E. L. Henry

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E. L. "Bubba" Henry (born February 1936) is a Baton Rouge attorney, lobbyist, and partner of the high-powered firm of Adams and Reese who served as a Democrat in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1968-1980. He was Speaker from 1972-1980. Though he was chosen as Speaker by Governor Edwin Washington Edwards, Henry proved too reform-minded for Edwards' preference, but some conservatives still questioned Henry's commitment to reform. In 1979, Henry finished in a weak fifth place in the jungle primary in his bid to succeed Edwards as governor. Thereafter, he was commissioner of administration for the new governor, Republican David C. Treen, then of Jefferson Parish. After Treen left office, Henry retired from elective and appointive office to concentrate on his law practice and lobbying activities. He joined Adams and Reese in 1987. One of his major clients is State Farm Insurance.

1 Leading the "Young Turks"
2 Henry' biggest legislative defeat
3 Gubernatorial politics
4 Commissioner of Administration
5 Henry's legacy
6 References

[edit] Leading the "Young Turks"

Henry graduated from Jonesboro-Hodge High School and obtained his bachelor's degree from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, in 1957. Thereafter, he attended the Louisiana State University School of Law in Baton Rouge. In his first term in the legislature, the 32-year-old Henry led a group of younger members who advocated reforms. Called the "Young Turks," the members urged cuts in spending, decreasing the number of state employees, and reducing the amount of bonded indebtedness. Henry stopped the lobbyists from going onto the House floor, and he opened up the committee process, but overall the priorities of the legislature are usually tied to those of the institutionally "strong" governor.

In addition to Henry, the "Young Turks" included then Representative Robert G. "Bob" Jones of Lake Charles, son of former Governor Sam Houston Jones. Jones would later become a state senator and ran unsuccessfully for governor in 1975. Other "Young Turks" from around the state who participated in this session were the late John Hainkel, Jr., of New Orleans, P.J. Mills of Shreveport, Thomas Casey of New Orleans, R.W. "Buzzy" Graham of Alexandria, Donald Wayne "Don" Williamson of Vivian in north Caddo Parish, and Ben Bagert of New Orleans.

[edit] Henry' biggest legislative defeat

Henry's most conspicuous defeat as Speaker of the House occurred in 1976, when the Equal Rights Amendment was rejected by the House Civil Law Committee. At the national level, 35 of the required 38 states had ratified ERA, and its feminist advocates targeted Louisiana, Florida, and Illinois as the final three hurdles to overcome. Pro-family groups throughout the country fought ERA on the premise that it would federalize family law and preempt the states in areas dealing with the family.

Henry had placed what he believed was a majority of ERA backers on the Civil Law Committee. One of those was his future law partner with Adams and Reese in Baton Rouge, Sam LeBlanc, III, a Metairie (Jefferson Parish) Democrat. LeBlanc, who served in the legislature from 1972-1980, was in fact the committee chairman. Previously, the committee had given ERA an "unfavorable" report, which had rendered it nearly impossible for the measure to be passed on the House floor. There were believed to have been nine ERA backers on the committee, based either on their past votes in the previous legislative session or on how the lawmaker had stood on ERA in the 1975 election campaign. There were only five ERA opponents on the panel, including Daniel Wesley "Dan" Richey, then a young Ferriday (Concordia Parish) Democrat, but later a Republican political activist in Baton Rouge. Supporters expected ERA would receive a "fair" hearing and a "favorable" report to the full House.

ERA generated nearly as much attention from legislators as the simultaneous consideration of the successful right-to-work law. Feminists seemed to think that it was a foregone conclusion that Speaker Henry had found a way to get the amendment out of the previously "obstructionist" committee. Meanwhile, a small group of social conservatives, unknown to Henry, LeBlanc, or the feminists, was giving speeches in parts of the state where they sought to switch the votes of four Democratic representatives on the committee. These lawmakers were John W. "Jock" Scott of Alexandria, Michael F. "Mike" Thompson of Lafayette, Lane A. Carson of New Orleans, and A. J. McNamara of Metairie. It was believed that the Pentecostal Church, which opposed ERA and which was influential in Rapides Parish, convinced Scott to reverse his position. Right-to-lifers and pro-family groups in Lafayette and New Orleans, persuaded Thompson to oppose the ERA, and conservative women in Jefferson Parish pleaded with McNamara, later a Ronald W. Reagan-appointed U.S. district judge, to switch his vote as well.

