Changes

|preceded=[[Chris Roy, Jr.|Christopher Jude Roy, Jr.]]

|preceded=[[Chris Roy, Jr.|Christopher Jude Roy, Jr.]]

}}

}}

'''John Lance Harris''' (born June 11, 1961) is a [[business]]man, farmer, and [[cattle]]man from [[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]], [[Louisiana]], who is [[Republican Party|Republican]] member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 25, which encompasses the southern and western portions of Rapides Parish. He is the House Republican Leader. Harris owns the Leebo's chain of convenience stores.<ref name=adtt>{{cite web|url=http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20111013/NEWS01/110130327/Byrd-Harris-vying-open-Louisiana-House-District-25-seat|title=Byrd, Harris vying for open Louisiana House District 25 seat|publisher=''Alexandria Daily Town Talk'', October 13, 2011|accessdate=October 24, 2011}}</ref>

'''John Lance Harris''' (born June 11, 1961) is a [[business]]man, farmer, and [[cattle]]man from [[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]], [[Louisiana]], who is [[Republican Party|Republican]] member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 25, which encompasses the southern and western portions of Rapides Parish. He is the House Republican Leader. Harris owns the Leebo's chain of convenience stores.<ref name=adtt>{{cite web|url=http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20111013/NEWS01/110130327/Byrd-Harris-vying-open-Louisiana-House-District-25-seat|title=Byrd, Harris vying for open Louisiana House District 25 seat|publisher=''The Alexandria Town Talk''|date=October 13, 2011|accessdate=October 24, 2011}}</ref>

   

   

Harris attended the [[Southern Baptist]]-affiliated [[Louisiana College]] in [[Pineville, Louisiana|Pineville]] and [[Northwestern State University]] in [[Natchitoches, Louisiana|Natchitoches]], Louisiana. He is the former chairman of the England Authority Board of Commissioners.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20111023/NEWS01/310230008/Hazel-re-elected-House-District-27-Harris-wins-House-District-25-seat|title=Hazel re-elected in House District 27; Harris wins House District 25|publisher=''Alexandria Daily Town Talk''|date=October 23, 2011|accessdate=October 24, 2011}}</ref> Reared in [[Pineville, Louisiana|Pineville]], located across the Red River from Alexandria, Harris is a graduate of the leadership program of the "good governmenjt" group, the Council for a Better Louisiana. He is a member of the World Trade Center in [[New Orleans]], the Louisiana Restaurant Association, and the Louisiana Oil Marketers Association.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.electlanceharris.com/meet.php|title=Lance Harris for State Representative|publisher=electlanceharris.com|accessdate=October 24, 2011}}</ref>  

Harris attended the [[Southern Baptist]]-affiliated [[Louisiana College]] in [[Pineville, Louisiana|Pineville]] and [[Northwestern State University]] in [[Natchitoches, Louisiana|Natchitoches]], Louisiana. He is the former chairman of the England Authority Board of Commissioners.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20111023/NEWS01/310230008/Hazel-re-elected-House-District-27-Harris-wins-House-District-25-seat|title=Hazel re-elected in House District 27; Harris wins House District 25|publisher=''Alexandria Daily Town Talk''|date=October 23, 2011|accessdate=October 24, 2011}}</ref> Reared in [[Pineville, Louisiana|Pineville]], located across the Red River from Alexandria, Harris is a graduate of the leadership program of the "good governmenjt" group, the Council for a Better Louisiana. He is a member of the World Trade Center in [[New Orleans]], the Louisiana Restaurant Association, and the Louisiana Oil Marketers Association.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.electlanceharris.com/meet.php|title=Lance Harris for State Representative|publisher=electlanceharris.com|accessdate=October 24, 2011}}</ref>  

   

   

In the nonpartisan blanket primary held on October 22, 2011, Harris defeated his only opponent, fellow Republican Barett Byrd, a retired colonel in the [[United States Marine Corps]] from Woodworth.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20110715/NEWS01/107150336/Byrd-seek-Louisiana-House-District-25-seat-held-by-Roy|title=Byrd to seek Louisiana District 25 seat held by Roy|publisher=''Alexandria Daily Town Talk'', July 14, 2011|accessdate=August 5, 2011}}</ref> Harris succeeded [[Democratic]] Representative Christopher Roy, Jr, of Alexandria, effective January 9, 2012. Roy, the older brother of Alexandria Mayor Jacques Roy, did not seek a second term in 2011. Instead, Roy announced his exit from the legislature so that he could spend more "Little League time" with his youngest son. Roy also said that he had grown weary of partisan divisions, particularly during the 2011 controversies over [[U.S. Congress|congressional]] [[reapportionment]] and legislative [[redistricting]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20110720/NEWS01/107200335/Rep-Roy-opts-family-time-over-running-re-election?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE|title=Rep. Roy opts for family time over running for reelection|publisher=''Alexandria Daily Town Talk'', July 20, 2011|accessdate=August 3, 2011}}</ref>

In the nonpartisan blanket [[primary]] held on October 22, 2011, Harris defeated his only opponent, fellow Republican Barett Byrd, a retired colonel in the [[United States Marine Corps]] from Woodworth.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20110715/NEWS01/107150336/Byrd-seek-Louisiana-House-District-25-seat-held-by-Roy|title=Byrd to seek Louisiana District 25 seat held by Roy|publisher=''Alexandria Daily Town Talk'', July 14, 2011|accessdate=August 5, 2011}}</ref> Harris succeeded [[Democratic]] Representative Christopher Roy, Jr, of Alexandria, effective January 9, 2012. Roy, the older brother of Alexandria Mayor Jacques Roy, did not seek a second term in 2011. Instead, Roy announced his exit from the legislature so that he could spend more "Little League time" with his youngest son. Roy also said that he had grown weary of partisan divisions, particularly during the 2011 controversies over [[U.S. Congress|congressional]] [[reapportionment]] and legislative [[redistricting]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20110720/NEWS01/107200335/Rep-Roy-opts-family-time-over-running-re-election?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE|title=Rep. Roy opts for family time over running for reelection|publisher=''Alexandria Daily Town Talk'', July 20, 2011|accessdate=August 3, 2011}}</ref>

