Clay John Schexnayder (; born February 25, 1969) is an American businessman and politician from

Ascension Parish, Louisiana Ascension Parish (; ) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 126,500. Its parish seat is Donaldsonville. The parish was created in 1807. Ascension Parish is part of the Baton Rouge metr ...

. A Republican, he has served as a member of the

Louisiana House of Representatives The Louisiana House of Representatives (; ) is the lower house in the Louisiana State Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. This chamber is composed of 105 representatives, each of whom represents approximately 4 ...

from 2012 to 2024, and as

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 Hung ...

from 2020 to 2024.

Early life and education

Schexnayder is the son of Perry P. Schexnayder and the former Dorothy Ann Demars (1937–2009). His grandfather Harold "Pocahontas" Schexnayder was a longtime

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) is a state agency of Louisiana that maintains state wildlife and fishery areas. The agency is headquartered in the capital city of Baton Rouge. Mission The Louisiana Department of Wildlife ...

game warden A conservation officer is a law enforcement officer who protects wildlife and the environment. A conservation officer may also be referred to as an environmental technician/technologist, game warden, park ranger, forest watcher, forest guar ...

, and he spent much of his childhood in the Maurepas Swamp area. In 1989, Schexnayder graduated from French Settlement High School.Kathleen Peppo
'It was a ride': Clay Schexnayder went from racing cars to leading the Louisiana House
LSU Manship School News Service (March 3, 2021). Two years later, he graduated from the Allen Institute in

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...

, Georgia, where he trained as an

automotive mechanic An auto mechanic is a mechanic who services and repairs automobiles, sometimes specializing in one or more automobile brands or sometimes working with any brand. In fixing cars, their main role is to diagnose and repair the problem accuratelS ...

Career before politics

In 1998, Schexnayder opened Car Craft and Rubber Company Automotive, in

Sorrento Sorrento ( , ; ; ) is a City status in Italy, city and overlooking the Gulf of Naples, Bay of Naples in Southern Italy. A popular tourist destination, Sorrento is located on the Sorrentine Peninsula at the southern terminus of a main branch o ...

, a town in Ascension Parish, and has operated the business since that time. On the side, he was a

racecar Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. In North America, the term is commonly used to describe all forms of automobile sport including n ...

driver, participating in races from 1997 to 2013 on the competition circuit in Louisiana,

Mississippi Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...

, and

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...

Political career

State House tenure before speakership (2012–2019)

Schexnayder was first elected to the

in 2011 from District 81, which encompasses parts of four

parishes A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or ...

: Livingston, Ascension, St. James, and

St. John the Baptist John the Baptist ( – ) was a Jewish preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early first century AD. He is also known as Saint John the Forerunner in Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy, John the Immerser in some Baptist ...

.Littice Bacon-Blood
State Rep. Clay Schexnayder seeks re-election in 81st District
NOLA.com (September 2, 2015). In 2016, Schexnayder sponsored legislation to repeal Louisiana's

motorcycle helmet A motorcycle helmet is a type of helmet used by motorcycle riders. Motorcycle helmets contribute to motorcycle safety by protecting the rider's head in the event of an impact. They reduce the risk of head injury by 69% and the risk of death by 4 ...

law, making it legal for motorcyclists ages 21 and up to ride motorcycles without head protection; the bill failed to pass on a 48–32 vote, falling short of the 53 votes required for the bill to advance. In 2016, Schexnayder was named to the Executive Committee of the Louisiana Legislative Rural Caucus for the 2016–2017 term. As chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, Schexnayder opposed a bill in 2018 to allow

florist Floristry is the production, commerce, and trade in flowers. It encompasses flower care and handling, floral design and arrangement, merchandising, production, display and flower delivery. Wholesale florists sell bulk flowers and related s ...

s to work without passing a 40-question licensing exam. Louisiana is the only state that requires

occupational licensing Occupational licensing, also called licensure, is a form of government regulation requiring a license to pursue a particular profession or vocation for compensation. It is related to occupational closure. Some claim higher public support for t ...

for florists. The bill, introduced by Representative Julie Emerson, was supported by Governor

John Bel Edwards John Bel Edwards (born September 16, 1966) is an American politician, attorney, and Army veteran who served as the 56th governor of Louisiana from 2016 to 2024. A Southern Democrat, he previously served in the Louisiana House of Representatives ...

