Joel Robideaux
| Joel Craig Robideaux | |
 | |
| In office 2016 – January 6, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Joey Durel |
|---|---|
| Succeeded by | Josh Guillory |
Louisiana State Representative for
District 45 (Lafayette Parish) | |
| In office April 2004 – January 11, 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Jerry Luke LeBlanc |
| Succeeded by | Jean-Paul Coussan |
Speaker Pro Tempore of the
Louisiana House of Representatives | |
| In office March 2010 – January 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Karen Carter Peterson |
| Succeeded by | Walt Leger, III |
| Born | October 5, 1962 Lafayette, Louisiana |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Independent-turned-Republican (2011) |
| Spouse(s) | Bobette M. Robideaux |
| Children | Three sons |
| Alma mater | Our Lady of Fatima High School University of Louisiana at Lafayette |
| Occupation | Certified Public Accountant |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
Joel Craig Robideaux (born October 5, 1962) is a Certified Public Accountant from Lafayette, Louisiana,[1] who is a former state representative and a former president of the Lafayette Parish consolidated government.
An Independent-turned-Republican, Robideaux represented District 45 from 2004 to 2016 as a Louisiana state representative. In 2010, he was narrowly elected Speaker Pro Tempore of the chamber, the first then Independent ever to hold that position.[2]
On September 1, 2011, Robideaux announced that he was joining the Republican Party. Earlier Robideaux was chosen Speaker Pro Tempore over the Democrat Noble Ellington of Winnsboro who later switched to Republican affiliation. The contest became open with the resignation of Democratic Representative Karen Carter Peterson, who instead became a state senator, a post that she has since resigned. In the heated campaign to choose Peterson's successor, Speaker Tucker removed Representative John Schroder of Covington in St. Tammany Parish from the House Appropriations Committee because Tucker claimed that Schroder had reneged on a prior pledge to support Robideaux, instead of Ellington. Schroder denied having ever made such a commitment to support Robideaux.[3]Schroder was elected in 2017 to fill the term of state Treasurer John Neely Kennedy, who was elected to the United States Senate.
Background
A Lafayette native, Robideaux graduated from the Roman Catholic Our Lady of Fatima High School and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, then known as the University of Southwestern Louisiana. He obtained a master's degree in finance from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Robideaux has coached youth sports and has taught accounting on an adjunct basis at ULL. He was the charter president of Kiwanis International of Vermilion Parish. He is a former board member for Camp Bon Coeur and Habitat for Humanity. He and his wife, Bobette M. Robideaux, have three sons.[4] In 2007, Robideaux and his state Senate colleague, Michael J. Michot of Lafayette, sponsored the transportation bill to fund priority road projects.
Legislative service
Robideaux was first elected to the House in a special election held in the spring of 2004 to succeed Democrat Jerry Luke LeBlanc, who resigned to become the commissioner of administration underthe then incoming Governor Kathleen Blanco of Lafayette. Robideaux finished second in the special election, with 1,622 votes (27 percent). Leading the five-candidate field was Republican Steven G. "Buzz" Durio, with 1,850 votes (30.9 percent). Two other Republicans, Denice Comeaux-Skinner andns, L. T. "Butch" Dupre, and another Independent, Beverly Broussard Wilson, polled the remaining but critical 42 percent of the vote. No Democrat ran that year.[5] In the second balloting on April 17, Robideaux defeated Durio, 2,751 votes (55 percent) to 2,223 (44.7 percent).[6]
Unopposed for a second term in 2007, Robideaux served on these committees: (1) Retirement, (2) Ways and Means, (3) Appropriations (ex officio by virtue of being Speaker Pro Tempore), (4) Joint Legislative Committee on Capital Outlay, (5) Legislative Budgetary Control Council, (6) House Executive Committee (ex officio), and (7) Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget (ex officio).[7]
In 2010, Robideaux voted 100 percent of the time with the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry. He supported the conservative Louisiana Family Forum 90 percent of the time in 2010 but only 75 percent in 2009. In 2011, he voted against a failed proposal to ban hand-held cellular devices while driving. He also opposed an increase in the state tobacco tax.[8]
District 45 is heavily conservative, pro-life, and Catholic. Included in the district is the southwestern portion of Lafayette Parish, including the city of Scott and the area about UL, the University Medical Center, and the sports arena, the Cajundome.[9]
Speaker candidacy
As a newly declared Republican, Robideaux was a runaway winner over his lone opponent, Libertarian W. David Chance, in the primary election held on October 22, 2011.[10]
Robideaux was a candidate for House Speaker in 2012. On October 25, 2011, Governor Bobby Jindal endorsed Chuck Kleckley of Lake Charles as his choice to succeed the term-limited Jim Tucker as Speaker.[11] Others seeking the Speakership were Baton Rouge Republican Representatives Hunter Greene, since a family court judge, and Erich Ponti and the Democrat Jeff Arnold of New Orleans.[12] Because the House of Representatives usually confirms the governor's choice as the Speaker, Robideaux soon abandoned the competition.
Outgoing Speaker Tucker, meanwhile, narrowly lost his race against GOP incumbent Tom Schedler for Louisiana Secretary of State in the 2011 primary election.[13]
2015 election
Term-limited in the House, Robideaux was elected in the October 24, 2015 primary as the mayor-president of Lafayette Parish. He defeated another Republican candidate, Dee Stanley, 31,624 (55.7 percent) to 25,156 (44.3 percent).[14]
Meanwhile, two Republicans, Andre' Comeaux and Jean-Paul Coussan, met in the November 21 runoff election to choose a House successor to Robideaux. Coussan emerged victorious, 5,765 votes (51.2 percent) to 5,505 (48.8 percent).[15]
Robideaux succeeded fellow Republican Joey Durel as the president of the combined Lafayette city and parish government. He served a single four-year term.
References
- ↑ Rep. Joel Robideaux, CPA. Lagniappe (March 2015). Retrieved on April 12, 2015; no longer accessible on-line.
- ↑ Joel Robideaux Becomes Louisiana's First Independent Speaker Pro Tempore. youtube.com. Retrieved on August 30, 2011.
- ↑ Rep. John Schroder says he "never lied" to House speaker schabout pro-tem vote, April 6, 2010. nola.com. Retrieved on August 28, 2011.
- ↑ Joel Robideaux: State Representative. joelrobideaux.com. Retrieved on August 30, 2011; material no longer on-line.
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary , Election Returns, March 9, 2004.
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, April 17, 2004.
- ↑ Rep. Joel C. Robideaux. house.louisiana.gov. Retrieved on August 30, 2011.
- ↑ Rep. Joel C. Robideaux. votesmart.org. Retrieved on May 7, 2022.
- ↑ Rep. Robideaux, Joel C.. mobilelgs.com. Retrieved on August 30, 2011; no longer accessible on-line.
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, Primary Election Returns, October 22, 2011.
- ↑ Jindal to support Kleckley in speaker race. wwl.com. Retrieved on October 26, 2011.
- ↑ Mark Ballard, "Greene joins candidates for speaker of La. House". The Baton Rouge Advocate. Retrieved on July 14, 2011.
- ↑ Term-limited Tucker seeking Secretary of State. theind.com. Retrieved on August 9, 2011.
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 24, 2015.
- ↑ Louisiana Secretary of State, General Election Returns, November 21, 2015.
