The Louisiana House rejected incoming Gov. John Bel Edwards’ pick to be its speaker this morning, handing him his first legislative defeat as lawmakers selected their leaders at the start of the new four-year term.
The Associated Press reports the majority Republican chamber voted for Rep. Taylor Barras, a Republican from New Iberia, to lead the House, asserting its independence against the Democratic governor.
Barras was a last-minute surprise candidate in the race who emerged in the final hours before the vote. Edwards wanted Democratic Rep. Walt Leger of New Orleans in the role. But GOP leaders and conservative groups pushed back, urging Republican House members to select a speaker from their own party.
The Senate voted to keep Republican John Alario as its president, a position he’s already held for four years. In a new wrinkle, senators used a secret ballot process to cast votes. Alario was approved without opposition.
But most of the attention was centered on the House, and its rare, contested vote for speaker, a move that tested the limits of Edwards’ power on the day he was taking his oath of office. It was the first time a public roll call vote was held for House speaker in 32 years.
Barras received 56 votes, while Leger got support from 49 members in a runoff election after the field of candidates was whittled from four to two. House members unanimously agreed to keep Leger in his No. 2 job, House speaker pro tem.
Usually the House speaker selection is worked out in back-room negotiations, with only one member nominated on the House floor and then approved unanimously. And traditionally, the governor has a heavy say in who will get the job.
House Clerk Alfred “Butch” Speer says the last time a public roll call vote was held for House speaker was in 1984. The House did have a contested vote for its No. 2 job, the House speaker pro tem, in 2010.
Whether the dispute over the House speaker’s job will cause friction that spills into next month’s special legislative session isn’t yet clear. Edwards is planning to call a three-week session that will start in mid-February, aimed at stabilizing the state’s budget and rewriting the tax code to drum up more cash for the treasury to fill financial gaps.
