Robideaux Opposes Governor's Role in Choosing House Speaker.

REPRESENTATIVE ROBIDEAUX OPPOSES GOVERNOR’S ROLE IN CHOOSING THE HOUSE SPEAKER.

Calls for public ‘On the Record Vote’ as Provided by House Rules and the State Constitution.

(BATON ROUGE)   State Representative Joel Robideaux (R) Lafayette, Speaker Pro Tempore of the House of Representatives, is opposing the Governor’s role in choosing the Speaker saying that it violates both House Rules and the State Constitution.  Representative Robideaux is calling for public, on the record votes for House leadership, as provided for in the Rules of the House and the State Constitution.

“The State Constitution calls for the House to select our own leaders.  This is a fundamental principle of the Separation of Powers” said Representative Robideaux.  “In the House, Rule 2.3 on the Election of the Speaker clearly states that the duly elected members of the House shall vote for Speaker viva voce, (voice vote) on the first day of the organizational session at the beginning of the new term after new members have been sworn in” Robideaux said.  “There are still twenty-one House races that have not been decided, and more than forty members will not be sworn in until January.  For the Governor to try to choose leadership now, when one-fourth of the body is not even elected is disrespectful to these future House members, the Legislative Branch of government and the Constitution of Louisiana” Robideaux continued.  “We understand the desire of the Governor to select and control the legislative leadership.  This shadowy, back room way of doing things has been part of the Governor’s power since the days of Huey Long, continuing through Governor Edwards to the present day.  We believe Louisiana citizens would fare a lot better if the process actually functioned like the Rules and Constitution call for” Robideaux concluded.

Robideaux also expressed  concern that the Governor’s intervention is highly premature because there is no consensus among current House members in favor of any candidate for Speaker.  After the fact, the Governor has embarked on a full-court press, calling members and using his influence to pressure members into supporting his choice.   

Robideaux notes that the Speaker candidates who have met with the Governor have compared tick sheets, and it is clear that Representative Kleckley is nowhere near approaching 53 votes, the majority needed to be elected.  In fact, Kleckley is likely not even the first choice of the body when comparing the first and second choices of House members.

“I don’t know why the Governor is in such a hurry to pressure the House to accept a Speaker candidate” said Robideaux.  “We have plenty of time to have an orderly process that includes all the House members, and results in a record vote so that the people of Louisiana can see who their representatives support for leadership” Robideaux continued.  “As a result, it would be irresponsible not to press forward to a record vote as called for in the Rules”  Robideaux concluded.

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ABOUT HOUSE RULE 2.3

“Rule 2.3.   Speaker; election

      The Speaker of the House shall be elected by the members of the House from among the members thereof.  Such election shall be viva voce and the favorable vote of fifty-three members shall be required to elect the Speaker.  The Speaker shall be elected every four years at the organizational session of the legislature provided for in Article III, Section 2(D) of the Constitution of Louisiana at which the newly elected members take the oath of office.  The election of the Speaker shall be the next order of business following the election of the Clerk.  Vacancies in the office of Speaker shall be filled in the manner of the original selection.”

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