For the first time ever, Democrats in 2011 did not offer a candidate for the District 25 House seat. Harris defeated Byrd, 7,577 votes (55.5 percent) to 6,088 (44.6 percent) to claim the position.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://staticresults.sos.la.gov/10222011/10222011_Legislative.html|title=Louisiana primary election returns, October 22, 2011|publisher=staticresults.sos.la.gov|accessdate=October 24, 2011}}</ref> Neither had previously sought public office.<ref name=adtt/> Byrd had been endorsed by the Louisiana Committee for a Republican Majority, established by U.S. Senator [[David Vitter]] with the goal of increasing Republican representation in both houses of the Louisiana legislature.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nola.com/newsflash/index.ssf/story/a-look-at-the-la-races-targeted-by-vitter-group/040a85707eb64de5a2df981301da0733|title=A look at the La. races targeted by the Vitter group, August 4, 2011|publisher=nola.com|accessdate=October 22, 2011}}</ref> Byrd also carried the backing of the Louisiana Republican Party, the Rapides Parish Republican Executive Committee, and the website LouisianaConservative.com.<ref name=adtt/> Neither Harris nor Byrd was endorsed by [[Governor]] [[Bobby Jindal]], who was himself handily elected to a second term in office in the 2011 primary.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theind.com/news/9023-jindal-weighs-in-on-oct-22-election|title=Jindal weighs in on Oct. 22 election|publisher=theind.com|accessdate=October 24, 2011}}</ref>

For the first time ever, Democrats in 2011 did not offer a candidate for the District 25 House seat. Harris defeated Byrd, 7,577 votes (55.5 percent) to 6,088 (44.6 percent) to claim the position.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://staticresults.sos.la.gov/10222011/10222011_Legislative.html|title=Louisiana primary election returns, October 22, 2011|publisher=staticresults.sos.la.gov|accessdate=October 24, 2011}}</ref> Neither had previously sought public office.<ref name=adtt/> Byrd had been endorsed by the Louisiana Committee for a Republican Majority, established by U.S. Senator [[David Vitter]] with the goal of increasing Republican representation in both houses of the Louisiana legislature.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nola.com/newsflash/index.ssf/story/a-look-at-the-la-races-targeted-by-vitter-group/040a85707eb64de5a2df981301da0733|title=A look at the La. races targeted by the Vitter group, August 4, 2011|publisher=nola.com|accessdate=October 22, 2011}}</ref> Byrd also carried the backing of the Louisiana Republican Party, the Rapides Parish Republican Executive Committee, and the website LouisianaConservative.com.<ref name=adtt/> Neither Harris nor Byrd was endorsed by [[Governor]] [[Bobby Jindal]], who was himself handily elected to a second term in office in the 2011 primary.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theind.com/news/9023-jindal-weighs-in-on-oct-22-election|title=Jindal weighs in on Oct. 22 election|publisher=theind.com|accessdate=October 24, 2011}}</ref>

Ultimately, Harris lost out in his bid to restrain the 2018 state budget and keep tax increases at a minimum. Republican House Speaker [[Taylor Barras]] of New Iberia, who earlier had joined Harris and House Appropriations Committee chairman John Cameron Henry in holding the line on tax increases, suddenly reversed himself and joined with the Edwards administration to approve keeping .45 percent of a temporary one-cent state sales tax.<ref>''[[Moon Griffon|The Moon Griffon Show]],'' June 26, 2018.</ref>

Ultimately, Harris lost out in his bid to restrain the 2018 state budget and keep tax increases at a minimum. Republican House Speaker [[Taylor Barras]] of New Iberia, who earlier had joined Harris and House Appropriations Committee chairman John Cameron Henry in holding the line on tax increases, suddenly reversed himself and joined with the Edwards administration to approve keeping .45 percent of a temporary one-cent state sales tax.<ref>''[[Moon Griffon|The Moon Griffon Show]],'' June 26, 2018.</ref>

Harris was a candidate to succeed Barras as House Speaker. However, he withdrew in a Republican caucus meeting held on December 13, 2019, and the members, at least the required fifty-three, tapped [[Sherman Mack]] of Livingston Parish, who began his third and final term in the House, as the new Speaker. Mack, however, was rejected by the full House, as twenty-three [[Moderate Republicans]] joined with the Democrats and the Black Caucus to install Moderate Republican [[Clay Schexnayder]] of Ascenion Parish as Speaker. These Moderate Republican dissenters are known as the [[Louisiana Republican Fraud Squad]].<ref>''The Moon Griffon Show,'' December 16, 2019.</ref>

Harris was a candidate to succeed Barras as House Speaker. However, he withdrew in a Republican caucus meeting held on December 13, 2019, and the members, at least the required fifty-three, tapped [[Sherman Mack]] of Livingston Parish, who began his third and final term in the House, as the new Speaker. Mack, however, was rejected by the full House, as twenty-three [[Moderate Republicans]] joined with the Democrats and the Black Caucus to install Moderate Republican [[Clay Schexnayder]] of Ascenion Parish as Speaker. These Moderate Republican dissenters are known as the [[Louisiana Republican Fraud Squad]], and some are believed to be supporte4rs of [[Joe Biden]]'s presidential bid.<ref>''The Moon Griffon Show,'' December 16, 2019.</ref>

 

==References==

==References==