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|religion=[[Baptist]]}}
|religion=[[Baptist]]}}
'''Harlie Eugene Reynolds, Jr.''', known as '''Gene Reynolds''' (born December 28, 1950),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mylife.com/harlie-reynolds/harliereynolds|title=Harlie Reynolds|publisher=Mylife.com|accessdate=September 12, 2017}}</ref> is a retired teacher and school principal residing in Dubberly in Webster Parish in northwestern [[Louisiana]], who is a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] state representative for District 10, which encompasses all of Webster Parish and one precinct from neighboring Bossier Parish. From 2015 to 2018, was the House Democratic Leader, having succeeded [[John Bel Edwards]] in the legislative position. Reynolds steeped down from the ladearshp near the end of a special legislative session called by the governor. He indicated that he "is tired" and needs time to devote himself to other matters.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/news/2018/03/05/house-democratic-chair-im-not-mad-im-just-tired/394489002/ |title=House Democratic Chair: 'I'm not mad; I'm just tired'|publisher=''The Alexandria Town Talk''|author=[[Greg Hilburn]]|accessdate=March 5, 2018}}</ref>
'''Harlie Eugene Reynolds, Jr.''', known as '''Gene Reynolds''' (born December 28, 1950),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mylife.com/harlie-reynolds/harliereynolds|title=Harlie Reynolds|publisher=Mylife.com|accessdate=September 12, 2017}}</ref> is a retired teacher and school principal residing in Dubberly in Webster Parish in northwestern [[Louisiana]], who is a [[Democratic Party|Democrat]] state representative for District 10, which encompasses all of Webster Parish and one precinct from neighboring Bossier Parish. From 2015 to 2018, Reynolds was the House Democratic Leader, having succeeded [[John Bel Edwards]] in the legislative position. Reynolds steeped down from the ladearshp near the end of a special legislative session called by the governor. He indicated that he "is tired" and needs time to devote himself to other matters.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thetowntalk.com/story/news/2018/03/05/house-democratic-chair-im-not-mad-im-just-tired/394489002/ |title=House Democratic Chair: 'I'm not mad; I'm just tired'|publisher=''The Alexandria Town Talk''|author=[[Greg Hilburn]]|accessdate=March 5, 2018}}</ref>
A native of [[Shreveport]], Reynolds<ref>{{cite web|url=http://votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/134722/gene-reynolds|title=Representative Gene Reynolds|publisher=votesmart.org|accessdate=May 18, 2012}}</ref> won a low-turnout [[general election]] held on November 19, 2011, when he defeated the [[Republican Party|Republicancandidate, Jerri Lynn Ray de Pingre of [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]], also a former educator, 4,232 (54.7 percent) to 3,508 (45.3 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://staticresults.sos.la.gov/11192011/11192011_Legislative.html|title=General election returns, November 19, 2011|publisher=staticresults.sos.la.gov|accessdate=May 18, 2012}}</ref> DePingre is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Ray and the wife of Benny dePingre, whom she married in 1981.
A native of [[Shreveport]], Reynolds<ref>{{cite web|url=http://votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/134722/gene-reynolds|title=Representative Gene Reynolds|publisher=votesmart.org|accessdate=May 18, 2012}}</ref> won a low-turnout [[general election]] held on November 19, 2011, when he defeated the [[Republican Party|Republicancandidate, Jerri Lynn Ray de Pingre of [[Minden, Louisiana|Minden]], also a former educator, 4,232 (54.7 percent) to 3,508 (45.3 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://staticresults.sos.la.gov/11192011/11192011_Legislative.html|title=General election returns, November 19, 2011|publisher=staticresults.sos.la.gov|accessdate=May 18, 2012}}</ref> DePingre is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Ray and the wife of Benny dePingre, whom she married in 1981.
In his first legislative session, Reynolds voted against proposals to increase the number of [[charter school]]s, to establish [[school vouchers]] and to amend the state's teacher tenure policy.
In his first legislative session, Reynolds voted against proposals to increase the number of [[charter school]]s, to establish [[school vouchers]] and to amend the state's teacher tenure policy.
Columnist Jeffrey Dennis Sadow of Louisiana State University at Shreveport attributed Reynolds' decision to vacate the leadership post to the Legislative Black Caucus. Sadow writes:<br>
<blockquote>
[By 2018], the Black Caucus treated Reynolds as if he didn’t exist. The caucus intransigently refused to back any deal, designed to head off a budgetary crisis for next fiscal year, that featured keeping the state sales tax at an elevated level and didn’t include income tax changes that would have the effect of raising collections from middle-class-and-above filers.<br>
Republicans had stated raising income taxes would be off the table and also insisted on spending and transparency reforms. Reynolds thought he had a deal ... for a three-year renewal of the 2016 sales tax hike at a quarter of its expiring value, but the Black Caucus would not budge, even after Republicans dropped demand after demand: they jettisoned all spending reforms and said they would raise taxes on all but lower-income households, although not to the degree that the Caucus wanted.<br>
But it wasn’t enough, and this scuttled the session without any meaningful revenue-raising. Both the sales tax and income tax measure would have proceeded to the Senate had almost all Democrats voted for each, but enough caucus members rejected the measures to send these to defeat.<br>
This showed just how powerless was Reynolds, and at the session’s end he again resigned, this time apparently for good. Once more, he blamed conservatives for not voting new substantial dollars into state coffers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://press-herald.com/the-democrat-caucus-left-reynolds-long-before-the-special-session/|title=The Democrat Caucus left Reynolds long before the special session|publisher=''Minden Press-Herald''|date=March 14, 2018|accessdate=March 19, 2018}}</ref></blockquote>
==References==
==References==