The Louisiana House of Representatives (french: link=no, Chambre des Représentants de Louisiane) is the lower house in the

Louisiana State Legislature The Louisiana State Legislature (french: Législature d'État de Louisiane) is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is a bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 repres ...

, the

state legislature A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...

of the U.S. state of

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is bord ...

. This chamber is composed of 105 representatives, each of whom represents approximately 42,500 people (2000 figures). Members serve four-year terms with a term limit of three terms (twelve years). The House is one of the five state legislative lower houses that has a four-year term, as opposed to the near-universal two-year term. The House convenes at the

State Capitol This is a list of state and territorial capitols in the United States, the building or complex of buildings from which the government of each U.S. state, the District of Columbia and the organized territories of the United States, exercise its ...

in Baton Rouge.

Leadership

The

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hunger ...

presides over the House of Representatives. The speaker is customarily recommended by the governor (although this is not in House rules), then elected by the full House. In addition to presiding over the body, the speaker is also the chief leadership position, and controls the flow of legislation and committee assignments. The Louisiana House of Representatives also elects a speaker pro tempore to preside in the absence of the Speaker. The current speaker is Republican

Clay Schexnayder Clay John Schexnayder (; born February 25, 1969) is an American businessman and politician from Ascension Parish, Louisiana, currently serving as Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives. Schexnayder succeeded John LaBruzzo in the Lou ...

, who was elected to that position in 2020. His deputy is the speaker pro tempore, currently Republican Tanner Magee who was also elected to the position in 2020. The speaker pro tempore presides when the Speaker is not present.

Composition

The Louisiana House of Representatives comprises 105 representatives elected from across the state from single-member districts by registered voters in the district. Representatives must be electors, be at least eighteen years old, be domiciled in the district they represent at least one year, and have resided in the state two years. It is the judge of its members' qualifications and elections. All candidates for state representative in a district compete in a nonpartisan blanket primary; if no candidate earns 50+1 percent of the vote, the top two vote-getters advance into the general election. Elections occur every four years and representatives are limited to three four-year terms (12 years). If a seat is vacant, it will be filled in a special election. Its sessions occur along with the Louisiana State Senate, every year, for sixty legislative days in even-numbered years and forty-five legislative days in odd-numbered years in which only monetary bills can be considered. It is the lower legislative chamber of the

; the upper house is the Louisiana State Senate. The Louisiana House has sole authority to impeach state officials and introduce appropriation bills. The Louisiana House of Representatives was established, along with its functions and authority, in Article III, Section 3 of the Louisiana Constitution.

Party membership

Members

Committee assignments

The committees of the Louisiana House review proposed bills and either kill them or recommend their passage to the full house. Each committee has a specialized area it oversees. Committees can call upon state officials to testify at committee meetings. Committee memberships, including chairmanships and vice chairmanships, are assigned by the Speaker.“House Standing Committees.” Louisiana House of Representatives, Louisiana House of Representatives, house.louisiana.gov/H_Reps/H_Reps_StandCmtees.aspx.

Past composition of the House of Representatives

References

External links

Louisiana House of RepresentativesHouse district mapsMembership in the Louisiana House of Representatives, 1812–2024In The Loop
Official Blog of the Louisiana House of Representatives

{{DEFAULTSORT:Louisiana House Of Representatives State lower houses in the United States Louisiana State Legislature