Taylor Barras | |
|---|---|
| Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives | |
| In office January 11, 2016 – January 13, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Chuck Kleckley |
| Succeeded by | Clay Schexnayder |
| Member of theLouisiana House of Representatives from the 48th district | |
| In office January 14, 2008 – January 13, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Romo Romero |
| Succeeded by | Beau Beaullieu |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Taylor Francis Barras January 1957 (age 68) New Iberia, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic(Before 2011) Republican(2011–present) |
| Spouse | Cheryl Lopez |
| Education | Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge(BS) |
Taylor Francis Barras (born January 1957) is an Americanaccountant andbanker who served as aRepublican member of theLouisiana House of Representatives for the 48th district, based inIberia Parish. On January 11, 2016, as he began his third term in the chamber, Barras was electedHouse speaker by his colleagues, who in what was considered a political upset on the second ballot rejected RepresentativeWalt Leger, III, ofNew Orleans, the choice of incomingDemocratic governorJohn Bel Edwards.[1]
A New Iberia native, Barras is the third of four children of Mazel Borel Barras and Elton Joseph Barras, a decoratedUnited States Armyfirst lieutenant inWorld War II, who operated a countrygrocery store from 1951 until 1969 and was then from 1969 to 1983 the chief deputy underIberia Parish Tax Assessor Clegg J. LaBauve, Sr.. The senior Barras was elected to succeed LaBauve as tax assessor in 1983; he handily defeated Erland "Ticky" LaBauve and held the position from 1984 until his retirement in December 2000.[citation needed]
Taylor Barras graduated in 1975 from New Iberia Senior High School. In 1979, he received aBachelor of Science degree in accounting fromLouisiana State University inBaton Rouge.[2]
Barras is market president of Iberia Bank. He is married to the former Cheryl Lopez.[3] In 2011, Barras became one of several members to switch toRepublican Party affiliation.[4]
In his first term, Barras served on the House and Governmental Affairs Committee Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs Committee, Ways and Means Committee, and Joint Legislative Committee on Capital Outlay.[5]
Barras predicted no shortcuts to the reconciliation of the state budget, the first agenda item in the special legislative session set for mid-February. "None of the choices are easy or ideal, but we have to face them," Barras said.[1]
When Governor John Bel Edwards' proposed increase in thestate gasoline tax failed in the House in 2017, key supporters of the governor questioned the effectiveness of Barras' leadership. TheLouisiana Republican Party and conservatives in the state House, however, rallied to Barras' defense on the premise that without Barras' leadership, the tax increase may have succeeded. It required a supermajority of seventy votes in the chamber.[6] In a June 1 editorial, theLafayette Daily Advertiser even called upon Barras to resign: "It may be no one could lead these 105 elected representatives, but Barras has proven he cannot. Barras is a good man but a bad speaker."[7] Ken Naquin, the chief executive officer of Louisiana Associated General Contractors, referred to "the toxic mix that is the House of Representatives as it exists today [with] the total lack of leadership in the House."[7] Naquin said that "in reality" there are three House Speakers, including Barras,Lance Harris ofAlexandria, the chairman of the House Republican Caucus, andCameron Henry ofMetairie, the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. Harris disputed Naquin's observation and said that Barras is "doing an awesome job."[7]
In July 2017, Governor Edwards sent Barras a letter asking the speaker to formulate his own plan for closing an estimated $1.3 billion budget shortfall for 2018. "If you remain unwilling to undertake comprehensive budget and tax reform, please identify your plan to solve the looming fiscal cliff," Edwards wrote. The governor said that he will not call a second special session to address fiscal matters unless bipartisan solutions are advanced: "At a cost of roughly $60,000 per day, it would be irresponsible to make Louisiana's taxpayers foot the bill for another special session without a firm commitment to act from the House," Edwards wrote.[8]
Lanny Keller, a journalist forThe Advocate, wrote in reference to Barras's retirement as speaker that the lawmaker, a compromise choice for the top position, is "a nice guy. But unfortunately, he's been a failure in many ways as speaker, and one who left the House as an institution in far worse shape than he found it. The budget process is a mess, and Barras bears a large share of the responsibility. Some of that is direct and personal, because as a member of the numbers-crunching Revenue Estimating Conference, he blocked ordinary and reasonable budget forecasts in recent months."[9]
| Louisiana House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Romo Romero | Member of theLouisiana House of Representatives for the 48th district 2008–2020 | Succeeded by |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives 2016–2020 | Succeeded by |