The defections by the lawmakers, all of whom eventually became Republicans, was one of the best kept secrets in the Louisiana Capitol in many years. Speaker Henry designated the House chamber as the committee room to accommodate the women who had come to Baton Rouge for the historic vote. The feminists received special seating preferences in the House balcony and packed the proceedings. Opponents of ERA were secretly smiling, however.

Dan Richey recalled the scene:

"As the roll was called (in alphabetical order), there was a slight amount of muttering from the balcony when Lane Carson stated 'No'. The feminists weren't really shaken, because they knew the outcome would be 8-6. No problem. Tensions flared when the next defector, Buddy McNamara, in his deep voice, stated 'Nooo'. For the feminist vote counters, it was still okay -- the projected 7-7 tie would be broken by [Chairman] Sam LeBlanc, Henry's hand-picked ERA deliverer. Then, back-to-back, the 'No' votes of Jock Scott and Mike Thompson provided pandemonium from the small contingent of pro-family forces placed sparingly in the back of the House chamber; while obscenities could be heard from the balcony from the previously prim and proper proponents. ERA was put out of its misery.

"The projected 9-5 margin of victory was instead a 5-9 defeat. How sweet it was. There is a saying in politics that came to mind then -- 'When you win, you can afford to be gracious.' On the day ERA was defeated, you can rest assured that I was very, very gracious."

[edit] Gubernatorial politics

Henry represented District 13, which included his native Jonesboro, seat of Jackson Parish, also the birthplace and burial site of former Governor James Houston "Jimmie" Davis. In 1972, Henry campaigned for Edwin Edwards, who faced an unusually strong Republican gubernatorial opponent in David Treen. Jackson Parish reelected Henry to the legislature, but it supported Treen for governor in the general election held on February 1 that year.

In 1979, after he had lost out in the primary, Henry endorsed Republican Treen, but Jackson Parish again defied Henry's suggestion and voted for Treen's Democratic gubernatorial challenger, Louis J. Lambert, Jr., a public service commissioner from Ascension Parish.

In his 1979 gubernatorial run, Henry received 135,769 votes (9.9 percent). His manager was a future governor: Charles E. "Buddy" Roemer, III of Bossier Parish. Henry and Roemer had become friends when both were members of the Lousiana Constitutional Convention of 1973. Henry was a chairman of the convention and was highly regarded for his ability to bring about consensus on divisive issues.

[edit] Commissioner of Administration

In 1980, as his legislative term ended, Henry became Treen's commissioner of administration, a high position in state government, which had been filled under Edwards by none other than Roemer's often controversial father, Charles E. Roemer, II, also of Bossier Parish. As commissioner of administration, Henry pushed to fruition the plans and blueprints for the State Capitol Complex and the consolidation of state offices within the Capitol environs.

[edit] Henry's legacy

Henry's affiliations include the Council for a Better Louisiana, the Public Affairs Research Council, and the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank.

In 1974, Henry was honored in the Oval Office in Washington, D.C., by President Gerald R. Ford, Jr., who cited his "exemplary leadership," particularly in reference to his chairmanship of the constitutional convention.

In the fall of 2001, Louisiana Life magazine named Henry one of 20 persons who have "most influenced public policy in Louisiana during the past 20 years." And that designation came after his tenure in the legislature had ended.

In 2003, he lent support to an unsuccessful effort by a group attempting to convince President George W. Bush to release Edwin Edwards from prison. "He has been ruined. There is no purpose to be served by his sitting in prison for 10 years," said the former Louisiana Speaker. Edwards was convicted in May 2000 on conspiracy, racketeering, and money-laundering charges following a four-month trial.

Henry and his wife, Frances T. Henry, attend the University Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, where Henry has taught the young adults Sunday school class for many years. On the occasion of Henry's 70th birthday in 2006, the state House expressed "enduring gratitude" for his "outstanding contributions to the state." The House resolution also said that Henry "lives his life based on his faith in his Creator." Mrs. Henry is a member of the Louisiana State Board of Regents.

Preceded by Marvin T. Culpepper (D)	Louisiana State Representative from District 13 (Jackson, Bienville and part of Ouachita parishes) E. L. "Bubba" Henry (D) 1968–1980	Succeeded by Jamie Fair (D)

Preceded by John Sidney Garrett (D)	Speakers of the Louisiana House of Representatives E. L. "Bubba" Henry (D) 1972–1980	Succeeded by John Joseph Hainkel, Jr. (D), later (R)