The president of the Louisiana State Senate is the highest-ranking member of the Louisiana State Senate. The president convenes the session and calls members to order, and can designate another state senator as the presiding officer.

The Louisiana state senate president is fifth in gubernatorial line of succession in Louisiana.Louisiana Constitution, Article 4, Section 14 (accessed August 15, 2013) The president's counterpart in the lower house of the Louisiana Legislature is the Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives, currently Republican Phillip DeVillier.

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. In past years, the president of the state Senate was selected by the governor from among the state senators and was confirmed by their vote. Since 2016, legislators have exerted independence from the governor and chosen their own leaders.

Powers and duties Although the president is not the only state senator who can serve as a presiding officer, he holds the power to assign the presiding officer in his absence.Rules of Order, Chapter 3: Officers, Louisiana Legislature. (accessed August 15, 2013) During session, the presiding officer controls the flow of debate on the Senate floor, and decides questions of order.

The president controls the state senate offices and chamber, determines the physical arrangement and security of the chamber and committee rooms.Rules of Order, CHAPTER 1. SENATE CHAMBER, FLOOR AND OTHER PHYSICAL FACILITIES, Oklahoma Legislature. (accessed August 15, 2013)

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

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

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 2024 74 Cameron Henry Republican 2024 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 influencial 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 2024 42 Regina Barrow Democratic 2024 Incumbent

See also Governor of Louisiana Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives List of Louisiana state legislatures

References

External links Louisiana Senate