, and was supported by various organizations favoring occupational-licensing reform, such as

Institute for Justice The Institute for Justice (IJ) is a non-profit public interest law firm in the United States. It has litigated twelve cases before the United States Supreme Court dealing with eminent domain, interstate commerce, public election finance, public ...

and

Americans for Prosperity Americans for Prosperity (AFP), founded in 2004, is a Libertarian conservatism, libertarian conservative political advocacy group in the United States affiliated with brothers Charles Koch and the late David Koch. As the Koch family's primary pol ...

.Greg Hilburn
Arranging bouquets is thorny issue in Louisiana
''USA Today'' Network/WWL-TV (March 30, 2018).Effort to end Louisiana's licensing of florists falls short
Associated Press (May 1, 2018). Schexnayder defended the florist-licensure requirement, framing it as a consumer-protection measure. Despite Schexnayder's opposition, the bill passed the House committee on an 8–6 vote. However, it failed in the

state Senate In the United States, the state legislature is the legislative branch in each of the 50 U.S. states. A legislature generally performs state duties for a state in the same way that the United States Congress performs national duties at ...

. In 2019, Schexnayder sponsored legislation to permit and regulate

industrial hemp Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a plant in the botanical class of ''Cannabis sativa'' cultivars grown specifically for industrial and consumable use. It can be used to make a wide range of products. Along with bamboo, hemp is among the fastest ...

cultivation in the state, and to authorize licensed retailers to sell hemp-derived products, including

cannabidiol Cannabidiol (CBD) is a phytocannabinoid, one of 113 identified cannabinoids in ''Cannabis'', along with tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and accounts for up to 40% of the plant's extract. Medically, it is an anticonvulsant used to treat multiple f ...

(CBD oil); The bill passed the legislature and was signed into law by Governor Edwards.

Speaker of the state House (2020–2024)

In January 2020, Schexnayder won the post of speaker of the House after some Democrats supported him, while most of the Republican representatives supported a different candidate for the post, Livingston Republican Sherman Mack.Kaylee Poche
Clay Schexnayder selected as new Louisiana House speaker; see other leadership picks
''

Gambit A gambit (from Italian , the act of tripping someone with the leg to make them fall) is a chess opening in which a player sacrifices with the aim of achieving a subsequent advantage. The word '' gambit'' is also sometimes used to describe si ...

'' (January 13, 2020). In the House floor vote, Schexnayder defeated Mack, 60–45, thus surpassing the 53 votes needed to win the speakership. Schexnayder won by winning the votes of all 35 House Democrats; 23 of the House Republicans; and two representatives with

no party affiliation Unaffiliated, meaning a lack of affiliation, may refer to: *Independent politician or unaffiliated politician * Independent voter or unaffiliated voter ** Unaffiliated (New Jersey), a status for registered voters in New Jersey See also * Apolitic ...

.Sam Karlin
Inside Clay Schexnayder's Louisiana House speaker win
''The Advocate'' (January 19, 2020).Melinda Deslatte
Analysis: Clues emerge about Louisiana House speaker's style
Associated Press (February 9, 2020). The other 45 Republicans voted for Mack. The vote occurred after days of intense negotiations between Mack and Schexnayder, which eventually broke down. Mack was officially endorsed by the House Republican caucus in a December 2019 vote, and the most powerful Louisiana Republicans (such as U.S. Senator

John Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), also known as JFK, was the 35th president of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963. He was the first Roman Catholic and youngest person elected p ...

, state Attorney General

Jeff Landry Jeffrey Martin Landry ( ; born December 23, 1970) is an American politician and attorney who has served as the 57th governor of Louisiana since 2024. A member of the Republican Party, he served as the 45th attorney general of Louisiana from 201 ...

and megadonor Lane Grigsby), including the members most hostile to Democratic Governor

, supported Mack's candidacy Edwards urged Democratic representatives to support Schexnayder, and the Republicans who backed Schexnayder generally came from a more moderate wing of the party. Thus, although Republicans were in a strong position in the

Louisiana Legislature The Louisiana State Legislature (; ) is the state legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is a bicameral legislature, body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 ...

