHAMBER, FLOOR AND OTHER PHYSICAL FACILITIES, Oklahoma Legislature. (accessed August 15, 2013)
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