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John Bel Edwards names Ben Nevers chief of staff, transition team|publisher=''The New Orleans Times-Picayune''|date=November 23, 2015|author=Kevin Litten|accessdate=November 25, 2015}}</ref>​

John Bel Edwards names Ben Nevers chief of staff, transition team|publisher=''The New Orleans Times-Picayune''|date=November 23, 2015|author=Kevin Litten|accessdate=November 25, 2015}}</ref>​

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From 2004 to January 11, 2016, Nevers was a state senator for District 12, which includes parts of Washington, St. Tammany, and Tangipahoa parishes. From 2000 to 2004, he was a one-term member of the Louisiana House of Representative] for District 75. Even earlier he served on the Bogalusa City School Board.​

From 2004 to January 11, 2016, Nevers was a state senator for District 12, which includes parts of Washington, St. Tammany, and Tangipahoa parishes. From 2000 to 2004, he was a one-term member of the Louisiana House of Representative] for District 75. Even earlier he served on the Bogalusa City School Board.

 

==Background==​

==Background==​

Nevers graduated in 1964 from Bogalusa High School. In 1969, he completed his studies at the Sullivan Campus of Louisiana Technical College. Between 1965 and 1971, he served in the [[United States Army]]. Nevers served as  chairman of the Senate Education Committee and was  a member of various statewide educational committees, including the Louisiana Tuition Trust Authority, the Louisiana High School Redesign Commission, and the Blue Ribbon Commission for Educational Excellence. He is a member of the [[Hurricane Katrina]] Memorial Commission and also claimed a special legislative interest in [[agriculture]], economic development, and health care.<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=http://senate.legis.state.la.us/nevers/biography.asp|title=Senator Ben Nevers - District 12|publisher=senate.legis.state.la.us|accessdate=September 1, 2011}}</ref>​

Nevers graduated in 1964 from Bogalusa High School. In 1969, he completed his studies at the Sullivan Campus of Louisiana Technical College. Between 1965 and 1971, he served in the [[United States Army]]. Nevers served as  chairman of the Senate Education Committee and was  a member of various statewide educational committees, including the Louisiana Tuition Trust Authority, the Louisiana High School Redesign Commission, and the Blue Ribbon Commission for Educational Excellence. He is a member of the [[Hurricane Katrina]] Memorial Commission and also claimed a special legislative interest in [[agriculture]], economic development, and health care.<ref name=bio>{{cite web|url=http://senate.legis.state.la.us/nevers/biography.asp|title=Senator Ben Nevers - District 12|publisher=senate.legis.state.la.us|accessdate=September 1, 2011}}</ref>​

 

Nevers and his wife, the former Barbara Ann Williams, an educator, have three children and, as of 2011, six grandchildren. He is a deacon in his church.<ref name=bio/>​

Nevers and his wife, the former Barbara Ann Williams, an educator, have three children. He is a deacon in his [[Christian]] church.<ref name=bio/>​

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==Senate service==​

==Senate service==​

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In the 2003 [[nonpartisan blanket primary]] for senator, which attracted seven candidates, including former State Representative Weldon Russell of Amite City in Tangipahoa Parish, Nevers was forced into a second round of balloting with the [[Republican Party|Republican]] Richard E. Tanner, a retired teacher from St. Tammany Parish.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 4, 2003.</ref>  However, Tanner withdrew from the race on the grounds that the candidates held similar views.<ref name=mlgs>{{cite web|url=http://www.mobilelgs.com/BenNevers.html|title=Senator Ben Nevers|publisher=mobilelgs.com|accessdate=September 1, 2011}}</ref> Subsequently Nevers was unopposed in the 2007 primary.​

