Robert Billiot

Robert E. Billiot, Sr. (born November 1953)^[1] is a retired educator from Westwego in Jefferson Parish in suburban New Orleans, Louisiana, who is a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 83. He was first elected in 2007 and began his third term in the House on January 11, 2016.^[2]

Background

Billiot's place of birth and names of parents are unavailable. He graduated from West Jefferson High School in Harvey and in 1976 received a Bachelor of Arts from Nicholls State University in Thibodaux in Lafourche Parish in South Louisiana.^[3] He is a former resident of Tickfaw in Tangipahoa Parish and Marrero in Jefferson Parish.^[4]

Political life

Billiot was elected to the House to succeed the veteran term-limited John Alario, an accountant also of Westwego, who was instead elected to the Louisiana State Senate and later switched to Republican affiliation to become the Senate President in the second term of Governor Bobby Jindal. In a general election contest, he narrowly defeated the Republican candidate, Danyelle Taylor, 3,414 votes (51 percent) to 3,284 (49 percent).^[5] In 2011, Billiot scored a second term over another Democrat, Kyle Green, Jr., 4,202 votes (57.3 percent) to 3,133 (57.3 percent). No Republican sought the seat that year.^[6]

Representative Billiot is a member of the House Democratic Caucus and maintains a heavy schedule of committees: (1) Municipal, Parochial and Cultural Affairs (vice chair), (2) Appropriations, (3) Natural Resources and Environment, (4) Joint Budget, (5) Hurricane Recovery (select committee), and (6) Natural Resources and Environment.^[2]

Billiot's ratings from the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry have ranged from 54 to 88 percent over the years he has been a legislator. In 2010, the National Federation of Independent Business scored him 83 percent. In 2013 and 2014, the conservative Louisiana Family Forum scored him 80 and 90 percent, respectively. Louisiana Right to Life has rated him 100 percent since he entered the legislature. He voted in 2014 to require that abortion providers have hospital admitting privileges near their clinics. He ranked 42 percent in 2013 and 2014 from the Louisiana Association of Educators.^[7]

Billiot voted in 2014 to extend the time for implementation of the Common Core State Standards Initiative. He voted against the requirement that companies must give public notice of proposed hydraulic fracking. He co-sponsored legislation to halt the transportation of dogs in open truck beds on interstate highways. He voted against the repeal the anti-sodomy laws; the measure failed in the House, 27-67. He voted to permit concealed carry of weapons in restaurants that serve alcoholic beverages. In 2013, he voted for permanent concealed-carry permit and opposed making information on the permits a matter of the public record. He voted for judicial pay increases and for removing the mandatory retirement age of judges. He vote to reduce the penalties for marijuana possession; the measure passed the House, 54-38.^[8]

In 2012, Billiot voted to establish tax incentives to recruit a National Basketball Association team to Louisiana. He voted against the requirement that welfare recipients undergo periodic testing for drug use. He opposed reducing the number of hours that polling stations remain open; Louisiana traditionally has had 14-hour election days. He voted to forbid telephone use while driving, but in 2011 he had opposed making it illegal to use hand-held devices while behind the wheel. He voted in 2011 against a permanent tax on cigarettes. He opposed parole eligibility for elderly inmates. He supported the redistricting plans for the state Senate and the United States House of Representatives.^[8]

Billiott won a narrow victory for a third term in the state House in the primary election held on October 24, 2015. He polled 4,198 votes (51.8 percent); his opponent, fellow Democrat Kyle M. Green, Jr., received 3,904 votes (48.2 percent).^[9]

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