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

lower house A lower house is one of two Debate chamber, chambers of a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has co ...

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 represen ...

, the state legislature of the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

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 borde ...

. 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 A term limit is a legal restriction that limits the number of terms an officeholder may serve in a particular elected office. When term limits are found in presidential and semi-presidential systems they act as a method of curbing the potenti ...

of three terms (twelve years). The House is one of the five state legislative

s that has a four-year term, as opposed to the near-universal two-year term. The House convenes at the State Capitol in

Baton Rouge Baton Rouge ( ; ) is a city in and the capital 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-sma ...

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 Hungerf ...

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 Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

Clay Schexnayder, 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 A nonpartisan blanket primary is a primary election in which all candidates for the same elected office run against each other at once, regardless of the political party. Partisan elections are, on the other hand, segregated by political party. ...

; 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 The Louisiana State Senate (french: Sénat de Louisiane) is the upper house of the state legislature of Louisiana. All senators serve four-year terms and are assigned to multiple committees. Composition The Louisiana State Senate is compose ...

, 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

. 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 The Louisiana Constitution is legally named the Constitution of the State of Louisiana and commonly called the Louisiana Constitution of 1974, and the Constitution of 1974. The constitution is the cornerstone of the law of Louisiana ensuring the ...

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