In the 2003 nonpartisan blanket [[primary]] for senator, which attracted seven candidates, including former State Representative Weldon Russell of Amite City in Tangipahoa Parish, Nevers was forced into a second round of balloting with the [[Republican Party|Republican]] Richard E. Tanner, a retired teacher from St. Tammany Parish.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Election Returns, October 4, 2003.</ref>  However, Tanner withdrew from the race on the grounds that the candidates held similar views.<ref name=mlgs>{{cite web|url=http://www.mobilelgs.com/BenNevers.html|title=Senator Ben Nevers|publisher=mobilelgs.com|accessdate=September 1, 2011}}</ref> Subsequently Nevers was unopposed in the 2007 primary.​

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Originally considered a more [[conservative]] Democrat, Nevers in 2007 filed an anti-[[abortion]] bill, backed by outgoing Democratic Governor [[Kathleen Blanco]], that permits abortions only in situations in which a woman's life is at risk from a pregnancy.<ref name=mlgs/> He sponsored the Louisiana Science Education Act, which permits teachers to use supplementary materials in class concerning the [[theory of evolution]] and [[creationism]]. Nevers said that the law, signed by then Republican Governor [[Bobby Jindal]], is "strictly about teaching science in the classroom. It has nothing to do with religion. ... It shall not be construed to promote any religious doctrine, promote discrimination for or against any particular set of religious beliefs, or promote discrimination for or against religion or nonreligion."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sensuouscurmudgeon.wordpress.com/2008/06/23/louisianas-ben-nevers-creationist-doublethink/|title=Louisiana's Ben Nevers: Creationist Doublethink, June 23, 2008|publisher=sensuouscurmudgeon.wordpress.com|accessdate=September 2, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2008/06/louisiana-passes-first-antievolution-academic-freedom-law.ars|author=John Timmer|title=Louisiana passes first anti-evolution "academic freedom" law, June 2008|publisher=arstechnica.com|accessdate=September 2, 2011}}</ref> In 2011, opponents of the  Louisiana Science Education Act, led by state Senator Karen Carter Peterson of [[New Orleans]], failed to obtain repeal the law. Some forty [[Nobel Prize]]-winning scientists endorsed the repeal of the measure on the premise that the law allows teachers to offer creationism views in classrooms.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ksla.com/story/14734163/senators-reject-repeal-of-science-education-act|title=Senators reject repeal of "Science Education Act", May 26, 2011|publisher=[[KSLA]].com|accessdate=September 2, 2011}}</ref>​

Originally considered a more [[conservative]] Democrat, Nevers in 2007 filed an anti-[[abortion]] bill, backed by outgoing Democratic Governor [[Kathleen Blanco]], that permits abortions only in situations in which a woman's life is at risk from a pregnancy.<ref name=mlgs/> He sponsored the Louisiana Science Education Act, which permits teachers to use supplementary materials in class concerning the [[theory of evolution]] and [[creationism]]. Nevers said that the law, signed by then Republican Governor [[Bobby Jindal]], is "strictly about teaching science in the classroom. It has nothing to do with religion. ... It shall not be construed to promote any religious doctrine, promote discrimination for or against any particular set of religious beliefs, or promote discrimination for or against religion or nonreligion."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sensuouscurmudgeon.wordpress.com/2008/06/23/louisianas-ben-nevers-creationist-doublethink/|title=Louisiana's Ben Nevers: Creationist Doublethink, June 23, 2008|publisher=sensuouscurmudgeon.wordpress.com|accessdate=September 2, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2008/06/louisiana-passes-first-antievolution-academic-freedom-law.ars|author=John Timmer|title=Louisiana passes first anti-evolution "academic freedom" law, June 2008|publisher=arstechnica.com|accessdate=September 2, 2011}}</ref> In 2011, opponents of the  Louisiana Science Education Act, led by state Senator Karen Carter Peterson of [[New Orleans]], failed to obtain repeal the law. Some forty [[Nobel Prize]]-winning scientists endorsed the repeal of the measure on the premise that the law allows teachers to offer creationism views in classrooms.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ksla.com/story/14734163/senators-reject-repeal-of-science-education-act|title=Senators reject repeal of "Science Education Act", May 26, 2011|publisher=[[KSLA]].com|accessdate=September 2, 2011}}</ref>​