(holding a two-thirds

supermajority A supermajority is a requirement for a proposal to gain a specified level of support which is greater than the threshold of one-half used for a simple majority. Supermajority rules in a democracy can help to prevent a majority from eroding fun ...

in the state Senate and being two votes shy of a supermajority in the state House), the split in the Republican Party allowed Democrats to retain a measure of influence within the legislature. In exchange for their support, Schexnayder allocated some committee chairmanships to Democrats,Julie O'Donoghue
Louisiana House Speaker gives lawmakers who voted with him plum committee assignments
''Louisiana Illuminator'' (May 2, 2022). although Republicans retained decisive majorities on all committees. In May 2021, Schexnayder supported a police reform bill, which passed the House on a 53-42 vote. The bill, backed by the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus, proposed new limits on

qualified immunity In the United States, qualified immunity is a legal principle of federal law that grants government officials performing discretionary (optional) functions immunity from lawsuits for damages unless the plaintiff shows that the official violated "c ...

, a doctrine that bars some victims from obtaining relief in court for police misconduct; it was the outcome of a compromise reached by a task force convened to address police misconduct. However, the bill failed to advance in the Senate. House Republicans have 68 seats in the state House, short of the 70 votes needed to override a veto. In 2021, after Governor Edwards vetoed 28 bills from the previous legislative session, Schexnayder called a veto session, the first such session since Louisiana's current constitution was adopted in 1974.Melinda Deslatte
Analysis: Veto session would be another break from tradition
Associated Press (July 4, 2021).Melinda Deslatte
Louisiana lawmakers to hold historic veto override session
Associated Press (July 16, 2021). During the session, Republicans sought to override two of Edwards' vetoes: a veto of a bill to ban transgender girls from participating in school sports, and a veto of a bill allowing the carrying of concealed handguns without a permit, safety training, or background check. Both attempts failed: almost all House Democrats voted to sustain the vetoes, and without Democratic or independent support, Republicans failed to obtain sufficient votes to override the vetoesMelinda Deslatte
Louisiana House speaker ousts Democrats after veto session
Associated Press (July 30, 2021). Schexnayder retaliated by ousting two different Democrats from committee chairmanships ( Chad Brown was removed from the chairmanship of the House Insurance Committee and Vincent Pierre from the chairmanship of the Transportation Committee) and replacing them with Republicans. The move left Republicans holding the chairmanship of 13 regular subject-matter committees, and Democrats holding the chairmanship of 3 committees. Schexnayder also ousted Roy Daryl Adams, a

member, from a seat on the House Appropriations Committee, and ousted Democrat C. Travis Johnson from his seat on the Transportation Committee. Democrats opposed Schexnayder's decision, but continued to support him as speaker. In 2021, Schexnayder ousted Representative Ray Garofalo from his chairmanship of the House Education Committee as part of an intra-party Republican feud over Garofalo's support for a bill that would ban public schools or colleges from teaching that the U.S. or the State of Louisiana is "systematically racist or sexist" and ban the provision of information that "promotes divisive concepts."Melinda Deslatte
Lawmaker loses chairman job after dispute with House speaker
Associated Press (May 26, 2021). This bill was similar to bills pushed by Republicans in other states. Schexnayder asked Garofalo not to move the bill forward, but Garofalo did so anyway. Republican Mark Wright the vice chairman of the committee, became chair in Garofalo's place. Schexnayder pushed legislation to extend Louisiana's movie production incentives for an additional eight years; the bill passed in 2023.

Campaign for secretary of state

In 2023, Schexnayder publicly considered a potential run for governor. In April 2023, after

Louisiana Secretary of State The secretary of state of Louisiana () is one of the elected constitutional officers of the U.S. state of Louisiana and serves as the head of the Louisiana Department of State. The position was created by Article 4, Section 7 of the Louisiana Con ...

Kyle Ardoin announced he would not seek reelection, Schexnayder announced he would run for the position, and said he had raised $900,000 for his campaign. He finished fourth in the jungle primary, with 14.69% of the vote.

Personal life

Schexnayder and his wife, Phoebe (née Keller), have four children and several grandchildren.

References

, - {{DEFAULTSORT:Schexnayder, Clay 1969 births Businesspeople from Louisiana Living people Republican Party members of the Louisiana House of Representatives People from Ascension Parish, Louisiana People from Livingston Parish, Louisiana Racing drivers from Louisiana Speakers of the Louisiana House of Representatives 21st-century members of the Louisiana State Legislature